Grit #1-3

Scout Comics have quickly become a regular source for my comic reading and I jumped head-long into another series with the 3-issue arc of Grit.

Old Man Barrow’s latest run-of-the-mill job sees his specific skill-set being hired to take care of a local troll problem but he soon finds out that this job has the potential to snowball quicker than he thought possible.  The world outside the sanctity of the local village is one that Barrow willingly swaggers into but with the surprises coming his way it’s clear that he didn’t sign up for this much grief.

After that grizzly opening, things spiral further into a world of fantasy that Barrow’s going to have to wrestle his way through but as we get to know more about him there’s a real depth to what’s gone on in his past.  He finds himself trapped between being haunted by a troubled past and being confronted by witches & other monsters emerging from the shadows and it seems like everything has him in their sights.  He’s not without his allies of course but his level of distrust is a hard hurdle to clear even for this pursuer of pearl.

Things reach a head with his return to the village but the fun and frantic pacing makes this series feel like so much more than three issues which is largely thanks to Brian Wickman’s deft touch at making even the most grotesque elements draw you in.  The strong lead is a key component of that from the beginning and the Clint Eastwood-like aura about him makes his every move feel like it has purpose, be that a grim retort or a swing of the axe.

Kevin Castaniero’s art is pitch-perfect for each of the elements that are introduced and that all helps the risks in every confrontation come to the fore as Simon Gough’s colours give things a mythical weight & blood-splattered edge, so it’s clear the visuals are working perfectly alongside the story that’s unravelling.  Micah Myers lettering polishes off the whole package and it’s that quality that makes this a series you can re-read straight away.

Over the course of the three issues the mystery around the central character is the perfect balance to the grim reality he’s facing off against in the world around him.  The rest of the cast drift in and out to give the surroundings the humanity & brutality it needs and that helps to elevate the story more & more with every page turn.  That all helps make Grit another slick addition to the Scout Comics roster and I hope that titles like this are beginning to pop-up on more peoples radars and that in turn feeds into further issues of a series that looks & feels like the breath of fresh air I’ve been looking for,

Head over to the Scout Comics website, Facebook, Twitter & Instagram pages to find out more about this and their other titles.

Keep up to date with the creators on Grit through the links below too:

Brian Wickman – Website, Twitter, Instagram.

Kevin Castaniero – Patreon, Twitter.

Simon Gough – DeviantArt, Twitter.

Micah Myers – Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

9/10

G-Man