Originally published at Fangoria.com on May 29, 2011
In its third installment, GREEN WAKE (Image Comics) brilliantly hits its mark and elevates its material to another level. In a desperate search, a delusional detective just might lose the trail of a brutal killer. Overwhelmed by painful flashbacks, the unstable detective is about to lose his sense of reality at any moment. Readers will be blown away by GREEN WAKE’s surrealistic artwork and riveting storytelling.
In the previous issues, the first murder victim was missing half his face, because his lips were torn off. In the following murder, the fingers of the second victim were cut open vertically. The inhumane killer even yanked the bones from the flesh. Detective Morley Mack is convinced he has to stop Ariel, his only suspect, before she continues even further with her murder spree.
Every inhabitant in Green Wake knows that there is something very wrong with their town. Everyone seems to have a secret, but they live in absolute fear of it. Each resident secludes themselves inside their building as a way to escape from the terrible truth. The outside world has forgotten Green Wake’s residents, who are all doomed to live in this place.
As Morley learns more about the town itself, he discovers more about his purpose there. The mysteries of Green Wake claw at the back of his mind. Ever since his sudden arrival, he believes the town is a living and breathing embodiment of hell. Every dark alley is a haunting reminder of his dead wife. Now, Morley has to make a leap of faith and blindly follow these forgotten moments in order to uncover what his killer’s next move might be.
Hiding in the darkness, a hideous and menacing creature lurks in the streets of Green Wake. Have there been two killers since the beginning? Has this monster been obsessed with Ariel all along, killing everyone she knows? Or, is Morley actually protecting a murderer from something much worse?
Author Kurtis J. Wiebe (THE INTREPIDS) manages to provide more questions, even while answering some of them. Wiebe’s dialogue between Morley and Father Ishum is entirely thought provoking and involving. The author provides more insight to readers as to what happened to Morley and his deceased wife. Readers are simultaneously given clues and red herrings behind the Green Wake slayings.
Artist Riley Rossmo (PROOF) successfully manages to create a feverishly surreal dream. Readers will be fascinated with the haunting imagery of Ariel and her extended red hair. With such meticulous illustrations, the color scheme is another important aspect to this comic. To understand the story better, green stands for the present and purple symbolizes unreality. When these colors mix, the tone stands for another metaphor.
Definitely worth buying, you should have GREEN WAKE #3 in your hands! Well-written and impressively drawn, this miniseries just keeps getting better and better! The dreamlike images in this issue will definitely stay in your mind for a while. It’s available June 1, and you don’t want to miss out on this great horror mystery.
