From The World of Hellboy emerges the first issue of a new Dark Horse series: The British Paranormal Society. Issue #1, Time Out of Mind, introduces us to two investigators in England, date 1910.
Writer Chris Roberson wastes no time in setting the scene for the reader: Simon and Honora are in the little British village of Noxton. All is not well: despite there being a Spring Festival coming soon in the near future, the villagers are a grumpy bunch. No smiles, no answers, and plenty of hushed whispering among themselves. Enough to give a visitor the willies!
Artist Andrea Mutti (colours by Lee Loughridge. letters by Clem Robins) allows for plenty of social distancing in his panel compositions, yet a claustrophobic vibe continues to sweep in. The blossoming of the spring flowers doesn’t seem to announce much joy in the multitudes in Noxton! And wait ’til sunsets, wow.
The story reads a bit predictably, to begin with, as both investigators state their pedigrees and proclaim their intentions. As they begin to sniff around the rose bushes, however, we see Roberson’s script start to darken and get more stained: there are some really creepy things happening in the hedgerows. And Mutti’s understated art style commences to bear fruit too, with well-defined characters acting and reacting with startled body language. Is it a rose by any other name, or is it a venus fly trap?
By the end of the first issue then, we are fairly convinced that we must stick around for whatever must blossom with the two brave paranormal investigators, God help them.
Dark Horse, British Paranormal Society #1, #3.99 for 22 pages of content.
Newsdesk