Comics
Review: ‘The Squidder’ #2
With nonstop action, “The Squidder” #2 delivers an awesome ass-kicking action hero in the alien apocalypse. The surrealistic artwork will keep readers riveted with it’s striking images giving readers a dose of adrenaline that they will instantly crave more of.
WRITTEN BY: Ben Templesmith
ART BY: Ben Templesmith
PUBLISHER: IDW Publishing
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: August 6, 2013
Reviewed By Jorge Solis
Known as The Squidder to his enemies, the man known only as Jack has to deliver a human package. This special item is a young woman who holds the key to the bleak future. Jack has to decide whether or not he should deliver the witch on time. As much as he wants to stay away from the ordeal, his trigger finger still has an itch to take care of. Once all the bullets have been emptied, then Jack will make his final decision.
In the opening pages, writer/artist Ben Templesmith creates an incredibly vivid world that is weirdly believable. In the colorful imagery, snow is falling from the skies, blanketing the panel in blue hues. Notice how the color scheme changes as Jack and witch travel to the other part of the nuclear wasteland. The setting switches to a desert landscape, giving off a yellowish tone.
I really liked that Templesmith gave Jack someone to talk to. We’ve moved away from Mad Max type anti-hero and because of that, the story gives him more character growth. Jack is an ex-soldier who lost the war and constantly struggles with survivor’s guilt. I want to know more about this protagonist and how he can survive in this type of hostile environment.
Templesmith adds a female character with a distinct character design and a feisty personality. In her facial features, the witch has a tattoos around the eyes. She also has a punkish hairstyle, where half of the head seems shaved off. Because of their height differences, it almost seems like a father/daughter relationship.
A lot of thought and passion has clearly been invested into every panel. When I turn the page, I feel like I’m reading something new. The setting goes along with the color scheme and the dialogue connects to the moody atmosphere.
“The Squidder” #2 is an action-packed sci-fi thriller we’ve been waiting for. Ben Templesmith has delivered the project of his career, and I can’t wait to see where the story goes next.
The supernatural world of Korean folk horror movie Exhuma grows larger with the arrival of prequel spinoff webtoon Maengjong this weekend, Variety reports today.
Naver Webtoon debuts Maengjong on May 30.
The series hails from Haemuri (Olgami) and will trace the high school origins of how shaman duo Hwarim and Bonggil, played by Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun in the 2024 film, came together to face occultish threats.
The story is set to begin when “Hwarim, who has been concealing her identity following a childhood encounter with a snake spirit called Jin, crosses paths with Bonggil at their school.”
Variety notes that Exhuma director Jang Jae-hyun participated in the project’s early concept stage.
“We are presenting ‘Maengjong,’ a new series capturing the appeal of the horror-occult genre, ahead of the full summer season,” said Lee Jeong-geun, Naver Webtoon’s Korea webtoon content leader. “With the high school story of Hwarim and Bonggil, who left a strong impression in the film ‘Exhuma,’ enhanced by Haemuri’s characteristic tense direction, we expect it will be a welcome work for genre fans.”
“It is meaningful that the spin-off story of ‘Exhuma,’ loved by many audiences, expands by meeting the new grammar of webtoon,” said Lee Hyeon-jeong, managing director of the film business division at Showbox, which distributed the film. “We hope it will be a fresh experience for both film fans and webtoon readers.”
Exhuma was a breakout hit in 2024, becoming the first Korean occult film to surpass 10 million ticket buyers and the country’s highest-grossing film of the year. I wrote in my review that “the intricately woven Exhuma delivers one of the year’s biggest surprises in horror so far.”
The bond between Hwarim and Bonggil was one of the film’s highlights, making this prequel webtoon a must for fans.
You must be logged in to post a comment.