SPLASHES OF DARKNESS: WE LOVE TROUBLE: CINDY AND BISCUIT VOL. 1 (COMIC REVIEW)

20/7/2021

Horror belongs to everybody. Chances are, you were a nipper when you first found something to love within an object of fear. That's a gift that keeps on giving.

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.'

We Love Trouble: Cindy and Biscuit vol. 1
(COMIC REVIEW BY DION WINTON-POLAK)

Cindy and Biscuit is a sweet and frothy affair with a surprisingly tart undercurrent which cuts through the blend and stops it from cloying. You'll knock back a couple without blinking, confident that it won't affect your judgement. (How could it? It's kid's stuff after all.) Pretty soon you'll find yourself sitting there, grinning like a loon. Ignore those bitter people over there, tutting and shaking their heads. Why shouldn't you enjoy yourself once in a while, eh? Eh? (Ahem.) Barman? Hit me again...

It's a weird world out there. Most people are so wrapped up in their dull little lives, they don't even notice it. Luckily for us, Cindy is keeping watch - ever vigilant - with her faithful hound by her side and a whacking-great stick to hand. It's not easy being a hero when grown-ups keep hassling you to tidy your room or sit some boring test. Still, if anyone can protect the planet from alien invaders, cryptids, killer robots, haunted dolls and living snowmen, it's this girl.

Dan White's Cindy and Biscuit is a freaking delight. There's no real *overarching story at play, no tragedy haunting our heroine's past, and no grand destiny. Why would there be? She's not some 'chosen one', she's just a regular, energetic little kid, trying to get by. Cindy can't help it if the world is full of interesting things. Why do people have to make such a fuss about where she is at night, or why she's got all those cuts and bruises on her legs, or how her clothes got covered in all that ick? I mean, come on!

Children internalise expectations from a very early age, so I bought this collection for my daughter as an antidote to all the schmaltz, gender stereotypes and commodification pumped into her through pop culture. I wanted her to see that girls could be inquisitive and adventurous, silly and fierce, as well as all the usual loving, kind, nurturing stuff. I wanted my child to grow up braver than me, for her to develop an indomitable spirit and a sense of wonder - and praise be, that's **exactly what's happened.

The art in We Love Trouble is all monochrome - ink lines, stippling - but I note that the two follow-up volumes both use full-colour artwork, which will add that extra hug of warmth to Dan White's wonderful world. The character design is simple but effective - one of those you could recognise by silhouette. The lack of pupils in the eyes is disconcerting at first, ***but White gets away without them, bringing Cindy vividly to life with his use of posture and expressive faces.

As you can see, Cindy is hella-cute, but one of the things I love about this comic is the way White contrasts quiet moments of pure innocence - such as sitting side by side with a yeti - with kinetic action and scenes that imply astonishing violence. It's cartoon-like in its extremity, provoking laughter rather than horror, but there are some fascinating layers hinting at the core of her psyche - her classmates think she's an oddball, for instance, excluding her on a school trip; she dreams of throwing a rock at planet Earth, blowing it all up with a smile; she endures the screaming skull in her room, because it'll only be gone by the time mum arrives anyway.

There are also one or two scenes which are pretty creepy: the boy with half a face who warns her to keep away from the pond is one. The broken (absolutely-not-a-)Transformer in the junkyard is another. With the expression on its face, I'm surprised the freaky mermaid didn't give my nipper nightmares, but then the horror on display is generally kept low-key. Its closest analogue would be the adventures of Calvin and Hobbes, where boundaries are crossed but there's never any real danger. All it takes for Cindy to win through is a bit of bravery, an open heart, and a ruddy big stick when it's called for.

So why the kid's stuff on here? This is supposed to be a serious horror website, right?

Nah. Horror belongs to everybody. Chances are, you were a nipper when you first found something to love within an object of fear. That's a gift that keeps on giving. We all get something different from the genre, but one of its most powerful aspects is to remind us that fear alone can't stop us. Mustn't stop us. There may be monsters out there, but they can be fought - and they should be.

Not a bad lesson to pass on.

Written by Dan White
Illustrated by Dan White
Published by Milk the Cat
Available now!
Reading experience: 4/5
Reviewer: Dion Winton-Polak
You can snag digital downloads of all three volumes right now for a mere £10.
So what are you waiting for?

* Or at least, no evidence of one in this first volume.

** Of course, I can't credit Cindy and Biscuit with that entirely, but I reckon they played their part.

*** The mouse-like nose and pointy ears? Yeah, I don't know. We may learn more about her in later volumes. I'm not sure it matters, though. She may not strictly be human, but it's easy to think of her as one of us.

Purchase all three volumes now https://milkthecat.bigcartel.com/

Check out Dion's other comic book reviews here