Review: ‘Hidden Springs #1’ Sets Up A Delightful Story Of Elderly Folks And Giant Monsters

Welcome to the table,

Giant monsters and a group of escapees from an A-list senior home — it sounds like the setup for a weird joke or a well-loved cult-classic 1980s movie. In this instance, it’s part of the plot for Dark Horse Comics’ new weird fiction miniseries, Hidden Spring. Let’s get into it.

The ensemble is delightful. It’s a party of elderly folk starting with a 79-year-old actor who seems to have a touch of Alzheimer’s; a female director who was burned by Hollywood because she was a strong woman; a civil rights champion, and a stand-up comedian in what appears to be a late-stage liver failure. Also, there’s a kind, retried Hollywood beauty; a rockstar who has had multiple heart attacks and seems to be an analog for classic frontmen like Ozzy Osbourne or Mick Jagger; and Bob. I think he is a serial killer … or a hit man … Bob does not talk much, and I think next to the monster, he is my favorite so far.

The monster — or as it is called, “The Child” — is an adorable giant slug-like Kiju with a segmented shell, little tentacles on its face, and very expressive eyes. The Child mentally binds with our Hollywood actor and uses him as a kind of avatar to communicate with everyone.

The plot takes a really fun turn when the group realizes The Child needs to get back to the ocean before it is discovered by the government and turned into some kind of world-ending super-weapon.

It’s a really easy plot to understand, but the characters themselves feel really strongly developed. The dialogue, along with the adorable kaiju, carry the weight of this comic in a way that feels satisfyingly episodic.

I am hesitant in saying this because I firmly believe comics as a storytelling medium are their own thing, but everything about this title feels like it could translate to the screen. I don’t know if the intent is to test the waters for that sort of thing, but this is one of the only comics from page three that I have been immediately excited to see not only what occurs on the next page, but what a move to other media might look like.

Hidden Springs is one of those books that combines monsters, cultural commentary, and an effortless storytelling style that works across genres. The setup in issue #1 was a delight, and I, for one, can’t wait to see what happens next.

Until next time, the team is writer Rob Williams, artist Nil Vendrell Pallach, colorist Berta Sas Forrelland, and letterer Simon Bowland. I’m not super familiar with any of them, though that says more about me than their talents. I think this is a perfectly paired team from everything I have seen, and I really think this book works.