I Walk With Monsters – Paul Cornell, Sally Cantirino, Dearbhla Kelly, Andworld
The unusual tale of a girl and her monster, I Walk With Monsters is a subtle horror story that looks at the people who fall through the cracks in society, and those who rise to the top. Jacey and David – and the creatures he can transform into – travel across America looking for perpetrators of violence who are in need of a touch of Dexter-style vigilante justice.
This is the best part
On one level, this is a book about faces. The faces the we present to the world. The ones that we save for the most private moments, when no one can see them. The faces that come out when we stop pretending to be civilised and let ourselves descend into beasts. These are all faces that artist Sally Cantirino (Human Remains, Final Girls) gives us, as she pulls us into a twisted carnival of a story, in which the faces of the characters tell as much of the story as the words do.
The bold use of large panels allows Cantirino’s art to be seen in all of its magnificence, with the introduction of the ‘monster’ a particular stand out. There are also several clever moments that conceal the appearance of one character – from us and from Jacey – until the audience is ready for them.
The artwork is perfectly complimented by the colour work of Dearbhla Kelly (Human Remains, Jennifer Blood), who mixes a muted palette of autumnal tones, with the occasional splash of the brightest of reds, to vibrant effect. In addition, the lettering from Andworld brings out the tension in certain parts of the book, especially when Jacey isn’t paying attention to David. There is also clever use of lettering to accentuate Jacey’s anger, over and above the usual emboldening of fonts.
The important man
Getting on to the writing, Paul Cornell (The Modern Frankenstein, Black Widow) weaves intersecting narratives of Jacey and David in both their previous lives and the present day, building their relationship over the course of the story whilst also giving us snippets of the reason they came together.
This is not a book that skirts issues, as it deals with issues such as child abuse, paedophilia and vigilante justice. Which doesn’t sound like light reading, but Cornell uses his trademark sensitivity to bring the reader with him on the way, never giving more than we can handle and treating each new revelation with care and attention.
I have tried to be as spoiler-free as possible here, as this really is the type of book that needs to be read fresh and appreciated on its own merits, without the major beats being given away beforehand. I Walk With Monsters is available now in trade, published by Vault comics.
Paul Cornell – writer
Sally Cantirino – artist
Dearbhla Kelly – colourist
Andworld – lettering
Vault – publisher
