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Cry Havoc #1
Cry Havoc Vol. 1
Meet Lou: a street musician savaged by a supernatural terror. Meet Lou: crossing war-torn Afghanistan with a unit of shapeshifting soldiers. Meet Lou: a monstress held captive by the rogue beast she was sent to kill. CRY HAVOC interweaves three stages of a remarkable life into a critically-exalted saga of military, myth, and mania. Collects CRY HAVOC #1-6
158 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 23, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
November 8, 2021
Blech.
Had to force myself to finish this. Terrible dialogue, murky plot, and all tied up with a goofy ending.
No, thank you.
What even was this?
I thought I was getting a story about a woman who went through some sort of mythical transformation but told in a flashback-y and/or interesting way.
No.
It was just a yammering garbage story that was (I think?) supposed to be a commentary on society or something.
I'm not even going to pretend I got the point of this, but it wasn't a good horror story. Or even an interesting story about a monster.
Skip!
This was a Halloween gift from a spooky Goodreads friend.
Thank you!
Had to force myself to finish this. Terrible dialogue, murky plot, and all tied up with a goofy ending.
No, thank you.
What even was this?
I thought I was getting a story about a woman who went through some sort of mythical transformation but told in a flashback-y and/or interesting way.
No.
It was just a yammering garbage story that was (I think?) supposed to be a commentary on society or something.
I'm not even going to pretend I got the point of this, but it wasn't a good horror story. Or even an interesting story about a monster.
Skip!
This was a Halloween gift from a spooky Goodreads friend.
Thank you!
December 7, 2016
Apocalypse Now… with Werewolves!
Street musician gets bitten by werewolf, struggles with the monster inside, strikes a desperate deal with a shady black ops organization, finds herself on a secret mission to take down a mysterious rogue operative in Afghanistan: the horror… the horror...
I initially liked this first volume of Cry Havoc quite a bit: Apocalypse Now with a werewolf twist, I thought—what’s not to like? Hell, I even felt there was potential for some kind of clever commentary on the rapid rise of fascism in America and many other parts of the world.
Unfortunately, the story turns out to be much more concerned with being saucy and self-aware than with its own characters and themes. To make things worse, it tries painfully hard to make up for this lack of substance with flashy, excessively fractured storytelling.
Too bad. I mean, Spurrier's writing is pretty sharp and witty in places, and with a little more coherence and depth and actual heart in place of all that empty bravado, I think this could have been lots of fun.
Street musician gets bitten by werewolf, struggles with the monster inside, strikes a desperate deal with a shady black ops organization, finds herself on a secret mission to take down a mysterious rogue operative in Afghanistan: the horror… the horror...
I initially liked this first volume of Cry Havoc quite a bit: Apocalypse Now with a werewolf twist, I thought—what’s not to like? Hell, I even felt there was potential for some kind of clever commentary on the rapid rise of fascism in America and many other parts of the world.
Unfortunately, the story turns out to be much more concerned with being saucy and self-aware than with its own characters and themes. To make things worse, it tries painfully hard to make up for this lack of substance with flashy, excessively fractured storytelling.
Too bad. I mean, Spurrier's writing is pretty sharp and witty in places, and with a little more coherence and depth and actual heart in place of all that empty bravado, I think this could have been lots of fun.
August 17, 2020
Lou is a lesbian street musician who is bitten by a werewolf. She meets up with a group that helps her suppress her wolf side. In return she must travel to Afghanistan with a team of mythical beings to hunt down a rogue agent. Told in three different time periods with a different colorist for each one so you can differentiate between them. Si Spurrier has a biting wit that shines in the dialogue. He really knows how to write some snappy patter. Hopefully, we'll see more of Lou in the future.
