On this page you will find the links and the reviews for my comic/web comic
Hunt - Part One
and
Hunt - Part Two
These are the reviews that I have received back at this time,
I'm still awaiting another three.
First is the review by Steve Hobson at Bad Haven.
Did you ever meet the kind of arsehole who Supports Local Music?
“The cat cannot have cream rise to the top if he cannot first keep his stupid face out of the drinking horn”
To put it another way; its folly to just like something cos its local. You won’t be able to see the forest for the derivative, crap trees. It is, though for this exact reason that it’s so rewarding when you do see some folks you know starting to look like they might be on to something. In the case of independent, locally sourced comics, I had some bad experiences early on, which combined with my inability to pretend I like something without getting a nosebleed has caused me to avoid them. I wasn’t sure I was the right chap to be reviewing the first part of “The Hunt” by Belfast based artist/writer/KISS enthusiast Matthew Smyth. I could, after all potentially bleed to death if anything went wrong
I needn’t have worried. Turns out that while it’s not without a few niggles, it’s a pretty stylish introductory issue. Better yet, its a pretty strong debut release. There’s a distinct noir feel to its grotesque monochrome aesthetic; emotionally damaged narrator and shadowy claustrophobic streets. The characters come across well even within the limited space they have to establish themselves, and the artwork itself is pretty damn gorgeous (in, y’know; an ugly way).
“The Hunt” is relatively short, and as such it wouldn’t be feasible to discuss plot points without spoilers at this stage, but in summary; a degenerate private detective from the filthy crackhead quarter is disgusted at where his life has taken him and the effect he has on the lives of others; makes a big decision and finds it has some pretty unforeseeable consequences. Like Hellraiser or Jacobs Ladder style unforeseeable. Suddenly he’s not in the city anymore, but some horrible other-where that looks like it could well be David Cronenberg’s brain.
Truth be told there aren’t an abundance of clues as to where the story is headed at this stage but as an introduction to the writer and an example of his talents there’s a lot here to be proud of. Plans are in place for a longer run of the series, and although we’re introduced to only a small handful of characters, there already seems to be a broad canvas for Smyth to play with.
It’s a mark in his favour that Matthew has elected to both write and draw the comic; but while that makes for robust and unfiltered storytelling, it also brings me to my only real criticism. Smyth has a firm visual handle on the comic-book-noir aesthetic that he seems to have been seeking, but some of the narrative is a bit familiar and strays a little close to cliché. Not so much so that it takes away from the story or anything but it’s there. This is a small complaint though; and easily overlooked considering the strength of the artwork; which is impressive, and on occasion pretty striking.
From the Frank Miller-esque urban squalor to the delightfully nasty body-horror of the strange hellish underworld, these introductory issues are already pretty audacious in terms of scope. I’ll be interested to see where the story goes from here; and I’ll definitely be looking forward to seeing more of Matthews artwork.
“The Hunt” is due for release in a fortnight, but for further info on picking it up contact the main man himself at:
matthewsmyth1@live.co.uk
Uploaded review can be found at http://www.badhaven.com/comics/the-hunt-local-comics-picks/
Review No.2
Uproar Comics
by
Ruairi Coleman
Readers of Zombies Hi will have admired Smyth’s atmospheric artwork back in issue 4′s one-page story/love letter, “Love Never Dies”, but even that will not prepare you for what is unleashed when the Belfast native delves into the dark recesses of his mind to conjure up the events and images that make up this tale.
Part One opens to the dilapidated scenery of Bum Town, “a waste ground for anything and everything, including people”, and the haunted narrative of Private Eye “Mac” Fox. If you have any trouble recognising noir territory from these cues, you’ll be under no illusion by the time we reach page 12 and Mac arrives at his office, complete with “P.I. M.FOX” on the door. Smyth clearly relishes the opportunity to revel in the common tropes of what is still one of the most striking and, let’s be honest, coolest of genres: slowly, as we’re whisked through the hells – private and proverbial – that Mac inhabits, we begin to appreciate Matthew Smyth’s affinity for the dark and macabre, for which noir is arguably the best vehicle. It is with little surprise then, that we go on to meet Mac’s latest client (a suitably, and literally, mysterious femme fatale) and catch a glimpse of his latest case (dirty as they come, naturally), but not before things take an unexpected and emotive detour.
Midway through Part One, Mac catches some shut eye and over the next two pages we see into the tormented psyche of our fallen hero. It is in these pages that part one of HUNT shows the most promise. The dialogue, although sparse (two captions really), is handled so inventively it’ll immediately grab your attention, after which the twisted visuals will burn into your brain.
