Steve Niles & Damien Worm continue the dark tales of the Allan family as they seem to be finding out just as much about each other as we are about them as this title progresses.
Issue #5 sees more revelations as the twisted life the Allan family find themselves all being a part of is becoming more complicated but still one I’d consider for myself :D. They are all pulling together though as they come under threat from a number of different monsters & madmen. Head of the family, Frederick, has accepted that the life he’s lead is one that they’ll all have to have a hand in although that’s not without some serious discussions being had on how things will work……but that will come later as there’s more to be dealt with straight away.
Cue a trip back to the hospital first and a heart to heart between old partners Fred & Lucus – more revelations about Lucus and his current condition gives a further poignant edge to the story. There’s a switch back to some action as Greg takes on Robot-Face in another plot thread that’s being tugged at and although there’s a third element added with a previous enemy returning from the dead these are all well paced and tied together nicely by Niles. The family element is there consistently and as Deloris leaves hospital we work up to another finale that leaves me wishing I had the next issue in my reading pile.
The real success in this title is in the intricate flip between scenes as the weird keeps on coming but the subtle undertone of family is ever-present and at the core of this title. The post-hospital whispers between Fred & Deloris are testament to the type of extra info Niles slips in to allow the characters to develop along with the story which is pretty fast-paced and yet still manages to deal with longing, heartache and more with a great deal of care. Worm’s artwork is probably the most consistent in any title out there just now as the detail, & the dark tones fall in-step with the story Niles is weaving.
Perhaps as co-creators there’s a more obvious sense of commitment from them both but there’s no denying that what we end up with is the kind of release you either save up and binge-read or read as soon as you get your hands on it. I don’t think there’s a middle ground for something this good what’s even more of a surprise is that it’s been the exact same across issues #1, 2, 3 & 4……now THAT’S consistency.
9/10
G-Man
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