Sleepy Hollow No.1

 

The comic that I chose to buy was Sleepy Hollow No.1. This comic is based off of the TV show of the same name, but I haven't seen it so this comic was a new experience for me. However, since I haven't seen the show I did feel a bit lost. There is very little character introduction if any, which I found odd since it was the first issue. Granted, this comic book would be aimed at people who have seen the show, but it doesn't help new comers who are interested in it. For example, The male lead isn't introduced at all, it opens with him buying sweets and he doesn't get a name until the 17th page. A lot of the side characters that only appear for a page or two have more introduction then he does, but again this is probably because the authors are writing this for people who have seen the show. 

 

    Anyway, the comic starts off with a blind potter who miraculously gains her sight back after the fire flares up from the oven; her eyes turn green and she can see. This first page does a good job of showing the reader what this comic will be about. It shows that it will be about the supernatural and it also foreshadows what is to come. Her glowing green eyes are just the start of the weird events that are happening around the town. There is a lot of mystery in this comic and it kept me wondering what was going on and why things were happening. In that respect it did a good job of keeping me interested and wanting to read more. Below is a page where the potter, who used to be blind, thinks she can heal people, but it turns out she is wrong.

The art style was enjoyable. there are a lot of dark lines and heavy use of shading and shadows that give it a eerie feel to it that complemented the story well. This also ties in to how light is shown. The comic is colorful, it's not colored with a dark or muted pallet, which is something that I expected. The light is bright and vibrant, but this is contrasted by dark shadows heavy lines. the bright light and the shadows work well together to really add to the story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Another thing worth mentioning is the references made in this comic. It uses historical dates, like the witch hunts and makes it part of the story, as if it were real. There are also references to Christianity and scripture. The two main characters are in search of Moloch, which is a devil from the bible. Moloch is also seen in other works, such as Milton's "Paradise Lost", and Ginsberg's "Howl". These references add another layer to the story if the reader knows about them.

    Overall I enjoyed this comic, it was a rough start having not seen the TV show, but the comic does stand on its own without the show. I look forward to reading the next installment of Sleepy Hollow.

 

 

Curtis Deslippe