The following scenes involving the aforementioned femme and some pretty graphic photos further establish Smyth’s unwavering intent to disturb us and draw us deeper into this world of corruption. Bar a pretty jarring tangent (almost as if to shoehorn in one last noir motif) on the last page or two, Part One ends strong, leaving a lot of questions to be answered…
Technically speaking, Matthew’s artwork is well suited to this genre. Inked with stark and powerful contrast between black and white, and devoid of colour, the noir theme is really reinforced visually That his artwork lacks the polish of more mainstream comic books only serves to strengthen the gritty feel of the story. Same goes for the lettering, which Smyth also handled himself, hand written along with the inks.
Part One of HUNT is very strong but not without its limitations. For a start, if you don’t like your noir poured on thick, you might struggle with this: It can be difficult at times to figure out if Smyth is going for homage or kitsch with his story, as literally every stereotype of the genre will be thrown your way. Personally, I have no problem at all with that, but there were a few occasions where I did feel that the style was being sold as plot. Particularly, the events in the opening of the story seem to substitute vagueness for complexity; rather than getting the feeling that there’s something big going on that the reader is not privy to, if just feels like characters are being purposefully ambiguous so as to fit in to the genre. Perhaps the story could have benefitted from an editorial, or these are plot threads that will be picked up in a future instalment, but it’s all irrelevant really: the ambiguity is short lived, and things genuinely do start to get intriguing when the story finds it rhythm.
While you’re left reeling from what you’ve seen, and wondering “why?”, the story continues almost completely in silence, with a series of panels and images that almost defy explanation. To actually tell you anything here would be to spoil the entire story, but it feels like an injustice not to rave about the artwork that awaits you in Part Two. Damn you Matthew H Smyth!
Part Two of Hunt, as I’ve said, is a million miles away from what you will have experienced in Part One (the difference between the two covers is a very slight indication). The two pages that were presented as a dream in Part One seem more like a reality in this instalment (perhaps, it is all a dream. Who knows?), but again, this is where Smyth really shines. Unencumbered by genre or narrative, he (and the reader) can get really lost in some visuals which you will struggle to find in any other comic out there. That he can thread so many powerful and discomforting images together in a way that actually tells a story is astounding. Your skin will crawl.
I can’t say any more about Part Two lest I spoil the tale, but I encourage you to go read it. It’s not for the faint of heart but it’s some of the most darkly imaginative stuff I’ve ever seen in a comic book. My only criticism, and I’m sure you’ll agree, is that – at 17 pages – Part Two is much too short. I would have liked to see how these events loop back into the plotlines laid out in Part One (that will be interesting to witness), or I could have gladly spent another few pages seeing what else Smyth could conjure up out of his twisted psyche. It’s a win-win really.
Bring on Part Three!
Online review can be found at http://www.uproarcomics.co.uk/blog/?p=1401 I have had trouble with this link before, if so visit www.uproarcomics.co.uk and visit the blog section
Review No.3
Abandoned Comics
by
Mike Lynch
Hunt Review
I first saw Matthew’s work in the pages of the excellent horror anthology Zombies Hi. In the short story he worked on you could see the first steps of Matthew’s style. With Hunt Part Two Matthew’s work has taken a huge step forward. The story centres on a suicide that results in the main character passing over into a Lovecraftian inspired other realm. This transformation is were Matthew’s artwork really shines. Starting with the character being torn apart. This reminded me a lot of Clive Barker’s HellRaiser instead of the release the character desperately wanted he is faced with a much worse reality. He is torn inside out as he passes over to this dark world. The nightmare doesn’t stop there however on the other side he is forced to face this new horror head one. Matthew does a great job when he is absorbed by this monster. This is a great short strip and it also does a excellent job of wanting you to read more. I can’t wait to see what Matthew has in store with Part Three.
I first saw Matthew’s work in the pages of the excellent horror anthology Zombies Hi. In the short story he worked on you could see the first steps of Matthew’s style. With Hunt Part Two Matthew’s work has taken a huge step forward. The story centres on a suicide that results in the main character passing over into a Lovecraftian inspired other realm. This transformation is were Matthew’s artwork really shines. Starting with the character being torn apart. This reminded me a lot of Clive Barker’s HellRaiser instead of the release the character desperately wanted he is faced with a much worse reality. He is torn inside out as he passes over to this dark world. The nightmare doesn’t stop there however on the other side he is forced to face this new horror head one. Matthew does a great job when he is absorbed by this monster. This is a great short strip and it also does a excellent job of wanting you to read more. I can’t wait to see what Matthew has in store with Part Three.
Online review can be found at http://www.abandonedcomics.com/blog/
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