The Conjuring: The Lover #1

The Conjuring: The Lover #1

DC Horror 2021

Written by David L Johnson-McGoldrick, Rex Ogle & Scott Snyder

Illustrated by Garry Brown & Denys Cowan

Coloured by Mike Spicer & Chris Sotomayor

Lettered by Becca Carey

Meet Jessica. Jessica just returned to her freshman year of college after winter break, bringing with her the anxieties of last semester’s poor grades, the awkwardness of facing a boy she wishes she’d never slept with, and an undeniably unnerving feeling of being watched. She soon comes to realise that something evil made her its target, and it will not rest until it has her in its unholy grip. But why did this sinister presence set its sights on a seemingly normal college freshman?

Right now I’m not terribly sure what this has to do with the film franchise but I am really not all that nonplussed about it. The opening does a spectacular job of grabbing the readers attention, drawing them in and instilling the desire to want to see more. It also does a superb job in showcasing how Jessica was targeted but not by whom leaving that bit a mystery that want to see unfold. Also I really thought this was an anthology book which made me sad until I read it and understood that the ads in the book are fictitious and the second feature is a one and done story so that made me happier.

I am a fan of the way that th is is being told. How we see the story & plot development through the way that the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceedingly well. The character development that we see through the dialogue, the character interaction and how they act and react to the situations and circumstances that they encounter really do wonders in making them feel like real people. The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages introducing us to the story, the characters and this world it does a great job in generating the tension and interest in the story.

I am enjoying how we see this being structured and how the layers within are beginning to emerge. It is within the layers where we begin to see the different arcs weaving their way around the main bit and it makes the reader wonder and become engaged in the book. How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is extremely well achieved.

I like the interiors here. The linework and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create the detail work that we see is rendered very well. I wish we’d see more backgrounds but it is what it is, this is a horror book and there are some absolutely stunning moments that are meant to creep the reader out and they do so beautifully. The way we see the composition within the panels to bring us the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope of the story is rendered exceedingly well. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a strong talented eye for storytelling. The colour work is beautifully rendered as well. How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work shows how colour can be utilised to its fullest.

The whole issue is a setup for Jessica and we’ve yet to see her possessed or even influenced by some sort evil or demon or whatnot. It does make me want to see what’s going to happen next though and i’m looking forward to the next issue.

The second feature is interesting and I like that this is a short story that’s one and done in nature. It’s a great story that feels like Drag Me To Hell in some ways and it keeps well within the whole horror story aspect that this book is designed for.

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This if for fans of horror pure and simple and it’s exceedingly well done through words and visuals from the first page to the last.