June 28, 2016
fuck this noise.
i'm tired.
so far this week i've seen my favorite show kill one of its beloved lesbian characters. i've read a scifi series about a lesbian police commander who is really just a shapeshifter that used to be a man. and now i've read a fantasy book about a lesbian werewolf who becomes impregnated when she has sex (willingly) with a man.
fuck this noise.
i'm tired.
i'm tired.
so far this week i've seen my favorite show kill one of its beloved lesbian characters. i've read a scifi series about a lesbian police commander who is really just a shapeshifter that used to be a man. and now i've read a fantasy book about a lesbian werewolf who becomes impregnated when she has sex (willingly) with a man.
fuck this noise.
i'm tired.
December 3, 2017
So this is a story about werewolfs...I guess? Like it's more about people with glowing werewolf naruto looking creatures verses real world problems. This is a odd series that tries to combine three different stories into one. The start, the middle, and the end. It's telling them all at the same time while filling in the blanks as it goes. So we go from a girl in a city dealing with her relationship, to her being with special ops in Iraq (or something similar) to her dealing with some psycho women hellbent on destroying the world (I think) and it's...well yeah...it's weird.
Good: Some of the art was just wonderful. Also I enjoyed the relationship with the two main characters because it felt real. The intriguing premises also got me to read this.
Bad: The pacing was wacky and off. The storytelling device was interesting but ultimately failed. The ending was pretty horrible and the confusing storytelling did not help at all. Also the character design could have been better, sometimes didn't know who was who.
Overall this was a interesting idea but it failed to live up to the IDEA of it. So for that I'll have to go with a 2 out of 5.
Good: Some of the art was just wonderful. Also I enjoyed the relationship with the two main characters because it felt real. The intriguing premises also got me to read this.
Bad: The pacing was wacky and off. The storytelling device was interesting but ultimately failed. The ending was pretty horrible and the confusing storytelling did not help at all. Also the character design could have been better, sometimes didn't know who was who.
Overall this was a interesting idea but it failed to live up to the IDEA of it. So for that I'll have to go with a 2 out of 5.
September 1, 2016
Very promising new series. A lesbian werewolf ("barghest," technically) joins a black ops squad made up of other mythical creatures to take down a rogue operative in the Afghanistan desert. This rogue just happens to be another werewolf-type creature trying to create some sort of safe haven for all sorts of creatures. Then there's the black ops organization, In Hand, which has its own secret agenda. And all of it told out of sequence, moving between three different time periods. You certainly can't fault Simon Spurrier for lack of ambition. It's amazing this works as well as it does. The artwork by Ryan Kelly is a standout, most of the time (there are a few sequences that are a bit hard to follow, though that may be a result of Spurrier's reach exceeding his grasp) and this tale of mythic creatures, military operatives, and secret agendas is pretty remarkable. Though the story seems pretty well wrapped up in this first volume, I'll certainly be interested to see where things might go next.
August 12, 2016
[Read as single issues]
Simon Spurrier is insane, and I love it.
This story follows Lou, a young woman who ends up impregnated with the spirit of the 21st century zeitgest, fighting a battle against a separatist fugitive, aided by a crew of supernatural soldiers. If that sounds bonkers, that's because it is. And it is glorious.
The artwork is all by Ryan Kelly, but coloured by Nick Filardi, Lee Loughridge, and Matt Wilson depending on the time period that the story is taking place in. It's not all told chronologically, but by the time all 6 issues are finished, the story has come full circle and filled in most of the gaps.
Spurrier's dialogue is always sarcastic and cutting to the point of drawing blood, and his analysis of the involved mythology (which I hope is included in the trade, since it was in the single issues and it's only a few extra pages) is especially good.
Like Monstress before it, this book gets better on repeat readings, as you piece together everything that's happened to Lou and how it's going to affect her moving forward. The book itself even says 'For more information, re-read comic.' and you'll want to re-read this one, trust me.
Simon Spurrier is insane, and I love it.
This story follows Lou, a young woman who ends up impregnated with the spirit of the 21st century zeitgest, fighting a battle against a separatist fugitive, aided by a crew of supernatural soldiers. If that sounds bonkers, that's because it is. And it is glorious.
