PopCultHQ received a review copy from Dark Horse Comics/Dark Horse Books for their trade paperback release for LOST FALLS Vol. 1.
Available Wednesday, May 10th, the creative team for this collected edition features writing from Curt Pires, art from Antonio Fuso & Pierluigi Minotti, colors by Lee Loughridge, and lettering from Micah Myers. and collects the original digital series for the first time in print!
Here’s PopCultHQ’s spoiler-free review of…
LOST FALLS Vol. 1 TPB
Written by Curt Pires
Illustrated by Antonio Fuso & Pierluigi Minotti
Colored by Lee Loughridge
Lettered by Micah Myers
Cover Art by Antonio Fuso
Publication Date: May 10th, 2023
Genre: Horror, Crime
Format: FC, 144 pages; TPB, 7″ x 10″
Age range: 12+
SRP: $22.99
When Detective Daniel Pynchon wakes up in Lost Falls, on the shore with no recollection of how he got there, he struggles to piece together the events that lead him there.
As he investigates the phenomenon surrounding his memory loss and the town itself, he discovers horrors both human and otherwise.
PopCultHQ’s Comic Book Review:
LOST FALLS Vol. 1 TPB
A series that bills itself as 90210 meets Lovecraft Country? Call this reviewer a sucker for a good hook because that description alone had me hook, line, and sinker. A lot is going on in this zany story from all sides, and it has a lot going for it. One of the main things is the artwork from Antonio and Pierluigi. The script is hard to follow, and while that does take away from the overall appeal, the art, colors, and lettering kept me invested.
Writing: A difficult-to-follow script stems from not being familiar with the writing at play. If a person is taking in something newly discovered, re-reading a book can help acclimate a person to the author’s work. Sadly, after a second and third re-read, this reviewer can categorically state Curt Pires’s plot was all over the place. It was clear as crystal who the protagonist/antagonist was, but some flashbacks seemed to make no sense, and a straight out-of-left-field surprise at the end left me with more questions than answers. And on top of that, some of the characters were underdeveloped, which unfortunately took away from my overall enjoyment of the book.
Art: As I said before, Antonio Fuso & Pierluigi Minotti’s artwork is one of the strong elements of Lost Falls. While someone who has never read comics before might take issue with how they illustrate people’s faces, who among us can say they’ve ever perfectly captured a human face? Regardless of whatever nitpicks people may try to throw out there, these two worked in perfect tandem bringing this strange and dark world to life. The use of darker textures within the linework adds a layer of shadow on top of the already spooky atmosphere presented here. Especially whenever a scene takes place in the woods or near the falls. There are some visual jump scares that seem to take a cue from the movies of Sam Raimi. To both of the artists, I tip my cap and say, well done.
Colors: One of the fun things about doing these reviews is stumbling across a name you do not know, but once you dig into a person’s bonafides as a professional, it dawns on you that you’ve been a fan of their work for years. This is most definitely the case with Lee Loughridge. He has been the colorist on comics dating back to the 90s. So seeing his color choices paired with the work Antonio and Pierluigi did is fantastic. It particularly shines out with the falls (the crux of the story) because not only is the focal point of the mystery, it is where everyone keeps returning to. The mixture of bright and cheerful blended with the shadows. Lee has done it again, and I could not be happier.
Letters: Lettering may not always seem like a crucial part of the creative process, however, it is just as important as scripts, art, and colors. A letterer has to take the existing scripts and make them flow within the word balloons. That gives them the power to infuse creative energy into characters, making them either as realistic as possible or flat and two-dimensional. Micah Myers fell into the former category with his work on this TPB. Every character’s emotions came out beautifully here – anger, regret, confusion – all of it. But where he shined the most was with the mysterious villain. In all sincerity, it seemed as if the creature was speaking to me, and that is some Lovecraft-level spooky. So to Micah, I say, way to go for making this reviewer thoroughly scared!
Overall Assessment:
Lost Falls is a story that is so fun to explore from the various visual elements. The art, colors, and letters kept me going during my many readings of this tale. Sadly, the script was lost on me. And I tried, oh how I tried to make sense of it, but the door could not be opened. Everyone had fun working together on this adventure, but trying to blend the elements of H.P. Lovecraft and 90210 together fell short of the mark. I encourage people to check this book out because it is visually spectacular and can be used as a jumping-off point into other works from the team.
PopCultHQ’s Rating:
3.5 out of 5 Stars
About Dark Horse Comics:
Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson, Dark Horse Comics is an excellent example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and transform a company with humble beginnings into an industry giant. Over the years, Dark Horse has published the work of creative legends such as Yoshitaka Amano, Margaret Atwood, Paul Chadwick, Geof Darrow, Will Eisner, Neil Gaiman, Dave Gibbons, Faith Erin Hicks, Kazuo Koike, Matt Kindt, Jeff Lemire, Mike Mignola, Frank Miller, Kentaro Miura, Moebius, Chuck Palahniuk, Wendy Pini, Richard Pini, and Gerard Way. In addition, Dark Horse has a long tradition of establishing exciting new creative talent throughout all of its divisions. The company has also set the industry standard for quality licensed comics, graphic novels, collectibles, and art books, including Stranger Things, Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra, Minecraft, The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario, Dragon Age, James Cameron’s Avatar, Game of Thrones, Mass Effect, StarCraft, The Witcher, and Halo. Today, Dark Horse Comics is one of the world’s leading entertainment publishers.
