Review: ‘The Bone Orchard: Ten Thousand Black Feathers’ #1 Is The First Step In An Eerie New World

The Bone Orchard kicks into full swing this week with Ten Thousand Black Feathers #1 and if this first issue is any indication, readers are in for an eerie good time.

Jeff Lemire, Andrea Sorrentino, Dave Stewart, and Steve Wands launch this new horrifying story as part of their shared Bone Orchard universe.

Trish was once a lonely orphan, bouncing from foster home to foster home. Then she met Jackie, and her life started to look up. Years later, as a successful fantasy writer she returns home as things start to get rough. Unfortunately she’s been followed home by something frightening and evil…

Straightforward right away- if you’ve ever read a Lemire and Sorrentino comic, you know what you’re going to get here, and that’s a good thing. The story will be eerie, and, at this stage, inexplicable. The art is going to be gorgeous. And you’re going to walk away from it wanting more.

And yes, it’s all those things. I already can’t wait for the next issue.

Beyond that though, Lemire and Sorrentino craft a unique story in their universe. All the hallmarks are there of their collaborations, but there’s a level of world building and character depth that often is much more gradual and slow in their other work. Even though there’s a lot of holes in between the two time periods we see- Trish’s childhood, and a few decades later in her adulthood- through dialogue, we’re able to learn a lot about her.

Immediately we know that our protagonist is troubled. The captions (which are extremely well done by Wands) give us a sensation that they are the voices Trish is hearing, even when they say “can you hear them?” instead of prompting her forward into madness. But Lemire makes us invested in more than the mystery- Trish and Jackie’s friendship is immediately engaging and feels real. It’s even better when they start to develop their own fantasy world, a simple childlike action that clearly points towards terror in the near future.

The art continues to be stunning. Sorrentino is one of the most expressive artists in the industry, and continues to be remarkably inventive. One of the best parts of the issue is where he completely shifts his style in the flashbacks. By using a more flat and cartoonish style (which Stewart compliments perfectly with a pastel-tinted palette), he creates a sense of whimsy with Trish’s childhood. It makes it feel full of wonder and potential, which is why his shift to his traditional style (as well as the shift Stewart makes with the colors) makes the present day scenes so scary.

This nearly perfect horror storytelling, and an instant add to my pull list. It’s a fantastic start to what’s sure to be a modern classic in comics storytelling.

The Bone Orchard: Ten Thousand Black Feathers #1 is available now from Image Comics.