Grit #2

Grit #2

Scout Comics 2020

Written by Brian Wickman

Illustrated by Kevin Castaniero

Coloured by Simon Gough

Lettered by Micah Myers

When a mysterious wanderer comes across a mound of slaughtered goblins, she wants answers, and all signs point to Old Man Barrow. Unfortunately for him, she decides to mount her interrogation while he's knee deep in the swamp, hunting a dream hag. If there's one thing Barrow hates more than a witch, it's two witches. Things ain't looking pretty for our hero, y'all.

I love Scout Comics, the level of quality storytelling we are getting is beyond any and all expectations and that’s saying something considering that I already have high standards for them. I think after this issue it is now on my list to get blank covers done by everyone who does the interiors for their books because that would be just too damn cool. This book is just straight up a Dungeons & Dragons game to me and we’ve got all these different class of characters coming out of the woodwork to shake things up and throw a monkey wrench into the works. I love it and I encourage this to keep happening time and time again, especially if we’re going to see new characters show up to form this adventuring party.

I am a huge fan of the way that this is being told. The story & plot development we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well. The opening alone sets the stage for what we are going to see here and that she threw up says it all to me. The character development is phenomenal as we see the characters act and react to the situations and circumstances they find themselves in. Also the dialogue between them is stupendous and I gotta say hella fun to read. The pacing is amazing and as it takes us through the pages revealing the twists and turns along the way there isn’t a dull moment to be had.

I like the way we see this being structured and how the layering within the story continues to unfold. There is just something about this dodgy old coot that you cannot help but like and wanna have a pint with even though he is who is and to feel that way is because of how good the writing is here. The way everything works together to create the story’s ebb & flow is impeccably done.

The interiors here are bloody brilliant to see! I mean the linework and how the varying weights and techniques are being utilised to showcase this gorgeous attention to detail is mindbogglingly good. That the backgrounds are so essential to the story and they are rendered with just as much detail and care as they are makes me chuffed. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show such a talented and masterful eye for storytelling. The colour work that we see is gorgeous to see. How the various hues and tones within the colours are utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is stupendous. The colour additions to characters in the woodland where it’s full of browns it really pops and the way it’s done just really focuses the eye beautifully.

​

This is an amazing story and the further we get into it the more we learn and in return the more we want to know. It is precisely how it should be when it comes to storytelling. That this is so strong and so well crafted and executed comes as no surprise to me but the sheer unadulterated quality of the work is truly magnificent to see.