Heartbeat #1, from BOOM! Studios, is a different kind of book. It’s deep, heartfelt, and bloody.
The story and art is by Maria Llovet, and I love auteur books: the creator puts their heart and soul into something, stands behind it, and hopes it catches on.
And in this case, it largely works. It’s a bit of a puzzle to piece together for the reader, and the going is a bit opaque. We wonder if we are ‘getting it’, or ‘losing it’, but gradually the story comes together for us: A young girl is enrolled in an expensive private school. Depraved things are happening around her, and she is in a private hell.
But she’s isolated, confused and wondering what to do next….
Beautifully illustrated, with fine line, fine anatomy and a nice sense of location atmosphere, this dark story is a mysterious one. The somber colour, the oppressive mood, the puzzle pieces slowly rearranging themselves for us; very very interesting. It’s urban goth in a really good way.
BOOM, Heartbeat #1, $3.99 for 27 pages of content. Mature
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