Sometimes you get a very creative team. They look so perfect together, you can’t even imagine them working with anyone else. The work they did together looked perfect. Like your Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. Those magical stories. It’s even more magical when it’s more than just one writer and artist, when it’s a holistic complement to the creators of more than one project. i feel like this Scotty Young, Jorge Corona, Jean-François Beaulieuand Nate Pickos.
Only three projects so far, but man, they are incredible. Starting from the growing up light fantasy series Midwestone of the best all-ages books of the past decade, feels like Ray Bradbury, L. Frank Baum, pinocchiosteampunk and amulet Big book. And the latest weird westerns no grave. Further showing that they can transcend genres and continue to tell compelling, entertaining stories.
But what I want to highlight here is their second collaboration that proves the point Midwest This is no fluke. Thought-provoking horror romance film, The me you love in the dark.
“What good is a haunted house if it doesn’t provide any quality haunting effects?
The play tells the story of artist Ro who finds inspiration in unusual places. Purchasing a house that was said to be haunted was the catalyst for a new wave of painting. What she discovers is not just a haunting, but a relationship that develops with a horrific abomination. Even if we’re not entirely sure what the thing in the dark actually is. Not knowing actually helps achieve my purpose of this story being a fable.
While the story definitely operates within a Gothic romance framework, utilizing themes of forbidden love and forms of the monster sex subgenre, it can also be viewed as the story of an abusive relationship. It was a little awkward at first, went through a quiet honeymoon phase, and then started to get a bit flavourful. We can see the love bombing and manipulation through some of Lo’s favorite things, even though from her perspective at the time it was romantic. It was only later that it became more obvious that this thing was controlling, abusing and keeping her away from the outside world.
One clever thing about Jorge Corona’s design is that we see a monster. It’s a monstrous thing, with impossible angles, a lack of symmetry, and eyes everywhere, but there’s something oddly, if not beautifully, depicted in Luo’s art. It leans toward the idea that either love is blind or we only see what we want to see. All of that changes when the relationship sours and the horrific reality hits her like a ton of bricks.
Through it all, Scotty Young’s sense of humor shines through. Use some barbs and satirical scenes to lighten up the dark subject matter a bit.
“Yes I know. Just an old, ancient thing that doesn’t understand me on all levels.
I feel like Jorge Corona doesn’t get enough attention. He’s getting more accolades now Transformersbut his work has been excellent for at least the past decade. His style is angular and exaggerated, a bit like Humberto Ramos, and works well for a variety of subjects. As evidenced by his work with Young and Co. Coupled with Jean-Francois Beaulieu’s beautiful colors, which also change depending on the scene’s lighting etc., this is a truly gorgeous and haunting book. Without Nate Picos’ lettering, the team would also be missing a leg. The object’s word balloon has a unique, almost ephemeral darkness that adds character to it with just a glance.
Whether you just want a fun horror romance story or want to read it in more depth, The me you love in the dark The work of Young, Corona, Beaulieu and Piekos is another piece of magic from this creative team. From fantasy to horror to westerns, they seem to turn to new and exciting forms of storytelling every time, and I’m excited to see where they go next. I highly recommend everyone come along for the ride.
Collection of Classic Comics: Me in the Dark
The me you love in the dark
writer: Scotty Young
artist: Jorge Corona
Colorist: Jean-François Beaulieu
Writer: Blambot’s Nate Piekos
Publisher: Image comics
release date: March 2, 2022
Read past entries in the Classic Comics Compendium!
