SPLASHES OF DARKNESS: DEADBEATS (COMIC REVIEW)

​Chris Lackey, Chad Fifer* and Ian Culbard must have had a ball making Deadbeats. When you come across something as fun and effortless to read as this Mythos-soaked (but wholly original) tale, it's kind of hard to imagine the creators had to actually work at it

SPLASHES OF DARKNESS: Deadbeats 
comic review BY Dion Winton-Polak

Comic-books are a medium, not a genre; they can tell any story and suit any palate. You want horror? I've got bottles of the stuff. Welcome to 'Splashes of Darkness.'

Deadbeats has got pep, has real character and is surprisingly refreshing. It's two parts necromantic nightmare, two parts screwball comedy, a splash of gangster noir and a squeeze of Lovecraft Country. Stir it at midnight, pour over ice and serve in a rough glass tumbler.


It's all about the hustle. Keep moving, and you just might stay afloat. Hell, you could even have some fun along the way; that's jazz! When Lester Lane flattens the wrong fella, he has to get out of town in a hurry. He scores a desperate gig for his band - a midnight funeral in the backwoods of Illinois. There's a particular piece the preacher wants them to play, but there's just one problem: he can't read sheet music. Now, caught between an undead sorceror, a troublesome dame, some relentless revenants and an apocalyptic god-monster, it's time for  the trio to do some serious improvisation.

Chris Lackey, Chad Fifer* and Ian Culbard must have had a ball making Deadbeats. When you come across something as fun and effortless to read as this Mythos-soaked (but wholly original) tale, it's kind of hard to imagine the creators had to actually work at it - yet the more I look through the pages, the more impressed I am by the talents involved.

Fifer has experience writing for film and television, and those skills were clearly put to use in honing the script with Lackey. It's an elegant job, weaving backstory, personalities, running jokes and drama through dialogue that never feels less than naturalistic. The patter is an absolute joy, by the way, and it's a mark its strength to note just how little the writers rely on text boxes for exposition. The plot flings the trio from one crisis to another in seemingly wild abandon, yet the boys bring it home with barely a word wasted.

That economy gives Culbard plenty of space to work his magic - and let me tell you, this man knows how to make the most of his inches.** He uses tricks of scale and perspective to give a real sense of three-dimensionality to the world, packing his panels with incident, detail, and character moments. His visual story-telling flows effortlessly, building pace, tension and some truly great comedic timing. Even his layouts*** are energetic, with panels toppling forwards as though in a hurry to be seen, or overlaying one another to punch out of the page. All in all, it's pretty damned effective.

I could go on about Deadbeats cinematic potential, the innocent charm of the character design, the missing pants of 'The Dixie Peach' and a great many other things, but I've taken up enough of your time already. You need to go read this book. It's a gas!

If you've avoided all things Lovecraft because of the old-fashioned stick up his literary arse, if you've been put off by his racism, or if you feel like you've already squeezed everything you're going to get from the Mythos - then I respect your position. Deadbeats is a very different kettle of fish, though. It's down-to-earth, it's laugh-out-loud funny, and it has a hell of a lot of heart in its cadaverous chest. The only racism present lies in the lips and the minds of the villains. They may draw from Lovecraft's deep, dark well, but Lackey and Fifer leave all of the poison behind. What we get here is sharp, fun, and worth your money. Splash out! You deserve it.

Written by Chris Lackey and Chad Fifer]
Illustrated by I.N.J. Culbard
Published by Self Made Hero
Available now!
Reading experience: 5/5
Reviewer: Dion Winton-Polak

* Who, amongst other things, are the genial, insightful and engaging hosts of the long-running [HP Lovecraft Literary Podcast].

** You have a filthy mind. Stop it.
​
*** A glossary of comic terminology [can be found here] if you need it.

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