Everything #1
Dark Horse Comics
Writer: Christopher Cantwell
Artist: I.N.J. Culbard
A new mega-department store is opening, and it’s called EVERYTHING. I assume that means that it sells EVERYTHING.
Set in the small town of Holland, Michigan, and taking place in 1980, the team is obviously going for a Twin Peaks vibe. A catalog-perfect, not-at-all creepy and weird manager called Shirley is the head of the store. We are introduced to quite a few different characters whose lives are more than certain going to hell real, real soon.
I.N.J. Culbard is on art duty and he does a fairly decent job. The somewhat cartoonish and clean artwork serves the book really well, making it easy to digest. One thing Culbard definitely nails are the faces. There is a lot to read from the faces alone and they are the biggest tellers that something sinister is going on in this town. A closeup on one eye is all Culbard needs to convey emotion and that’s pretty impressive.
I also enjoyed the colouring. The gloomy palette combined with some neon-y backdrops conveys the feel of the book, as well as the era it’s taking place in, rather well.
The book might be called EVERYTHING, but the issue felt like it was about… Well, NOTHING, to be honest. There’s just semi-weird stuff happening around. The windows of a record store just shatter. A homeless guy is on fire. The city manager has a boner while fighting ants. Just all around weirdness, with no palpable substance to it. Some of the characters do seem interesting and there might end up being more than meets the eye.
There’s not much to go on about the book, honestly. I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, I am curious because I love me some weirdness. On the other… There’s just not enough substance to the issue. Nothing of value really happens in it. Sure, some of the characters are interesting, but the other just makes you wonder what is their purpose in the book. If someone were to ask me if I’d recommend the series just by this issue alone, it would be a no, especially if they’re not into Twin Peaks-like stuff. I do, however, feel like it will become better as the story moves forward. I mean, Christopher Cantwell sure has some pedigree to him. But that just makes me wonder one thing – why didn’t they just do a graphic novel?
Click For More Comic Book Reviews
Everything #1
As a standalone issue, it's not that impressive. There's not much going on in it, honestly. I do, however, feel like the series will get better as the story moves forward. But that just makes me wonder one thing - why didn’t they just do a graphic novel?
-
Story
-
Characters
-
Art
