Gideon Falls #13 (Review)
Updated: Jan 24, 2020
GIDEON FALLS #13
Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artist: Andrea Sorrentino
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Letterer: Steve Wands
Publisher: Image Comics
8/10
This issue takes us further through the looking glass, as Father Burke hunts the Laughing Man killer. This arc started off strong last month and doesn't let up with this issue. Lemire and Sorrentino continue to produce one of the most compelling and horrifying comics out today. This is two masters of their craft at work and we all get to reap the benefits.
After entering the Black Barn and switching places with Norton Sinclair, he was transported to a Frontier version of Gideon Falls. From there he enters a steampunk version of Gideon. Lemire keeps the tension and suspense moving at a breakneck pace. After Father sees a strange girl in an alley, he's transported, into what I can only refer to as the "in between", where the Laughing Man is. Father is then transported to a future dystopian version of Gideon, where religion is outlawed. When he wakes up in a jail cell Norton/The Laughing Man tells him that he's done a lot of evil thing s that he was made to do. Who made him do it, and what did he do?
This is where Sorrentino's chilling visuals pull you deeper into the madness. His terrifying rendition of Laughing Man is enough to give you nightmares. The art is just as important to the narrative as the script. This is a true collaboration on every level. The otherworldly images are one of the major draws to this book and are expertly colored by Dave Stewart. This is by far one of the best creative teams assembled in comics. Even Steve Wands lettering has an a feeling of impending doom. Every aspect is of this book is so well thought out and it shows every issue.
As we get to the end, Father wakes up in a new Gideon, where it seems as if some world changing event has reduced the worlds population. A group of people with surgical masks approach Father and tell him that they've been waiting for him and refer to him as Bishop. What can this all mean? I have no f***ing clue and I love it.
GIDEON FALLS continues to amaze me by constantly keeping me guessing. This book is a perfect amalgamation of both horror with a touch of sci-fi. If you're a fan of horror, with great storytelling and terrifying art, then this is the book for you. If not, this is still a book worth checking out, you won't regret it.