Drops #1, Reviewed

How about some psychological horror action that hits you with a wave of silence presented in mind-bending black and white art with the eerie vibes of a David Lynch directed German expressionist horror movie? Well, Matthew Cooper and Connor Montgomery have something interesting in Drops #1.

October seems to be rapidly descending towards us and with the delightful Halloween looming lovely it's typically the time for a build-up of horror media. Not that there's exactly a shortage just lately, in fact, I’m sure the exact opposite is the case. However, can anyone really get enough horror entertainment in their life? Well, I think not, so I’m pleased to have read and experienced an interesting set-up to a psychological horror series that works as a great entrée for the devilish season. There could be something pretty special here as this comic delivers an interesting, wholly unsettling atmosphere.

So, let’s start with the art. Connor Montgomery presents something very disturbed and it’s beautiful. There are fine pen and ink lines that at times hold charcoal scratchy qualities delivered in a sketch esq style that manages to embody the madness of the story. This is art with a particular feeling, a tangible mood and atmosphere. The feeling I can best compare to the experience of a German expressionist horror movie. The same unsettling edge as The Cabinet Of Dr Caligari or Nosferatu. There are art lines and character designs of psychotic horror that often give a sense it could have been created by a patient of Bedlam or the protagonist himself.

There are punches of visceral violence, body horror and descent into madness, nightmare dreamscape environments. The psychological break of the protagonist is fully realised in nightmarish imagery. I found this art to be completely enjoyable, its strength in delivery is a wonderful experience. Standout moments would include the Anubis type heads of the “scientists” set in the eye as the subject is literally swept along the hallway, any and all the violence and body horror, but without doubt, the absolutely gorgeous page 18 the large panel giving a glimpse inside the mind is very powerful.

On to the story then and this one written by Matthew Cooper. The important factor of this comic is certainly the sparingly used dialogue. More than half of this comic in fact closer to ¾ of it is pure art. There are nearly as many panels featuring sound effects as there is dialogue and it works as a very powerful story. The story focuses on subject 0-11924, an unfortunate individual who is being subjected to some nefarious mental jiggery-pokery by sinister scientists. That’s probably the fluffiest way of describing what is actually a pretty dark torture and death opener to this story. The mind-bending, bad acid trip of imagery hits by page two and begins the spiralling descent of horror and hallucinations.

You’ll learn that this is a facility of massive scale and the effects of the work being done there on one individual as they attempt to escape, and that’s as much as I'll spoil. To give you a hint and whet the appetite here's a few questions raised. What is the facility doing that requires shiploads of subjects? What's the end game? What has and is happening to subject 0-11924? Where do you even get a shipload of people? Why do you need so many jars? Can there be an escape? And who in the bloody hell is the smoking lady? Hardly any of these questions will be answered and many more asked. It’s indefinitely intriguing stuff and I’d certainly love to see more.

For fans of dark twisted psychological horror, disturbing hallucinations, sinister dog-headed scientists, stunning black and white art, strange facilities, female nicotine-dependent puppet masters and nightmare dreamscape imagery, I highly recommend getting to their Kickstarter page here, as this campaign closes in on its final week. The rewards for digital and physical copies are extremely well priced and it’s a project full of potential. So don’t delay and get involved.

Review: 4/5