The artwork is all by Ryan Kelly, but coloured by Nick Filardi, Lee Loughridge, and Matt Wilson depending on the time period that the story is taking place in. It's not all told chronologically, but by the time all 6 issues are finished, the story has come full circle and filled in most of the gaps.
Spurrier's dialogue is always sarcastic and cutting to the point of drawing blood, and his analysis of the involved mythology (which I hope is included in the trade, since it was in the single issues and it's only a few extra pages) is especially good.
Like Monstress before it, this book gets better on repeat readings, as you piece together everything that's happened to Lou and how it's going to affect her moving forward. The book itself even says 'For more information, re-read comic.' and you'll want to re-read this one, trust me.
February 17, 2021
I mean...
For starters you can take your, "I'm not really gay, I mean, not like that" bullshit and shove it up your ass. Not one but two characters, man. Like... fuck you.
IDK. I really liked it when it started. I didn't like what it turned out to be.
I mean... I can get behind the revelation. One side wanted to make the weird gone and the other side wanted to make the weird the new normal, and both sides were wrong. And it could have been really cool if it had been able to draw the connection all the way through to her sexuality and actually use the term "bisexual," but it didn't.
I guess I just feel like it was setting up for something with a lot of depth, and in the end there was a clearly spelled out moral that left the whole thing feeling very shallow. If you're going to be working that closely and that carefully with myths, maybe let the story actually be... mythic?
For starters you can take your, "I'm not really gay, I mean, not like that" bullshit and shove it up your ass. Not one but two characters, man. Like... fuck you.
IDK. I really liked it when it started. I didn't like what it turned out to be.
I mean... I can get behind the revelation. One side wanted to make the weird gone and the other side wanted to make the weird the new normal, and both sides were wrong. And it could have been really cool if it had been able to draw the connection all the way through to her sexuality and actually use the term "bisexual," but it didn't.
I guess I just feel like it was setting up for something with a lot of depth, and in the end there was a clearly spelled out moral that left the whole thing feeling very shallow. If you're going to be working that closely and that carefully with myths, maybe let the story actually be... mythic?
September 16, 2017
FANTASTIC ARTWORK.
It's about myths and tales, it's dark and bloody. It's a more violent and mystical approach to 'Fables'. I read through it while listening to Celtic fantasy music and it was awesome and eery.
It's about myths and tales, it's dark and bloody. It's a more violent and mystical approach to 'Fables'. I read through it while listening to Celtic fantasy music and it was awesome and eery.
February 7, 2017
A lot of academic work and research went into this, as is evident from the extensive endnotes, and that is admirable. Unfortunately, the story is a dreary rehash of Heart of Darkness with awful people doing awful things to each other. The warthog character is the only one that approaches fun and only accomplishes that by being incredibly offensive and foul.
November 30, 2017
"Endings are how stories make love"
April 11, 2019
Seduced by covers' art, disappointed with story. Most of the time I was bored or forcing myself to continue.
June 22, 2017
"Endings are how stories make love. It is a privilege to choose one's own."
"As she pelts her lover with news of her infidelity, and announces the betrayal of her own supposedly rigid sexuality, remember that Lou's real target here is herself. Devastating those who love you is one of the most comprehensive forms of self-harm there is." (author Simon Spurrier on Lou cheating on her girlfriend with a man)
I honestly love this story and this element of infidelity fits well with the characters and plot and I like the way it's treated, because it's not glorified at all. What I have a big fucking problem with is the fact that Lou is bisexual and both she and the author label her as basically lesbian with exceptions. Being a woman who vastly prefers women but still is attracted to and sometimes sleeps with men IS BISEXUAL! this decision to describe this character, whose (limited) attraction to men is an integral part of the story, as lesbian is a disservice to both bisexual and lesbian women and I'm pissed about it. I'm so disappointed because if not for this element of it this would be the perfect story for me. I feel bad giving it 3 stars because I loved everything else about it so much but damn I'm tired of the lesbian being portrayed as gay ~until the exception comes along~
BEYOND THAT THOUGH, WHAT AN ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT PORTRAYAL OF MODERN MYTHS. it's gross and freaky and AWESOME and honestly the author's notes at the end with the tidbits of extra info he's learned in his research were some of my favourite parts overall. Also this story made me want to learn more about hyenas, I love hyenas now.
