The game is afoot in Exquisite Corpses #1, the new Image Comics work from writer James Tynion IV, artist Michael Walsh, colorist Jordie Bellaire, and letterer Becca Carey. This haunting tale feels like a fantastic recipe that combines Battle Royale, James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, and a dash of Halloween for bit of horror flavor. All of this combines into an amazing first issue that sets up a macabre playground for an intriguing story about a deep state (or colony) conspiracy and murderous mayhem.
Blood drops on corpses and katanas held by foxes,
Killers for hire in a rich family’s riddle,
Monsters in masks and throats strangled with wires,
These are a few of Image’s Exquisite Things.
Tynion and company brings their audience into the sleepy town of Oak Valley on Halloween. The book wastes no time in letting you know this place is in for one hell of a night, and something is rotten with those who are in charge. The book begins to reveal its large cast that is split between Oak Valley and a secret venue where the nation’s elite have gathered to unleash hell on the inhabitants of the quiet little burg.
One thing that catches this reviewer’s eye is the enormity of this cast. There are plenty of townie types that feel like your run of the mill slasher movie fodder. There is an evil aristocracy plotting and scheming in the background, a plethora of serial killers, and of course one brooding anti-hero who just wants a regular life. One might be concerned that this book is simply doing too much, and time will tell if that is true for the series. However, the writing of this oversized introductory issue feels quick paced and allows a lot of characters time to breath. This allows a reader to begin forming relationships to the cast. In normal circumstances, one might be concerned that this work may become bloated and forgettable, but for my money, Tynion is at his best when he is navigating a large ensemble. The author’s Detective Comics that centered on a large team bought enough trust to make readers excited to see where he takes the group assembled here.
Michael Walsh’s work is darn near perfect for this type of tale. The character designs are on point and help establish the wide range of personalities in the ensemble. Each face feels distinctive and new. The art conveys a deep sense of emotion for whichever figure is on stage. The mood conveyed by the pencils is on point for any section of the work the reader is in. Whether you’re in the town with a foreboding sense of dread as night approaches, or learning about a handpicked psycho’s forte, Walsh’s art establishes a sense of feeling that is right on for every page.
With all this in mind, you are now going to hear about the star of the show, the colors by Jordie Bellaire. As we have noted this book is packed with characters and concepts. The book is lively and vibrant in parts, and then dark and ominous in others. Bellaire juggles a vast array of pallets and makes each page feel unique without losing a sense of wholeness for the entire work. The coloring in this work gives Oak Valley a sense of unease, and allows each killer a sense of identity and uniqueness. In this work, color matters and helps the reader sort through the massive amounts of personalities without feeling overwhelmed. If the colors had failed, the entire book would have probably collapsed in on its own weight. Yet, Bellaire’s work enlivens the book and is delightfully exquisite.
Becca Carey’s lettering is on point. The lettering in the dialogue handles the work of conveying the story without providing any unnecessary distraction. Where the lettering sparkles is when a new killer is introduced to the story. Each intro is limited to under a page. Carey gets to play around with each new name, and uses fonts to great effect to give you a sense of the type of psychopath you are dealing with. It helps make so many characters feel fleshed out in a limited space. It is another great piece in this tapestry. It is perfectly on point and flares just at the right moment to help the reader manage all that is going on in this story.
Exquisite Corpses #1 provides a lot of information to take in for one issue, and it knocks it out of the park. My personal litmus test for a first issue is seeing how excited it makes me for issue two, and for Exquisite Corpses, I am chomping at the bit to see where this goes. This is an instant pull list addition. I WANT MORE. James Tynion IV, Michael Walsh, Jordie Bellaire, and Becca Carey have made a remarkable horror comic, and it is big and expansive. Its accessibility is truly a master class in how to pull together a large cast into a single work without losing intrigue. I just hope the next issues will be just as exquisite as all the corpses we are about to see.
