Dust to Dust
Written by J.G. Jones
Art by James Harren and Dave Stewart
Publisher: Image Comics
OK, up front, this gave me a Carnivàle TV series vibe, and while not as creepy as that wonderful series, Dust to Dust at least matched the mood.
Now, I like pulp tales, and this wears that label well.
Simply put, Dust to Dust is a gritty, pulpy tale of dust storms and a serial killer in Oklahoma in the 1930s, and I devoured it.
Jones does a great job of weaving the desperation of the Dust Bowl era with the dark memories of the First World War.
Mixed in are some perhaps too well-known tropes: a snake-handling preacher, a rainmaker preying on the unfortunate, a mayor of questionable scruples, a family of moonshining bullies, and a sheriff who drinks too much. Yet, woven together here, they all work to create a fine graphic novel. It might falter if it were a 350-page novel, but as a shorter read, it works.
Now, I’ll admit I saw the man behind the gas mask murder coming, but still, a nice twist or two late in the story made the reveal work.
Visually, the generally sepia-inspired art by James Harren and Dave Stewart is ideal for this book as well.
And one can easily imagine this being adapted into a made-for-TV movie.
Well worth a read.
About Author
Calvin Daniels is a Saskatchewan-born, self-taught journalist. He is currently Editor of Yorkton This Week, with 35-years in the newspaper business.
Dust to Dust
Written by J.G. Jones
Art by James Harren and Dave Stewart
Publisher: Image Comics
OK, up front, this gave me a Carnivàle TV series vibe, and while not as creepy as that wonderful series, Dust to Dust at least matched the mood.
Now, I like pulp tales, and this wears that label well.
Simply put, Dust to Dust is a gritty, pulpy tale of dust storms and a serial killer in Oklahoma in the 1930s, and I devoured it.
Jones does a great job of weaving the desperation of the Dust Bowl era with the dark memories of the First World War.
Mixed in are some perhaps too well-known tropes: a snake-handling preacher, a rainmaker preying on the unfortunate, a mayor of questionable scruples, a family of moonshining bullies, and a sheriff who drinks too much. Yet, woven together here, they all work to create a fine graphic novel. It might falter if it were a 350-page novel, but as a shorter read, it works.
Now, I’ll admit I saw the man behind the gas mask murder coming, but still, a nice twist or two late in the story made the reveal work.
Visually, the generally sepia-inspired art by James Harren and Dave Stewart is ideal for this book as well.
And one can easily imagine this being adapted into a made-for-TV movie.
Well worth a read.
About Author
Calvin Daniels
Calvin Daniels is a Saskatchewan-born, self-taught journalist. He is currently Editor of Yorkton This Week, with 35-years in the newspaper business.
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