She talks to birds, but she’s no Snow White.
What They Say:
International Horror Guild Award-winning author Caitlín R. Kiernan brings one of her most enduring and popular creations to comics! For nearly as long as she can remember, Dancy Flammarion has fought monsters, cutting a bloody swath through the demons and dark things of the world, aimed like a weapon by forces beyond her control or questioning. But now, for the first time, Dancy finds herself alone, and the wolves are closing in.
The Review:
A girl stands, alone, in a deserted town. As she walks through the overgrown and weed-filled streets, the eerie tension builds. What, exactly, is she doing here? When she begins conversing with a small bird, we learn more. Not only does she speak to birds, but they speak back. Her name is Dancy, and she’s driven by her angel to kill (not murder, thank you very much).
Everything about this comic was amazing. The cover alone would have caught my eye sitting on a shelf, begging me to snatch it up. The main figure crouched down, with the darkness hovering behind her, drew me in. I love the contrasts of the blacks and grays with the ambers and dark blood shades. The starting scenes, with the realistic setting, followed by the sharp and quick departure from realism when she converses with the bird completely hooked me. When the stranger arrives, I’m ready to believe anything.
Yes, it’s listed as a horror comic, and there are plenty of frightening aspects to this issue. Yet the dialogue and the voice of the narrator in the captions gives the dark tale a wonderful infusion of humor as well. The colloquialisms and phrasing put me right into Dancy’s mind, and made Alabaster sound and feel different from what I’m used to reading.
The art, too, was unusual and highly effective. There was something about the combination of colors, with the cool blues contrasting with Dancy’s skin tones and the stranger’s warm reds; that was striking and strong. Even the poses of the characters felt like something special. One of my favorite panels was a picture of the stranger, leaning back against a bench, with her dirty bare feet accentuated at the bottom of the panel.
In Summary:
I’m still fairly new to reading comics, but this first issue of Alabaster really struck me as a wonderful, unique start to a series. I love everything about it. The art is eerie, with both the level of detail and the coloring blending perfectly to create that creepy feel. The writing style has a definite flair, making it stand out among the comics that I am reading. I picked up this comic because of the buzz about it, and I’m extremely happy that I did. I have to say that I am completely hooked, and this is a series I am eagerly anticipating continuing to read.
Grade: A+
