Comics icon Mike Mignola teams up with frequent collaborator Christopher Golden and artist Peter Bergting to bring us The Golem Walks Among Us! #1. With colors from Michelle Madsen and letters by Clem Robins, this new chapter from the Outerverse is a fun ride full of witches and monsters. With a tight script and outstanding visual work, this is going to be a must-read for fans of Mignola’s work.
“After being awakened from his long sleep in a shrine in Eastern Europe, Josef the Golem aids in the fight against the witches that once again terrorize humanity. Deployed to a small village where a cult has taken root, Josef encounters not only witches but an old enemy who remembers him well . . . and is out for vengeance.”
Writing & Plot
Writer Christopher Golden pens an intense and action-filled script for The Golem Walks Among Us! #1. Golden focuses on the struggle of a small group trying to escape from the clutches of an insane cult. Josef the Golem joins the citizens to help, and that is of course when events get more complicated. This comic is connected to other stories in the Outerverse. While reading other series’ in this universe will help your understanding here, it is not a prerequisite for enjoyment. Much like Mignola’s Hellboy universe, you can jump into this issue and be perfectly entertained by the lore and characters you meet.
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Golden’s technical and stylistic choices keep this comic engaging from front to back. His dialogue is varied among the characters and feels naturalistic. Josef the Golem’s words are full of wrath and promises of justice against the dark beings he has come to slay. The pacing throughout this comic is intense and keeps the plot moving along in a natural manner. This is a solidly written comic, full of lore and darkness while still feeling like an adventure.
Art Direction
Mignola has a knack for selecting only the greatest of horror and monster artists for work connected to his name. This is why The Golem Walks Among Us #1 has the talents of Peter Bergting. Bergting’s visuals are immensely detailed and creepy. His designs for everything from summoned eldritch horrors to offensive magic are creative and unique. He manages to bring his original style to these pages while adhering to the same visual language of Mignola himself. Bergting’s thin line work translates to fantastic environmental detail. The setting of late 1930’s Europe looks accurate and lived in, and is the perfect setting for this kind of monster-filled story. Speaking of monsters, their designs are pure Mignola-esque genius. Bergting creates a mixture of classic monster-movie looks and grotesque eldritch abhorrence that makes these beasts and witches stay in your head.
Michelle Madsen’s colors for Golem are rich and murky. She builds a perfect atmosphere for the paranormal adventure we read here. The mottled brick streets run with dark blood and firelight. The drab gray of Josef’s stone body contrast with the fleshy crimson contortions of his foes. Offensive magic glimmers with sparks of jade green and orange. It’s truly excellent work. Clem Robins’s letters utilize the same classic font style all of Mignola’s comics use. His use of it is spot on, with a reflexive use of font changes and effect sounds that blend into the experience. This is a highly impressive comic from the visual end, with this team firing on all cylinders.
Verdict
The Golem Walks Among Us! #1 is a fast paced and brilliantly atmospheric entry into Mignola and Co.’s Outerverse comics. Christopher Golden’s script is intensely frightening and exciting, with great action and worldbuilding that stays new reader friendly. The visuals from Peter Bergting and Michelle Madsen are rife with detail and uniquely designed, bringing this frightening but intriguing world to life in all its paranormal glory. Be sure to grab this issue when it hits shelves on 8/4!
