From two of the DC legends behind Blackest Night, Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis present the highly anticipated horror series Hyde Street. Featuring inks by Danny Miki, colors by Brad Anderson, and letters by Rob Leigh, all of whom (along with Johns and Reis) are co-founders of the media company Ghost Machine, with Hyde Street being one of four shared universes in their slate.
Hyde Street #1 follows the sinister Mr. X-Ray, a 60s era con man who made his living selling fake products to children in the back of comics and magazines. His penchant for targeting kids in his schemes—and overall lack of conscience—eventually lead him onto the titular Hyde Street, a limbo of sorts for all wrong-doers, where people are sent to get tortured or become torturers themselves. Hyde Street houses a variety of creatures and monsters, one of which is Pranky, a boy scout who revels in punishing those who target children. Pranky and Mr. X-Ray, along with many other inhabitants of Hyde Street, all perform their role for an unknown entity, who scores the amount of souls they torture, with the promise of release to the most successful.
Writing/Story
This first issue jumps right into the horror of Hyde Street, with an opening that swiftly introduces the monsters who inhabit that place and the consequences of finding yourself there. While much is still to be revealed, the characters really are what bring this series to life. Mr. X-Ray, while not having a chance to necessarily be a tormentor as his role on Hyde Street dictates, does get a clear and concise backstory in this first issue. Foil to him is Pranky, who is portrayed as evil incarnate in a cherubic body. Their relationship is tense and combative, and it makes for a great dynamic as it’s easy to foresee both possible team-ups and fights.
As the title dictates, the street itself is a character, akin to a different plane of existence. And while there is much to yet be revealed in this story, there is a clear understanding from the authors that less is more. This first issue leaves many questions open as it introduces a variety of characters and concepts, but it never feels heavy-handed or done for effect, it’s as if the reader also stumbled upon the street and is learning its secrets in real-time.
Art Direction
As mentioned, Hyde Street itself feels like a character in the story, and that is largely due to how vividly it is portrayed. There is no lack of detail and focus in each part of the story. As early as the first few pages, characters are portrayed up close and hyper realistically, and there are clear and bustling environments behind them. On a second read, it is easy to spot shadowy figures lurking behind places, and lights on in apartments — all small but important details that make the street be alive.
When showing horror, the features are intense and bold, with certain characters inhabiting shadows and becoming demonic. Eyes are specifically used for effect a lot in this issue, with the combination of colors, placement on the page, and overall design, allowing for some very unique and memorable spreads and panels. Blood is used surprisingly scarcely in this first issue, but when it is, it is done so very boldly, drawing the viewers’ eyes to it with the vibrant red that is used. The whole of the issue is a bit muted in terms of color, but it allows for these impactful pops of vibrancy when needed. The coloring also works perfectly in tandem with the lettering. The text boxes in which Mr. X-Ray and other characters scream are visceral. As characters engage in the evil that Hyde Street demands, it’s very interesting to follow how their speech bubbles mirror their emotional state.
Verdict
Hyde Street #1 is this creative team showcasing their talents to their max, and what their respective arts can look like outside of the traditional mainstream setting, all in full horrific glory. Overall, this entire team came together to bring a work of art from Ghost Machine, and after reading Hyde Street #1, I’d say they succeeded. This is the comic to read as Halloween approaches, and pretty much any other time too.
