Advance Review: Odd Pacing Negates The Horror In ‘Brynmore’ #1
by Tom Smithyman
Brynmore #1 is a slow-burn horror story. Like really…slow…burn. At least, that’s what it seems to be. So much of this premiere issue is spent on explosion and character development that the creators never really get to the horror that readers were promised. It’s all a build up to…a fairly routine discovery at the end of the book.
The story follows Mark Turner’s return to his ancestral home of an island off the North Carolina coast. Mark is trying to reclaim the mess he has made out of his life thanks to drugs and alcohol. His marriage is over and his kid won’t speak to him. Still, he is sober and intent on returning to the island named after his family.
Screwing up, though, seems to run in the Turner clan. There was an unexplained incident several years ago, and most of the isle’s residents aren’t thrilled that Mark has turned back up to turn the local chapel into a house.
Writer Steve Niles imparts that information to his readers using an omniscient narrator – a device not often used in comics these days. Most scribes prefer first-person text boxes, which makes this book something of a throwback. Still, it’s a welcome change.
The real problem is the issue’s pacing. It’s difficult to imagine a reader walking away from this first issue excited by what’s coming next. There’s so much run-of-the-mill goings on and so little to indicate that there is real horror or even excitement coming up. It feels as though this limited series was originally intended as a graphic novel instead of individual issues. While it’s too early to tell, it seems releasing Brynmore as a complete story may have been a smarter choice – or at least giving readers a double-sizes first issue.
Artist Damien Worm impresses in the first few pages with his landscapes and seascapes. His humans are a little less crisp, but get the job done. Unfortunately, with so little action taking place in this issue, we don’t get to see what he’s really capable of.
While it’s too early to tell, Brynmore may end up being a great series. But dividing the story will likely just leave the reader wondering what this story is actually about – and why they should care.
Brynmore #1 will be available for purchase tomorrow.
Overview
The pacing in this issue is off. Way off. The entire issue is a build-up to a discovery in the last panel that will leave readers flat. The story needs to be repackaged as a complete graphic novel instead of a monthly to maintain readers’ interest.
