Comic Review: Gideon Falls #11

Gideon Falls #11

Image Comics

Writer: Jeff Lemire

Artist: Andrea Sorrentino

A whole month has passed since readers of Gideon Falls saw Daniel and Father Wilfred meet inside The Black Barn. Now they discover what drives it, or more importantly, who the man who grins in the shadows really is.

Inside The Black Barn, Father Wilfred and Daniel meet a man with a cane and a waxed mustache. The man claims to be the real Norton Sinclair–the name Daniel has been going by ever since he appeared in the city as a child. Sinclair shows them an invention. It looks like a Tesla coil on steroids. With it, he shows Wilfred and Daniel how he has opened doors to different realities. But there’s just one little problem. Someone, or something, lives in the voice between worlds.

Little is learned about either Wilfred or Daniel and sadly, the other characters are absent from this issue. While there are some reveals that are satisfying, especially in the case of the grinning man that haunts Daniel and The Black Barn, character development isn’t what this issue focuses on. Rather, this issue propels the plot forward and uses what readers already know about these protagonists to guide them through the horrors they meet.

This comic does things, in terms of art, that this reader has never seen before. The linear concept of panels is present but is commonly called into question. At times there are so many panels scattered across the page that is difficult to know where to look. In this way, readers share the experiences of Wilfred and Daniel, as their worlds are ripped apart. The use of colors is also exquisite. While inside The Black Barn, characters intricate wireframes of themselves against a bright red backdrop. Sorrentino uses shards of broken panels from different worlds, thrust into tense scenes to illustrate the confusion a human mind would have in comprehending such an experience. The result is immersive, confusing, terrifying, and awesome.

This is an issue many readers have been waiting for. Of course, the author, Jack Lemire, doesn’t tip his whole hand but offers more nuggets of information about The Black Barn than in previous issues. It’s a must-read issue that takes the creepiness of this series to a new level. By the end of this issue, however, readers will likely have more questions than when they started. In short, it does everything a good comic book should. It entertains you, defies expectations, and leaves you wanting more.