The latest three part arc of Merrick starts with issue #9 of a series that hit the ground running with it’s opener and never looked back.
Merrick finds himself the focus of a local group of kids and when one of the gang comes face to face with him he soon finds out there’s much more to the central character than the rumours on the street. They’re quickly on their way out into the city and the lure of a puppet show see them both facing trouble that comes out of left field for them both.
While that part of the story is unfolding, we get a glimpse of what’s happening with Treves as he faces the wrath of his employer and the cracks begin to appear between him & his doctor friends at the hospital. His interest in the dark arts has seen the doubt grow in his abilities as a doctor & friend but with the importance of Merrick there’s a slim glimmer of hope that he can still hang around. The troubles for Merrick himself continue and with him firmly caught in a trap, he finds himself alongside the familiar face of a former foe.
Writer Tom Ward & artist Luke Parker have kept the consistency in this series at the highest possible level and as the mysteries around the central character & the world he inhabits has grown, the stature & quality of this series has matched that and then some. The natural development of a world around what we initially perceive as an unnatural character has come easy and as Merrick has proven himself to be far from a monster, it’s clear to see the the endless potential is still very much there. Letterer Micah Myers his typically effortless final touches to the book as he has some sections that contain a lot of dialogue & narration but it’s pieced together to help the flow of the whole story continue uninterrupted. Gritty & unnerving in places but definitely involving – it still feels like the same series that wowed me in the beginning…..roll-on the rest of this arc & beyond.
Here’s a look at the covers for the next two issues too:
You can get hold of Merrick over on the titles website and keep up to date with what’s next over on the Facebook & Twitter pages.
Check in with the creative team through the links below too:
Tom – Twitter
9/10
G-Man
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