Filed under: Comic Reviews, Indie Comics | Tags: Antarctic Press, David Hutchison, H.P. Lovecraft, Steam punk
Lets take the edge of some H.P. Lovecraft tales and mix it with the Victorian, industrial world of steam punk and what do you get?That’s right, the Antarctic Press release Steamcraft, a sumptuous issue written and drawn by David Hutchison.
Another escape from my usual mix of capes and bold colours and even a step further away from my regular foray into the risk-taking work in the UK’s indie and small press releases. What’s different here though is the depth that’s achieved within one issue, a depth that we struggle to find in any number of event-driven mini or maxi series or even in a collected graphic novel out there in the wider-world of comics. Hutchison eases us into a mystery, mixes in the industrial and all before slapping us in the face with some horror so we’re pretty much gifted an issue that covers all the bases.
The issue centres on the interview of rich adventurer Sir Leonard Breachfort and the story surrounding the sinking of his ship – The Thorpe – some 20 years previous. A heady mix of the high-seas, monsters and the death that followed the discovery of an abandoned ship. Great writing backed up by some grey-toned magic on every page.
This was a definite escape for me with its subject and the language used by Hutchison is in-line with the Victorian themes on offer. Demanding much more attention than a cursory glance or read with one-eye on the TV, this definitely felt like more than an issue – not word heavy in any way but a definite depth in it’s content on the writing front.
I’m hoping this is the first of many issues that Antarctic Press/Hutchison will release – maybe as a series of one-shots or maybe even as an on-going series. An issue to escape into.
Checkout this an more issue from Antarctic Press:
Catch-up with this and more of David Hutchison’s work on his blog:
6/10
G-Man – gjwatson85
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