Comics
[5 Skull Comic Review] “LOW” #5 Inspires Awe
Rick Remender and Greg Tocchini’s “Low” #5 opens with yet another significant time jump. Such large cuts in narrative structures would usually make me furrow my brow, but in this case, it just makes me wonder in awe. I desperately want to know what details Remender would have revealed within those four months and I want to see what Tocchini would have shown us. But then again, if it were up to me, this series would be a lot longer than the projected 60 issues.
WRITTEN BY: Rick Remender
ART BY: Greg Tocchini
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $3.50
RELEASE: December 3, 2014
Reviewed by Nick Brehmer
After being betrayed by a brainwashed Tajo, both Stel and Marik are prisoners of Polluma; Stel’s being tortured by Roln while Marik has become a sort of celebrity gladiator in the giant monster fishbowl that serves as entertainment for the deranged masses. Roln is in fact using Marik newfound fame as a way to slowly draw out the coordinates of the fallen probe. That’s right – this issue contains a stunning, underwater gladiator fight against massive sea monsters.
But it’s in this scenario that makes apparent the brilliance of Remender’s character development. While it may be emotionally rewarding to get behind Stel and her ferocious optimism, the villains of this story need to be respected. Why? Because they’re romantics. They aren’t bent on destruction or chaos. – they want to live. They want to see the sky, feel the wind, and hear the birds. Roln knows that how Polluma exists isn’t really living. The probe and the prospect of a new home are just as appealing to Roln and his minions as it is to Stel and Marik.
Remender understands human nature. He understands hope and despair and what they do to people, for better or for worse. This is why “Low” is such an incredible story. We’ve already seen so much radical change in characters. You can look at the broken, yet-to-be-revealed story arc of Tajo and see how hope is so cruelly stolen from youth into adulthood. Conversely, you can see how, especially through Marik’s narration in the latter part of this issue, how good intentions are also easily corruptible and how that corruption can indeed be rectified.
I’m not sure if I want to spend many words on Tocchini’s art from this issue within this review. Deep – that’s all I’ll say. The process that the two creators have presented to us is just so ambitious and noble that each issue draws up very appropriate moisture to my eyes. Their process is definitely one to be trusted.
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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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