Review – Curse #2 (of 4) (BOOM! Studios)

Posted on February 19, 2014 in BOOM! Reviews

Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Writer: Michael Moreci , Tim Daniel
Artist: Colin Lorimer, Riley Rossmo
Release Date: 19th February 2014

The first issue of Curse, the latest horror series from BOOM! Studios, introduced us to compelling protagonist Laney Griffin and succinctly laid out his motivations and desires. A down-on-his-luck former football prodigy, Laney finds himself struggling with debt and trying desperately to make ends meet in order to pay for the treatment of his leukaemia-suffering son. In a desperate bid to earn some money, he sets out into the woods to capture the mysterious ‘wild animal’ that has been terrorizing the town, only to find himself the unwilling jailor of a menacing werewolf – in human form – with no real idea of quite how to deal with it.

The second issue expands on this strong start, delving a little deeper into Laney’s past and fleshing out the character immeasurably in the process. The opening part of this issue also breaks away from Laney slightly, introducing Nora Hughes, the Sheriff in pursuit of the “murderer” who finds Laney Griffin squarely in her crosshairs. She’s an interesting character who seems to have some history with Griffin, and is likely to serve as a major catalyst as she tries to zero in on her chief suspect.

We also get a little more insight into Anton Chavoy, Laney’s lycan prisoner, via a flashback when he lays out just what made him the way he is now. He comes across as a truly chilling character, full of measured menace, and always seems to be one step ahead of his captor in spite of being in chains. The tension is building steadily as we get closer to his next ‘change’, and with Laney’s desperation and anxiety rising, it’s sure to make for a truly climactic moment.

Once again, Riley Rossmo and Colin Lorimer share artistic duties, with Rossmo’s scratchy, almost feral style serving as a brilliant contrast to Lorimer’s tidy, detailed approach. Writing duties are also split between Michael Moreci and Tim Daniel, and with no less than four separate creators working on this title, it’s truly remarkable how smoothly the whole thing flows. Nothing seems disjointed, nothing seems jarring, and the whole thing manages to ebb and flow with apparent ease.

Curse continues to be a horror tale I can’t recommend highly enough, and the mixture of the human drama of Laney and his son contrasted with the supernatural world of werewolves makes a powerfully engaging combination, and one which I’m definitely going to be sticking with until the finale.

Rating: 5/5.

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