Green Wake, Vol. 1

This horror mystery is the kind of story some love, as they have no idea what’s going on and enjoy puzzling it out. Others will find it frustrating and confusing, wallowing in obfuscation for its own sake. The overall theme learning to deal with loss is strong, but at times, the heavy atmosphere wins out over clarity. In the town of Green Wake, resident Morley is investigating a mutilation, a body with its lips ripped off. The victim's friend Ariel is missing, under suspicion, and the victim’s ex-boyfriend has just found himself in Green Wake. The town is a character in itself, “a place full of people who have no idea how they got here.” Many of them want to keep their secrets, including Morley, who’s clinging desperately to his grief over losing his wife in a car accident in his past. The art has the dark murkiness of a Ben Templesmith or Ashley Wood, but it’s more readable, with more emphasis on storytelling than scratchy design. Twin Peaks is a cited influence on the creators, but with its religious imagery, bloody victims, and monochromatic pages, others might think more of 30 Days of Night. (Oct.)