Comic Review: Farmhand #2

The first issue of Farmhand astounded me with its mix of charm, tension, and creativity. Now that the bizarre town and its creepy organ farm have been introduced, it’s time for some exposition.

Ezekiel is doing his best to acclimate to his new home. Unfortunately, some of his and his father’s demons from the past are starting to show up again, making things a tad difficult. His children are running into their own problems as they start school, and some sketchy people are starting to appear around Mae.

Rob Guillory’s script is solid, as he continues to excel as both an artist and a writer. The more I read Farmhand, the more I am appreciating his work in Chew. It’s clear after reading just two issues of this series that Guillory had quite a bit of influence on both Chew’s story and art style. Farmhand almost feels like it has the exact same creative team as Chew did, and that is one of the biggest compliments I can give out.

The characters’ dialogue is natural and believable, and nothing throughout the issue feels out of place. The story is also going at an enjoyable pace. The series doesn’t seem to be moving quickly at all, but that isn’t much of a problem when the writing is so enjoyable. Guillory is still building the world around his characters, but this series doesn’t feel like a slow burn. Each subplot is also interesting and mostly fun. The kids are getting into various degrees of trouble at school, with what currently seems to be just a harmless side-story. Mae is getting into something that feels much more sinister, and I can’t wait to learn more.

Guillory’s art is stellar as expected. Every panel contains an odd mix of charm, humor, and dread. The art is strangely gorgeous and ugly at the same time. The organ plants just look scary, and readers with sense wouldn’t want to be anywhere near these scientific abominations, despite the intentions of their creation. The characters are wild. Every grin, scowl, and grimace is over the top and looks great with this kind of book. This series could easily have some gritty art to amplify the horror, but Guillory’s ink completely changes the tone of the series, and it is for the better.

Farmhand #2 is another exceptional issue for this new series. Guillory has proven that he is incredibly talented as both a writer and an artist, and I can’t wait to see where this story goes.