From writer/modern horror icon Zac Thompson (Come Into Me; Alien Romulus)and artist Nicola Izzo (Buffy: The Last Vampire Slayer, Firefly: Keep Flying) comes a chilling murder mystery entrenched in paranoia. With lettering done by DC Hopkins, and coloring by Francesco Segala and Gloria Martinelli, this five-issue mini-series follows a photographer deep in the frozen landscape of the great white North. However, as her attention drifts away from her intended subject, she instead captures something much more chilling: a murder. How far will she go to uncover the truth, and how far will others go to ensure it remains buried in the snow?
Writing/Story
From the first issue, Blow Away solidly establishes itself and its heroine as detail-driven, missing nothing in its vast environment. Our heroine Brynne is single-minded to a fault and makes no qualms about being liked or disliked. She wants the truth out there. Brynne’s focus and drive allow her to find evidence where even police officers fail to, yet it adds a layer of conspiracy and madness to this story. She has no trust in anyone from the start, and this whispers in the ear of the reader “Could Brynne simply be projecting all of this, and it be a misunderstanding?” It’s a fascinating journey, especially as the spiderweb deepens and it becomes impossible to tell who can be trusted, or if the heroine is sane anymore. Thompson layers in clues and hints that act as red herrings, never allowing the reader to truly know what any character truly is thinking or what motives are until it is done.
Art Direction
The landscape in Blow Away is a harsh one. For most of the series, we are stuck in snow and ice, watching camera frames of similar panels. Yet the action, or lack thereof, never feels dull or muted, due to the amount of detail placed in every square. The story greatly emphasizes the amount of detail Brynne is keen on, and Izzo delivers that detail in spades. Every singular frame includes minute differences down to the placement of snow. Following along with Brynne as she searches for clues on each panel becomes instinctual and intriguing as it all feels vast and detailed. The lettering from Hopkins greatly helps with the flow of the story as well. While Brynne is a talker, the conversation feels sparse, with text bubbles regularly following the flow of the environment, allowing a seamless transition between spaces and thoughts.
However, what undoubtedly will capture most readers of Blow Away is the coloring. The work from Segala and Martinelli is a master class in presenting temperatures and emotions through colors alone. The wide shots of the mountains raging with snow and wind are awe-inspiring, as the color remains so vibrant, and showcases the sheer cold being experienced. The standout for color, however, was the beauty of the sunrises and sunsets presented throughout. The passage of time was expertly and beautifully shown in gorgeous hues of orange and blue.
Verdict
Blow Away is enthralling. It is a series you could pick up simply because it looks so darn pretty, but there is a real and captivating story there. The protagonist is built extremely well over the five issues, with a journey that, while confusing, is also gripping at every turn. This is one of those series that I was looking forward to picking up every issue a bit more than the last, yet now that’s over I can only feel satisfied having been along for the ride.
