Review – Basilisk #1
Review – Basilisk #1
Writer: Cullen Bunn
Artist: Jonas Scharf
Colouring: Alex Guimaraes
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Release Date: June 2, 2021
Synopsis
Who Can Stop The Chimera?
Five individuals bound by a cult-like hivemind, they terrorized small towns with their horrifying supernatural sense-based powers, leaving death and destruction in their wake.
Regan, one of the Chimera, escaped and has been in hiding, with her murderous eyes bound, overcome with guilt. Until now… when a victim from her past forces her to hunt down the other four of her kind.
New York Times bestselling horror writer Cullen Bunn (Harrow County) and artist Jonas Scharf (Avengers Of The Wasteland) reunite to unleash a supernatural horror series for fans of Killadelphia and Stillwater rooted in the way we process the world – our senses.
Writing
Cullen Bunn began working with Boom! back in 2014 with The Empty Man and then following up with hits The Unsound and Bone Parish. It is easy to see why Bunn keeps bringing projects to Boom and why they keep saying yes. Each of these titles are either undergoing the process or have became movies. His The Empty Man movie also holds the title of the last ever movie to have the 20h Century Fox fanfare before the sale last year.
According to Bleeding Cool his new title Basilisk has now achieved the highest-selling launch based on initial orders for creator owned publishers.
Basilisk is a slow burn book, the first few pages are silent panels, but they immediately set the tone with foreboding terror. Bunn keeps it tight in issue one with a small (very small) cast of protagonists and only a few pages of the Chimera antagonists. This issue is all set up, but the storm clouds are coming in and something terrible is about to happen. The two main scenes in a restaurant and a motel room are filled with tension which erupts when a cult attack Regan’s kidnapper Hannah.
Artwork
This issue needed strong artwork, with almost 50% of the issue without speech and limited narration, thankfully Scharf starts with a high on the cover and things just pick up from there. The panelling setout looks like ballet with each move gracefully flowing into the next.
Alex Guimaraes colouring heightens Scharf’s artwork. The stunning blue veil Regan wears draw your eye through the drab backgrounds and its very shift threatens to unleash untold horrors. When the cult finally attacks the energy explodes (a bit like the first cult members head) from the page finally unleashing the pent up energy that’s been building.
Overall Thoughts
I can see why Basilisk #1 is the biggest pre-sale and it delivers on all cylinders. If this review doesn’t have you jumping up and kicking down the door of your local comic shop for an issue I’m not sure what will. A 100% perfect issue that sets the action with minimal dialogue and stunning artwork.
[yasr_multiset setid=1]
[yasr_visitor_multiset setid=1]
This review of Basilisk #1 was possible through a free preview by Boom! Studios. Enjoy the first three pages below and get this weeks hottest comic.
Buy tickets for BGCP Comic Con in and around Glasgow Scotland – BUY TICKETS
Check out all of our Comic, Movie, Television and Videogame Reviews HERE and our Podcasts/Interviews HERE
If you want to be part of the BGCP community, Join us on Discord, Twitter, Instagram etc then click HERE
