Eldritch #3: Making an Art of Your Suffering

I am starting to enjoy this book to a degree my therapist will find worrisome. This is Eldritch!, of course, the third issue of which is out from Drew Rausch and Aaron Alexovich. My write-ups of book one and two are…just where I linked you to them. As we are rounding the corner of this six-issue series, we’re beginning to see the corner pieces of the puzzle. I shan’t give anything away that I shouldn’t, but know that it involves melting heads, evil babies and even more black goo. In fact, I’m beginning to think that they should sell some Eldritch! Black Goo^TM candy slime on the website. “Get infected with the taste!” or something. Regardless, our hero Anya needs to figure out what’s up with her brother, what exactly he’s planning and how she can stop it.

I think what’s really got me jazzed about the book is just how well it’s juggling its various influences. Alexovich has us squarely in the territory of those classic teen horror/sci-fi movies in which the youngsters are moving pieces around on the board and the adults are saying, “Oh, that’s nice, dear” as best they can to avoid actually having to confront what’s going on. It’s got that lovely pacing to go along with it, which I find very endearing. But we’re not alone in there. There’s great references to pulp horror and the continuing theme of Lovecraft, who no doubt is somewhere smiling. (He could smile, I’ve seen a photo.)

[ad#longpost]What I also enjoy is the thought that’s gone into the art. It would be very easy to make the art Manic! All! The Time! But Rausch knows when to push what button. In a phone conversation between Anya and Owen, Anya’s panels change–Owen’s stay the same. Not became Alexovich is lazy, but because he simply needs to show that Owen is so calm he doesn’t even have to move. He’s just…there. Nice. You can also have moments of artistic calm alongside moments of cartoonish insanity (like the panel I love below). The entire project is well managed and holds interest. And, again, I’m just digging the hell out of it. If you have not gotten on board, you should. It’s going to someplace fun and dark. Like we like it.

Eldritch! is available as a PDF or through the Graphic.ly and Comixology apps. For more info about book and creators and links to buy, check out the official site. The book is $.99. Coffee used to be less than $.99. Ask your parents. Enjoy.