Dark Pond Creations have been a welcome discovery with The Meek already proving to be an impressive title and with Flesh Tones #1 offering something different it’s good to see that trend continue in the three stories making up issue #2.
First up is Crimson Dusk written & drawn by Katy Anne who brings us a story that nestles in a dream-state where a mysterious figure rides along beside our main character in what turns out to be a far more messed up story than first expected. Slow & muted at first but with a twist that brings you to your senses as the controlled dialogue/narrative helps this stick in the mind with powerful visuals that glow with some great colouring…..more of Katy Anne soon please!!
Dark Pond co-founder Patrick Scattergood returns to writing duties for Always Follow Your Heart and much like the previous issue and his other work he’s managed to take a story and turn it on it’s head. This time it’s a killer/victim story that starts off being run-of-the-mill but the power in the situation the character find themselves in is completely different from what you’d expect. He’s joined by Stephane Cote on art and the results are moody as hell as the pages seem to glow with life at first before the darkness of the plot and characters take control. Gruesome but great!
The last tale sees Patrick team-up with Luke Cooper who has constantly impressed with his style and gritty feel to his art. This turns out to be my favourite story as Patrick tackles the darker side of life and in particular, depression and it’s negative impact on your state of mind. Paced perfectly and ultimately far more hopeful than you might have expected at first it manages to capture the very real feelings that build inside when those dark days cloud your mind. Powerful & much more thought provoking than I imagine Patrick realises, he’s managed to capture a world of doubt into a few pages and show the light at the end of the tunnel. Beautiful work.
Dark Pond Creations continues to grow it’s back catalogue of titles and each one manages to emphasise the improvement on writing & art duties that the team embodies with each release……stunning stuff.
You can get hold of the Dark Pond Creations through Sellfy and keep tabs on their latest news and Comic Con appearances over on their Facebook page.
8/10
G-Man
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