Vietnam Horror #2

Vietnam Horror #2

Behemoth Comics 2021

Written by Massimo Rosi

Illustrated by Vito Coppola

A unit of American soldiers find themselves isolated in the middle of nowhere, Vietnam. As they calculate another plan to storm the nearby mountain once more, another problem arises in camp, one that might have them rethinking everything.

I’m such a fan of Massimo’s because of his writing style and how he’s able to engage the reader and keep them glued to the page. The story itself is the stuff that nightmares are made of as these men are already at war in a land that’s foreign and strange leaving them unsettled but to add this supernatural horror element into the mix and PTSD is going to be the least of their worries should they make it out of this alive. I’m already hypothesising what is happening to these men and that should tell you about the books engagement factor not to mention it’s intrigue factor as well. War books are no longer what they used to be and I think that with this we’re going back to an age where the stories mix history and fiction in such a way that it all feels like it could be real.

I am loving the way that this is being told. The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is perfectly presented. The opening is fantastic as well as we see these Vietnamese women, working girls, trying to marry an American soldier to get out of the country and that’s something that rarely was allowed to occur. The character development that we see is phenomenal and to recognise who these characters are just by their dialogue is amazing but adding in how they act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter and it takes this to a whole new level. The pacing is amazing and as it takes us through the page revealing the twists along the way keeps us beautifully on edge.

How we see this being structured and how the layers within the story play their way through the issue ties their personality traits with the supernatural experiences in some incredible ways. How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is great to see.

The interiors here are abso-freakin-lutely amazing to see. The linework is exquisitely laid down and how the varying weights and techniques are being utilised to create this level and quality of work going into the details is mind numbingly gorgeous. The way that backgrounds are utilised throughout to enhance the moments and work within the composition of the panels to bring out this depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story is bloody brilliant. The creativity and imagination that we see is off the charts and i’m a little upset that we don’t really see the soldiers junk as he’s screaming naked on the buildings roof. Also Stevenson in those tighty whities seems off as well considering where his wound is but hey i’m all about seeing naked men. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show such a masterful eye for storytelling. The black & white plus gray tones that we see throughout are so beautifully mastered and laid down here and it’s such a pure joy to see.

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Massimo is one of today’s most talented writers and here has the opportunity to work with someone who’s equally as talented as an artist to create a book that is beyond approach. By that I mean no one else comes close to the level of talent and skill that we see on display page after page. They say war is hell but here Hell is where the war is and there’s no preparing yourself for what you are going to encounter and hope to survive.