Comic Review: Rain #1

Image Comics

Writer: David M Booher, Joe Hill

Artists: Zoe Thorogood & Chris O’Halloran

Letterer: Shawn Lee

I’ve never read the Joe Hill novella that Rain is adapting into a comic book miniseries. I’m also not too familiar with writer David M Booher’s work. I am though, a fan of Zoe Thorogood’s work after reading the Impending Blindness of Billie Scott and will give anything that the young creator is drawing a chance. Because of all of this, I went into Rain #1 blind, content with seeing recognizable names like Joe Hill and Zoe Thorogood. I sure am glad that I did.

Since going in blind was such a delight to me, I’m going to avoid spoilers of even the basic premise of Rain, even if it is made clear in this issue’s solicitation. David M Booher does a stellar job at making this story flow with the appropriate tenson and build up. Readers are introduced to a young couple and some of their neighbors in Boulder, Colorado. The narration by the protagonist is sweet and incredibly human, but there are constant sprinkles throughout that something is about to go horribly wrong. This is juxtaposed with a seemingly normal day with precious dialogue that evokes feelings of young love. When everything finally does hit, it hits hard.

Adapting anything into comic books is incredibly difficult due to how different mediums handle pacing. Adapting prose to sequential art is especially difficult because the writer and artists need to show readers just enough while leaving what happens in between the panels up to the imagination. Showing and telling too much or too little ruins the pacing, and even masterpieces can result in below average adaptations. Booher and the rest of the creative team strike a nearly flawless balance here. The emphasis on the humanity of the characters rather than the tragic events for the majority of the issue results in the harrowing circumstances hitting the reader much harder than it usually would. Each character, even the supporting ones with only a couple lines, all feel human.

Zoe Thorogood’s art fits the narrative of Rain quite well. Her style is full of instantly recognizable character designs that pop. Her faces are all expressive, allowing for Booher’s script to hit the reader as hard as it is expected to. Thorogood’s eyes alone can tell entire stories, effectively conveying every emotion from joy to grief. The second half of the issue is full of tragedy, and Thorogood rises to the occasion with disturbing and distressing panels.

Chris O’Halloran’s colors add tons of atmosphere to Thorogood’s already exceptional art. If the constant feeling of dread isn’t conveyed by Booher’s script, the ominous oranges and yellows throughout the issue will. Beautiful blues and greens paint a picture of joy in the first few pages, while bitter blues and greys fill the final few pages with heartache. Finally, Shawn Lee expertly ties the atmosphere together with subtle and effective lettering that maximizes character voices and the events throughout the panels. The sound effects on the panels hit hard, especially the ‘TAT TAT TAT’ the fills the pages towards the end.

Rain #1 is an exceptional character driven debut that emphasizes the strengths of every creator involved. The diverse cast, striking designs, and tragedy looming over every page makes this a must read.