"As she pelts her lover with news of her infidelity, and announces the betrayal of her own supposedly rigid sexuality, remember that Lou's real target here is herself. Devastating those who love you is one of the most comprehensive forms of self-harm there is." (author Simon Spurrier on Lou cheating on her girlfriend with a man)
I honestly love this story and this element of infidelity fits well with the characters and plot and I like the way it's treated, because it's not glorified at all. What I have a big fucking problem with is the fact that Lou is bisexual and both she and the author label her as basically lesbian with exceptions. Being a woman who vastly prefers women but still is attracted to and sometimes sleeps with men IS BISEXUAL! this decision to describe this character, whose (limited) attraction to men is an integral part of the story, as lesbian is a disservice to both bisexual and lesbian women and I'm pissed about it. I'm so disappointed because if not for this element of it this would be the perfect story for me. I feel bad giving it 3 stars because I loved everything else about it so much but damn I'm tired of the lesbian being portrayed as gay ~until the exception comes along~
BEYOND THAT THOUGH, WHAT AN ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT PORTRAYAL OF MODERN MYTHS. it's gross and freaky and AWESOME and honestly the author's notes at the end with the tidbits of extra info he's learned in his research were some of my favourite parts overall. Also this story made me want to learn more about hyenas, I love hyenas now.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2019
A shapeshifting (werewolf) woman gets swept up into violence and chaos as she is shipped off to Afghanistan and works with other shapeshifters and soldiers to hunt down a dangerous target. Told through three different time periods in her life, this imaginative, layered mythological thriller was a truly exciting read that has kept my love of Spurrier’s stories alive. A+ illustrations and coloring throughout.
Read
September 19, 2016"It's not about a lesbian werewolf going to war. Except it kind of is." Do bear that caveat in mind, though, and remember that to the best of my knowledge Si Spurrier has never told a story without an unreliable narrator, a bastard of a sting in the tail, or both. Ryan Kelly gets the whole bloody, grotty, ingenious, fantastical mess down on the page, abetted by three colourists who do a brilliant job of keeping the story's three timelines distinct and appropriately mooded. So if it's not about a lesbian werewolf (and it really isn't, though that's a mistake made in-story too), then what is it about? Relationships, to a surprising extent, and the way two people with different flawed coping strategies struggle to rub along. Stories, and how humans use them, and how they're used against us. Gentrification, or to call it by an older name, control. You know, all the big stuff. Plus, some of the more outlandish researches into folklore which underpin it all are explained in the delightful backmatter, which is a great boon, because I know my obscure critters better than most but some of these beauties were new ones even on me. Excellent work by all concerned.
September 5, 2016
A solid read. The imagery and the visual style was much stronger than the plot in my opinion but super enjoyable.
April 13, 2017
Muy inesperado e interesante. ¡Muchas gracias a @LemomMultiverse por el regalo! Sí, ha caído hoy. Nunca es tarde si La Pila es buena... ;)
October 23, 2020
3.75/5 stars
Trigger warnings: Blood, Death, Vomit, Violence, Infidelity, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, Drug use, and Body horror
Had I known this graphic novel was about military shape shifters, I might have picked it up sooner. The events in the story are not told in chronological order, so it can be a bit challenging to keep up. However, this feels like one of those stories that come together more as you are given more context. There are still a lot of questions I had by the end, but this is a solid first volume. There is a lot of representation as well. The main character is a lesbian and her partner is a person of color. There are also other characters in the story of various ethnicities and nationalities. There is a lot of violence and graphic nudity, so if you are light of heart, this may not be the comic for you. This has left me intrigued though, and I plan on continuing to read subsequent volumes.
