Barstow #1 is written by David Ian McKendry and Rebekah McKendry and published by Dark Horse Comics. Artwork is by Tyler Jenkins and letters by Justin Birch.
Barstow #1 is available from today, in print and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your digital copy from Amazon Comixology UK right here.
Synopsis
At the centre of the Mojave Desert, at the crossroads between hell and gone, lies Barstow. Agent Miranda Diaz is in this godforsaken land on the trail of a missing agent. He’s a man she’s never met, and yet her name was the only clue he left behind. Something dark… something demonic… lurks beneath this oddball town, but can Miranda unravel the mystery before all hell breaks loose?
Review
Every once in a while, a series will come along that challenges what is possible in the medium of comics when it comes to its content. Most of the time this is courtesy of Garth Ennis with comics such as Preacher, The Boys and Wormwood. However, with their new series Barstow, David Ian McKendry and Rebekah McKendry look to carry on this same style of writing in their own unique way and disturbing way.
The first thing that has to be talked about is Tyler Jenkins’ visceral illustrations. His artwork gives the world that Barstow sets up a grimy, uneven feel due to its deliberately rough art style. From the first page nothing looks or feels right and it adds a very unnerving atmosphere to the story that only gets more intense with each turn of the page.
This opening issue is heavily reliant on intrigue and mystery, which is a given for stories set within the neo-noir genre, but a lot of key information is withheld from the audience in a way that strengthens the uncertainty rather than coming across as frustrating. This is also why Miranda Diaz makes for a compelling lead as she tries to come to terms with what she encounters at the same paces as us, the reader.
Barstow never fails to commit to its comedy as well as its central mystery. The jokes are few and far between but they are incredibly biting with their commentary whenever they do appear. From one off lines to blink and you’ll miss it visual gags, this is clearly where the Garth Ennis influences are at their most prevalent.
David Ian McKendry and Rebekah McKendry also do a great job of slowly building the demonic or supernatural elements over the course of this first issue, which is something they will only double down on further into the series. Within in the first few pages alone there are hints at something strange going on, most notably when a man proceeds to get ripped in half from a car explosion and then nonchalantly puts himself back together. By the time you get to the end of the issue, the supernatural imagery becomes the central focus leading to even more questions and a final, full page illustration that is just as vibrant as it is intense.
Verdict
Barstow is a weird combination of dark comedy and grotesque horror that shouldn’t work but does. It wears its influences on its sleeve but yet isn’t afraid to do its own thing, no matter how disturbing that may be.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
