Review: ‘The Creature From The Black Lagoon LIVES!’ #1 Leaves You Gasping For Breath

Welcome to the table,

When I was young I was endlessly fascinated by monsters. I saw them as these almost god-like beings who could turn into bats or wolves, could rise from the dead, or in some cases were aquatic entities who dwelled below the dark waters of forgotten lagoons.

I have always found monsters far more interesting than people, so when allowed to read a story that treads those dark waters where creatures are featured, I am delighted!

Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives! #1 from Skybound Entertainment and Image Comics is so good, I dare say it is… DOUBLE DELIGHTFUL!

Editor’s Note: “Delightful” is the highest compliment Anton gives, ever, for anything. I have never, not one time, heard him use the term “double delightful.”

Dan Watters and Ram V pull writing duty on this title, with Matthew Roberts lending the lines and Dave Stewart splashing the color. The team is rounded out by DC Hopkins on letters. The team comes together and brings life to this horror-themed offering in a way that feels authentic and full of strange life.

The landscape is rich and feels warm, to the degree it is stifling and the protagonist, Kate, feels frantic and driven. There is so much to this story, but the most striking piece in this first issue is that the visual storytelling and narrative roll together seamlessly. As you flip through the pages, you feel the thick warm air of the waterside town and the vibrant cooling relief of the dark waters of the Black Lagoon.

As the story builds a mystery and strange creatures make themselves known, this story of classic creatures and murky mysteries gets its hooks into you and leaves you gasping for breath the further deep you dive into it.

Until next time, I really like a page in here where we first “see” the creature. It’s such a cool, subtle play, and it works so well.