Trigger warnings: Blood, Death, Vomit, Violence, Infidelity, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, Drug use, and Body horror
Had I known this graphic novel was about military shape shifters, I might have picked it up sooner. The events in the story are not told in chronological order, so it can be a bit challenging to keep up. However, this feels like one of those stories that come together more as you are given more context. There are still a lot of questions I had by the end, but this is a solid first volume. There is a lot of representation as well. The main character is a lesbian and her partner is a person of color. There are also other characters in the story of various ethnicities and nationalities. There is a lot of violence and graphic nudity, so if you are light of heart, this may not be the comic for you. This has left me intrigued though, and I plan on continuing to read subsequent volumes.
March 15, 2020
Two for two by Spurrier: between this and his GN "The Spire" I have found I am completely unimpressed by him as a writer. Over written but not well, over emotional without giving enough foundation. It might also be that the artists he's been paired with have been very amateur-ish, IMO.
I will not seek out his work in future
I will not seek out his work in future
Read
October 19, 2024Interesting concept, but not one of Spurrier’s best. Not sure I can pinpoint exactly why this didn’t work for me. It has Spurrier’s sharp writing and witty dialogue that I like. I just didn’t care about the main character and the fractured storytelling seemed excessive. It also relied on shock value too much. Oh well.
The cover says this is the first volume but there’s been no follow-up in eight years.
The cover says this is the first volume but there’s been no follow-up in eight years.
August 17, 2017
discontinued. the characters and the story are infuriating.
December 31, 2017
Couldn’t get into this. Spent most of it not sure what was going on. It jumped back and forth in time as a way to tell the story, but I thought it was confusing. The art was nice though!
July 30, 2020
I think that barghests are fascinating. They just have so many possible applications. Equating myths with life filling in the gaps is a new point of view for me.
December 22, 2022
Cry Havoc é um daqueles quadrinhos divisivos em que qualquer opinião que se dê vai estar certa ou totalmente errada. A proposta é bastante ousada, até na maneira de compor artisticamente o quadrinho. Muitas ideias e conceitos jogados em uma narrativa queer de amadurecimento e chegada à vida adulta. Ao mesmo tempo temos uma discussão sobre o que significam os mitos e a crenças nesse nosso mundo contemporâneo onde, como diria Nietzche, Deus está morto. É possível enxergar todas as boas intenções do mundo naquilo que Simon Spurrier planejou para o quadrinho, só que com tanta coisa trabalhada não houve tempo para tratar do básico: uma história sobre uma garota tentando descobrir o seu próprio lugar no mundo.
A narrativa se desdobra em três temporalidades: um presente onde Lou está presa pela mulher que ela foi mandada para prender; alguns momentos antes onde ela está com a sua unidade de pessoas estranhas, cada uma com uma habilidade especial, atravessando um país devastado pela guerra; e mais no passado quando conhecemos o cotidiano de Lou ao lado de sua namorada até que ela é atacada por uma espécie de lobisomem. No meio de toda essa confusão, temos uma corporação privada que explora pessoas com habilidades para realizarem missões para eles. E uma besta renegada que está em busca de algum tipo de figura messiânica para servir de símbolo para o seu grupo de rebeldes. Embora tudo o que Lou deseja é se livrar da selvagem criatura que parece ter se apossado dela.
