Comics
[Comic Book Review] “LOW” #3 Is Incredibly Healing
While reading issue #3 of Rick Remender and Greg Tocchini’s “Low” I couldn’t help but indulge myself in the use of there “I can’t even!” internet meme. This series is so flippin’ gorgeous.
WRITTEN BY: Rick Remender
ART BY: Greg Tocchini
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $3.50
RELEASE: September 24, 2014
Reviewed by Nick Brehmer
Meanwhile, an imprisoned Marik is left alone with his guilt in accidentally killing the prostitute in issue #2. Surrendering in his own way, suicide seems to be the only way out, but not before his mother can intervene. At odds, the two journey into the wild seas beyond Salus in an attempt to retrieve the probe that may hold the key to humanity’s survival.
I can see the narrative of “Low” run the risk of alienating certain readers. I fear that the stark contrast between Stel’s optimism and Marik’s nihilism might come off as preachy. I’m not overly familiar with Rick Rememder’s work, but his letter to the readers in the back matter of issue #1 indicates that “Low” is new territory for him. He writes, “I’ve realized that in fifteen years I’ve never once written an optimist lead character…Writing Stel’s adventures and what she endures and how she endures it became incredibly cathartic.” We’ve seen just how dark “Low” can go and I think skeptical readers should note that Remender is aiming for a balance of harsh and hopeful.
I think a lot of readers (as one can witness in the back matter letters to the author) find “Low” to be incredibly healing. If anything, the series is preaching that cynicism and despair are easy to fall into. Resilience is the road less traveled. Just as Stel does, we need to put up with a lot of bullshit before we can step into the possibility of breakthrough.
The key word being “possibility.” It helps having an artist like Tocchini bring these sentiments to life in the panels of “Low.” The designs he’s come up with, from the underwater vessels to the gear and attire of the characters, are just brilliant. Not to mention the vast array of sea creatures we are shown in this issue. With that said, I’ll end with this:
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A product of the harsh lands of Northern Ontario, Nick Brehmer is in fact a sensitive flower currently blooming in the GTA. He spends his downtime wishing he was British. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @nicholasbrehmer
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.
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