Originally published at Fangoria.com on June 26, 2011
Ever engrossing with its bizarre plot twists and red herrings, GREEN WAKE #4 (Image Comics) just keeps raising the bar.
A grief-stricken detective’s search for a brutal killer and a bloodthirsty monster forces him to revisit painful memories, making it seemingly impossible to escape his town.
Author Kurtis J. Wiebe (THE INTREPIDS) continues to answer questions but the surprising revelations are not exactly what you expect. Finally, readers are privy to more information about Detective Morley’s loyal partner, Krieger; and much like Morley, Krieger’s role in the town of Green Wake is related to his past sin in a previous life. But how can these two protagonists trust themselves when their recollections are so unreliable? Green Wake feeds on the memories of its inhabitants, cruelly turning people’s past against them.
GREEN WAKE’s artwork continues to be a major reason for purchase. Artist Riley Rossmo (PROOF) doesn’t shy away from the gruesome or the surreal. In a particularly unsettling sequence, a monster touches a young man’s face, infecting him with poison. Suddenly, the young man’s mug is covered with blinking eyes, which begin popping themselves, spewing blood into the air. The colors serve as interesting metaphors for time displacement. Readers should know yellow represents the past and green symbolizes the present and when these colors mix, Rossmo adds a fascinating interpretation to Wiebe’s storytelling.
A great comic provokes thought and discussion, something the GREEN WAKE series delivers in spades. #4 hits July 6. Treat yourself to the offbeat, weird characters and a creepy, imaginative setting on display.
