Review – At Last the Light
Review – At Last the Light
Writer: Simon Birks
Art and Colours: Anna Wieszczyk
Lettering: Rob Jones
Publisher: Blue Fox Comics
Kickstarter Due in Late March
Synopsis
Edinburgh, 1849. Eliza and her father look out towards Inchkeith Lighthouse, worried as its light begins to fade. Eliza takes a rowboat and journeys out to the island to investigate, unaware she is about to be thrust into a gothic horror mystery. Using her intelligence and wits, she must face the unknown and lay the island’s secret to rest.
“At Last the Light” is a 24 page, full-colour gothic horror one-shot. As well as this English version, we will also have a modern Scots translation ‘At Last the Licht’ and a period Scots translation ‘At Lest the Licht’
Writer: Simon Birks
In Victorian Edinburgh a father and daughter see a lighthouse fade out so daughter, Eliza sets out to find out why and save any ships close to the coast. On the island, she can find no trace of the lighthouse keeper, Mr Stewart, and frantically searches for a way to rekindle the light.
As she walks up the spiral stairs she finds clues such as a heavy drinking habit, cherished mementoes of his sweetheart Hattie. As she gets closer to the top she hears sounds and finds Hattie fading away in the lighthouse before exploding in a burst of light.
Birks scrapes off all superfluous characters and plot and delivers an intimate Gothic Horror with hints of Wuthering Heights meets The Woman In Black. Eliza shines like a beacon in the tale and allows the self-contained tale to connect quickly to the reader.
Artwork: Anna Wieszczyk
Wieszczyk’s work is coloured, by her, in such a way to highlight it when and where it is needed. What starts as a cold blue, white and black story heats up through the pages till I almost burnt my fingers at the plot’s crescendo. This subtle but amazing tool works to excite and draw in the reader subconsciously as we are drawn into this claustrophobic tale. In a short story, every pen and ink stroke counts and Anna’s ability to fill panels with stunningly drawn characters will appeal to many.
Lettering: Rob Jones
It’s also amazing to see a company embrace the Scots language and Letterer Jones’ work will act as a beacon for other Letterers to adapt work to dialects and languages. This inclusive approach will appeal to many Scots readers who feel we’ve been boiled down to Shrek and Groundskeeper Wullie caricatures.
Overall Thoughts
Gothic Horror is such a rich vein that I could see this creative team building a whole series around Eliza and the mysteries she faces in 1800s Scotland. It’s a delightful palette cleanser for the soul, with a clear and simple moral message delivered via a stunning rich book. The stand out of the whole book though is the subtle use of colour to ramp up the tension as an out of control fire burns your fingers to each page. You’d be a fool not to put in a Pledge for this on Kickstarter. I score this review a perfect 100%, for its unique storytelling approach.
If you enjoyed our review, look out for At Last the Light on Kickstarter
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Sink your teeth into our preview of the first few pages below
