Comic Review: King of Nowhere SC (BOOM! Studios)

Denis wakes up on the outskirts of Nowhere, a town that is, well, nowhere. From BOOM Studios, King Of Nowhere is collected in softcover trade.

W. Maxwell Prince writes, and Tyler Jenkins (Hilary Jenkins on colours) illustrates this incredible tale of disorientation and purpose. Who are the mutated and deformed citizens of Nowhere, and how does Denis find his way when he’s not sure where he is?

It all comes back to him, somewhat slowly, somewhat surely. And the reader, in the five issues collected here, starts to get the whole incredible picture. But along the way, Prince and Jenkins weave us through the most psychedelic, mind-melting potpourri of shocking moments. It’s like Alice in the Looking Glass, on more than acid. It’s a kaleidoscope of story, mixed with nutrients and nuttiness. The emotions are real, the people are unreal.

The drawings are not high realism, yet they retain the essential ingredients of good storytelling: the large brush strokes, the thick deep shadows, the warped perspective actually enhances the trance. Hilary Jenkins contributes a watercolour colouring style that reinforces the dreamlike quality of the art.

For lovers of the road less taken, the wine just emptied, the regrets, the few moments of clarity in the midst of the common cold, King of Nowhere is a harsh, hammering good time, and a compelling read to be sure.

BOOM! Studios, King of Nowhere, $19.99 for 148 pages