Tranquility hides a secret … one best left long forgotten.
Creative Staff:
Writers: Joe Brusha
Artwork: Babisu Kourtis
Colors: Leonardo Paciarotti
Letters: Taylor Esposito
What They Say:
People are going missing in Paradise Court, and only Amy seems to think something sinister is behind their disappearances. No one else wants to believe that something evil is stalking their idealistic, gated community. But beneath the surface of this false paradise lurks a secret so dark that death will seem like a pleasant escape for those it comes to.
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
As the sun settles over the peaceful gated community of Paradise Court, all is not as it seems once friends try to calm down Amy after her harrowing experience. However once Officer Garcia returns from his investigation, disbelief overcomes the poor woman when he states there was nothing in the isolated cave from which she claims her pursuit of Barry lead her to, much to her astonishment. The human bones she saw displayed in a ritualistic setting were gone, and those which the policeman did find he claimed were scattered by predators. Even after raising the suspicion they might have been the remains of the missing girl, this doubtful guard dismisses her proposal by stating that person was found, attributing this event to the aftermath from a night of drinking.
It is not until her companions reveal Amy’s troubling past of her parents being murdered does everything finally fall into a new perspective.
After a fitful night of little sleep, her friend Robin is still concerned by Amy’s well being, asking if she didn’t misinterpret the events as results of their excessive drinking. Wanting to distract these wild dreams, the brunette suggests going into town for a little fun, but are soon disappointed by the car not starting. Janey offers to take them to the mechanic, however when her friend tries to call ahead there is no signal, explained by the residents having a special cell tower which only allows specific phones to access it and blocking all others. After arriving at the auto shop and receiving good news their car can be fixed by tomorrow, the friends relax at the local bar, still complaining why a certain someone forgot to have the vehicle serviced before such a long trip. Having had enough of the drinking and whining, Amy excuses herself to go to the washroom, only to be surprised when exiting by a frenzied man warning her to get out. It is only with Robin’s help is the maniac chased off, allowing the group to return to the house and adding to the poor red head’s problems as she tries to get some much needed rest with a welcomed nap. But even in this blissful world she is haunted by terrifying memories, watching her parents being slaughtered again … wondering if now the past as finally caught up to the present.
In Summary:
As we watch Amy’s troubling story unfold with concerned amusement, with each step forward there is a sense of familiarity by which we have seen all of this before. While I applaud writer Joe Brusha for this attempt in crafting an imaginative terror narrative, the elements which he uses to fabricate the telling all are gleaned from other sources: teens out on a Spring Break trip stopping to visit a place with a dark secret, missing people plus a demonically dressed ritualist and now, add the trauma of our main heroine having a tragic past somehow connected to the present. Although his telling is creative and it does have some chilling moments, at the same time there is a sensation of predictability leading the reader down a path which brings the most thrills for each moment, including the scene of a man warning Amy to turn back. Even as we enjoy every clichéd scene, you cannot get over the inkling we have seen this telling before, thus leading to the unavoidable assumption this title will conclude with a formulaic ending … all while hoping it will not.
Even with such an anticipatory narrative, what brings out the exhilaration of this story is the sensational artistry of illustrator Babisu Kourtis’ elegant normalcy for intermediary scenes, but once we leap into the horror, his depiction of ghoulish beauty makes you shiver in fright, stunned by the gore but also amazed how simple two dimensional pictures can evoke such terror. This masterful job in building tension is the key to this tale, and yet it is the coloring of Leonardo Paciarotti which solidifies that intensity, whether it be from Amy suffering an emotional shock and magnifying that depression via muted colors or using those same dull tones to enshroud a scene with blackness and shadow to transmute hollow sinisterness into a malicious physical presence, his talent shines through every moment. The shifting back and forth between emotional states allows the reader to form a bond with our protagonist, disarming the moment with typical teenage routines such as sunbathing in skimpy swimsuits or drinking, but when the moment is right, the shock of a single panel or page leaves the audience with the right impression, flipping the switch to warn us know something sinister is watching around the corner. This ghastly partnership leaves the reader with an investment into worrying what will happen to Amy, but at the same time, allows us to teeter on the edge for the graphic madness which could be waiting with the turn of a page.
Paradise Court has opened up the flood gates of horror, and while it may be predictable, the artistic depiction in the form of picture and color envelope the reader with a genuine sense of dread. Even with a story which seems blasé due to familiarity, it is the materialization of those emotions which evoke a sensationalism which normally is saved for film, but due to the talent of these magnificent artists, we are able to savor the terror within a flat medium. Horror and beauty on the same page, it would seem to be a contradiction which would not work, but due to the cooperation of all involved, we cannot get enough of this intensely gory story.
Grade: B+
Age Rating: T (Teen)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: August 29, 2018
MSRP: $3.99