Writer: Jeff Lemire / Artist: Andrea Sorrentino / Image Comics
After fourteen issues, I’m slowly running out of ways to praise Gideon Falls, but the simple truth is that what started as chilling poignant urban horror story has slowly, but surely pivoted into a multiversal, eldritch abomination inhabiting, straight-up nightmarish landscape that started out great and has only continue to raise the bar every time we find out more about the Black Barn.
It’s immediate from the start that this is a comic that embodies all the weird wonderful ways that comics can tell stories that other mediums will struggle to. Sorrentino’s panel work is incredibly trippy, his artwork is chilling and human, and Stewart’s use of the color red continues to be one of the most anxiety inducing things I’ve ever experienced and I’ve been saying this for so long, but it’s no less true after almost a year of following this universe. The visual design team pushes the limits of how much can happen on a page and manages to guide them through a terrifyingly disorienting stimuli that is at the core of all horror.
Gideon Falls has always been a story about how little we can trust our perceptions and with the introduction of the multiverse and time travel, that centric thematic continues to tug at our heartstrings. Lemire is a master of the slow burn that leads to grand conflagrations which makes seemingly innocuous beats much more sinister later, and the worldbuilding and tight dialog is a joy to read, but also frightening because every time you think you understand the piece, Lemire unveils yet another piece seemingly whispering “there’s so much more you don’t know about all the things to come.”
Knowing the history behind Gideon Falls has been an illuminating experience, yet it still feels like we’re ignorant of all of the difficulties to come. But there’s no doubt that in mind that Gideon Falls is one of the best stories on the shelves and horror fans will be remiss not to be consuming the narrative immediately.
Gideon Falls has always been a story about how little we can trust our perceptions and with the introduction of the multiverse and time travel, that centric thematic continues to tug at our heartstrings. Lemire is a master of the slow burn that leads to grand conflagrations which makes seemingly innocuous beats much more sinister later, and the worldbuilding and tight dialog is a joy to read, but also frightening because every time you think you understand the piece, Lemire unveils yet another piece seemingly whispering “there’s so much more you don’t know about all the things to come.”
Knowing the history behind Gideon Falls has been an illuminating experience, yet it still feels like we’re ignorant of all of the difficulties to come. But there’s no doubt that in mind that Gideon Falls is one of the best stories on the shelves and horror fans will be remiss not to be consuming the narrative immediately.
10 out of 10
Reading Gideon Falls? Check out BNP’s other reviews here. Want to get Black Nerd Problems updates sent directly to you? Sign up here! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!Meet the author
CommentsNo comments yet
Subscribe for more
Be part of the conversation
Subscribe to Black Nerd Problems to start commenting.
Already have an account? Log in