Temos um estilo artístico dividido entre três artistas, cada um abordando uma das linhas temporais da narrativa. Dos três artistas deste encadernado conheço o trabalho do Lee Loughridge e o do Matt Wilson: um deles por obras como A Realeza e o segundo por edições de The Wicked + the Divine. Lee é um artista bastante focado na exploração da palheta de cores e sua arte tende para uma expressividade maior dos personagens. Seus quadros são como uma explosão de cores por toda a parte o que nos deixa extasiados. Matt Wilson explora uma arte mais realista, embora tenha influências da pop art. Seus personagens costumam ter personalidade, aquele "swagger" que os coloca distintos das outras pessoas. Lee ficou com os trechos que se passam no esconderijo da besta e Matt Wilson com os momentos no Afeganistão. Nick Filardi desenhou os trechos que se passam em Londres. Até aí tudo lindo, são artistas conhecidos e que possuem um portfolio de respeito. Porém, os três ficaram estranhos ao colocarmos lado a lado. A história não segue uma estrutura linear, optando pelos flashforwards e flashbacks. Só que isso não vai ajudar em uma fluidez artística boa. Matt Wilson vai nos colocar em um cenário marcado pelo desespero e pela destruição em que os personagens aparecem se questionando o motivo de estarem ali. A atmosfera é melancólica e isso se reflete nas cores e no padrão de cenas. Lee traça alguns momentos bem gore da narrativa com as bizarrices se sucedendo por toda a parte. Além disso, ele precisa desenhar diversas criaturas sobrenaturais dos mais variados tipos, o que destoa um pouco do que foi apresentado antes. Já Filardi nos coloca em uma atmosfera urbana onde a protagonista vive sua vida comum até ser assombrada por uma estranha fome e fúria mortal que invade seu ser. Embora a arte seja boa, a combinação dos três artistas não ficou. Teria sido melhor abordar uma narrativa linear com os artistas se alternando à medida em que a história avançasse.
E aí o fluxo narrativo também sofre com isso. Mas, o principal motivo que me fez não apreciar a história foi o excesso de temas. Imagino que Spurrier tenha pensado em mais do que um encadernado de histórias (ou a HQ não teria um volume 1 escrito na capa, sendo que é o único volume dela) e alguma coisa aconteceu durante o processo de produção. Conheço o Spurrier de sua fase ao lado do personagem Legião, dos X-men. E ele conseguiu revitalizar o personagens, apresentando uma nova maneira de enxergá-lo. Spurrier conseguiu isso a partir de uma abordagem calma e paciente, com um cuidado ao explorar determinados ângulos de sua personalidade. Não vejo o mesmo aqui. O que começa como uma história de amadurecimento, subitamente passa para um debate sobre os terrores da guerra e a dicotomia inexistente de bem x mal nos conflitos. Para no momento seguinte explorar o que caracteriza um mito e como ele se adequa à nossa realidade atual, em uma vibe quase de Deuses Americanos, do Neil Gaiman. Só que nada disso recebe a atenção devida, com os últimos dois volumes parecendo corridos demais. Quase como se o autor tivesse que fechar a história de algum jeito, mas não soubesse como. Embora o final seja mais ou menos bem executado.
O estereótipo do lobisomem já foi empregado inúmeras vezes e ele quase sempre se refere a um indivíduo que possui uma inconformidade com seu eu interior. A criatura liberta partes selvagens de sua personalidade que estão presas. Às vezes uma enorme raiva quanto ao que está ao seu redor, seja por uma vida difícil ou uma realidade sufocante. Lou é uma mulher que está em uma encruzilhada. Ela quer continuar a ser ela mesma e entende que é um desastre, mas as responsabilidades da vida se empilham em seus ombros. A pessoa que a ama é compreensiva, amorosa, embora reclame da falta de perspectiva de sua parceira. Mesmo com tudo isso, Lou é amada. Mas, isso não é o suficiente para ela que deseja que sua parceira expresse com mais firmeza aquilo que realmente está sentindo. Por mais que Lou bagunce tudo, ela nunca é culpada diretamente, apenas alguns comentários ocasionais. A gente se dá conta de que o namoro não vai mais longe do que isso justamente por esse inconformismo, essa vontade de algo mais. Lou se culpa e quer alguém para culpá-la, que a faça abrir os olhos. O mais curioso é que vai ser preciso ela vivenciar uma situação crítica para acalmar o seu interior. Chegar a um acordo consigo mesma e compreender o seu verdadeiro lugar.
