A Comic A Day in May – Day 12: Griff Gristle: Here Be Monsters

Robin Jones & Michael Sambrook team up to write the latest Madius Comics release Griff Gristle: Here Be Monsters.

It’s the story of sleepy fishing town Charlsberg and while it may seem like mundane surroundings on the surface…..the reality is that there’s something far more bizarre & mystical going on.  Strange lights & missing people amidst a town that almost seems to be fading away but that’s where we see our central character Griff Gristle step into the light with an eye on getting things in line.  Cue a boat trip a-la-Jaws and Griff embodies that Quint mantle as he leads an expedition to find out the truth of what’s causing the strange goings on.

Joined by Justine, the sister of one of the missing people, we’re soon in the depths of the sea nearby and its a turning point for the issue after a controlled opening.  The world of weird takes this in a new direction as action, risk & adventure see Griff shake free of the shackles of old age and get around to kicking some ghostly ass.  A great introductory tale for Griff with an additional short story that gives us another ghost from his past to tackle with some help from his wife (an inspiration for his boat name) Betty.

Robin & Michael have absolutely nailed this as the tone and feel to the book has an instant sense of history to it which emphasizes the world-weary Griff as the fountain of knowledge he needs to be to tackle ghosts & demons as confidently as he does.  The supporting cast play a significant part in the story too as they add a broader appeal and much more natural & divers side to it.

Rory Donald joins the team on art duties and while there’s a definite air of Hellboy or the BPRD to it there’s a fresh feel to the pages that seem steeped in the seawater air of Charlsberg itself.  Great colours and vivid set pieces take thing up a notch and it ends up being one of those titles that you’re desperate to read more of.  Amazing stuff.

You can catchup with the creative team on Twitter:

Robin Jones

Michael Sambrook

Rory Donald

You can get your hands on this and loads more rewards over on the Griff Gristle Kickstarter now.

9/10

G-Man