100 Months

In his final graphic novel, the late Hicklenton (Nemesis the Warlock; Judge Dredd) leaves us with a haunting and powerful legacy. In a work that reads like darkly illustrated scripture, he presents the story of Mara, the earth goddess or “Anima Mundi,” who sets out to avenge the desecration of her kingdom by those who worship the “Longpig.” There is little question that Hicklenton’s vision for this work was informed not simply by his sense that humanity has pushed itself past the brink of inevitable collapse, but by the demons he faced in his own struggle with multiple sclerosis. Hicklenton’s work deftly draws upon scriptural and mythological allusion in realizing his vision of the last brutal day of the story’s 100 months, and then devastates us with the force of his illustrations and the inevitability of his message. What is most satisfying in 100 Months is that the message is not tempered to make it more palatable for delicate sensibilities—it is brutal and unadulterated and, in the final analysis, beautiful. Like the Book of Revelation, it is not interested in diluting judgment with pity. It’s a haunting legacy for the artist. (May)