In the US town named Lost Turkey, there ain’t all that much going on day to day. Know what I’m sayin’? But in The Deadbox #1, a new horror title from Vault Comics, there is a lot more cursed mystery than the residents realize!
Writer Mark Russell creates the scenario of the humdrum small town, where everyone is in each other’s business and dispensing well-meaning but irritating platitudes and advice. Our protagonist, a young woman named Penny, looks after the variety store and serves all varieties of townsfolk. But she’s restless and analytical, an over-qualified store clerk who longs to get away. The video rental box in the store offers escape, but the escape is definitely hallucinatory and effective!
The story is nicely framed. We are given a nickel tour of the town, its godliness, its cleanliness, and traditional bearing. The characters are immediately tagged as being interesting, they are eccentric and their intentions ambiguous. It’s a great start, coupled with the imminently readable art by Benjamin Tiesma. Tiesma’s clear open rendering style jibes nicely with the story setting, allowing us to slip ‘unawares’ into the plot. The visual angles are comfortable and serve the story. When art is done as well as this, it becomes somehow invisible, ironically, as we digest the images and the hypnotically smooth flow. Tasteful colour by Vladimir Popov, letters by Jim Campbell.
This one has real potential, very well crafted, with some excellent twists and surprises. Give it a try!
Vault Comics, Deadbox #1, $3.99 for 22 pages of content. Horror
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