Geek Syndicate
girl, a nameless street urchin whose crew have forced her to break into the grounds of a mighty evil wizard. She is of course caught by the evil wizard who is actually not a wizard but a creator of artificial life from porcelain (think of a steam punk version of an artificially intelligent robot). The artificer in question is a desperately lonely man with a haunted past and a dark secret to which we are not party. The relationship between him and the girl is fascinating to watch as they realise they can bring something new to each other’s lives. The girls’ street smart dialogue is hilarious, while not disguising her great need. Read also does an amazing job of capturing the artificers great loneliness. In perfect companionship to Reads writing, Wildgoose’s art is simplistic yet his characters have such evident emotion that like every good comic artist, his work is as much part of the storytelling as the words. The version I read was black & white but the little I have seen of the colours by Andre May tell me that Improper Books know exactly what they are looking for in an artistic team. This reads as an ongoing story and this slow burning gothic fairytale has completely drawn me in. In Butterfly Gate, Benjamin Read has written a story without words. It follows the story of two children who discover a mysterious portal while hunting Butterflies in the woods. This story moves from charming to macabre with a truly disturbing conclusion. An ongoing story, consisting of three arcs and I am anxious to see what awaits the children on the other side of the portal. To write such a truly engrossing story without words is an amazing feat and Read and Wildgoose show the magic of their partnership here. Once again the colours added by Derek Dow this time and flatting by Alexa Rosa are a perfect match. Suffice it to say, I am a fan of Improper Books, a company that makes the macabre beautiful.
David Monteith
Rating:
GGGGG
80