Para quem está em busca de uma narrativa queer, Cry Havoc pode ser uma boa. Isso porque ela não nos mostra uma personagem linda e perfeita. Muito pelo contrário, Lou é uma bagunça ambulante. Fico até me questionando se o namoro com a Samantha não era tóxico para a Sam. Lou vive em seu próprio mundo e ela acaba não dando atenção para coisas simples e básicas. Em determinados momentos fica até difícil compreender aonde ela deseja chegar ou quais são seus objetivos, dado o seu nível de confusão emocional. Lembrando também que a temática do lobisomem também pode adotar contornos sexuais à medida em que a hospedeira se torna alvo de uma selvageria primitiva. Uma necessidade de se alimentar e de procriar. Outra coisa que será tema dessa HQ. Portanto, nada é tão simples quanto parece.
Não existem lados no conflito que se desenrola no Afeganistão. O grau de violência sobe bastante e inocentes são pegos no fogo cruzado. Lou tenta descobrir se ela está lutando ou não pelo lado certo e em suas convicções quebradas porque não temos uma resposta precisa a essa pergunta. Um bom exemplo disso é uma pequena comunidade que eles chegam próximos e os moradores locais estão sendo massacrados por talibãs. Lou deseja ajudar, mas um de seus companheiros pede que ela observe melhor. Os aldeões estavam criando ópio para poderem vender a viciados das regiões mais próximas. Uma maneira de poder sobreviver à fome e à falta de abastecimento. Só que o islamismo xiita condena veementemente o consumo de drogas alucinógenas; é considerado um pecado mortal e os talibãs estão realmente incomodados com o comportamento dos aldeões. Quem está certo? Quem está errado? Não há uma resposta adequada para isso. Todos tentam viver suas respectivas vidas da maneira que acham mais necessário.
O último grande tema é o da exploração dos mitos sobrenaturais do mundo inteiro. E um entendimento de que estes estariam desaparecendo devido à falta de fé e superstição que deram lugar a um pensamento racional. Alguns dos personagens foram vítimas dessas criaturas, embora Spurrier não explore com atenção esse trecho. A linha filosófica que ele tenta entregar mais ao final parece ser interessante com a necessidade de reviver esse pensamento primitivo e sobrenatural, só que não há tempo para explorar. A sensação que fica é que o assunto ficou jogado no ar e comprimido na história que ele estava contando a respeito de Lou. Embora o tema parecesse legal, o leitor acaba preferindo entender o que vai acontecer com a protagonista, como ela vai sair da situação e até onde ela vai estar ao final da história. Embora bem pensado, veio tarde demais na trama e próximo demais ao fim.
Cry Havoc é o exemplo de boas ideias executadas de maneira apressada. Um roteirista acima da média, uma equipe de artistas com ótimas capacidades embora juntos soem estranhos e uma narrativa promissora que ficou para trás por motivos que desconhecemos. Em entrevistas, Spurrier alegou um desejo de retornar à trama, mas sem ser uma continuação, explorando o mundo a partir de outra perspectiva. Sinceramente, não gostaria. Prefiro que a história permaneça como está e o artista se foque em outros projetos. Não curti, não gostei, não recomendo.
A narrativa se desdobra em três temporalidades: um presente onde Lou está presa pela mulher que ela foi mandada para prender; alguns momentos antes onde ela está com a sua unidade de pessoas estranhas, cada uma com uma habilidade especial, atravessando um país devastado pela guerra; e mais no passado quando conhecemos o cotidiano de Lou ao lado de sua namorada até que ela é atacada por uma espécie de lobisomem. No meio de toda essa confusão, temos uma corporação privada que explora pessoas com habilidades para realizarem missões para eles. E uma besta renegada que está em busca de algum tipo de figura messiânica para servir de símbolo para o seu grupo de rebeldes. Embora tudo o que Lou deseja é se livrar da selvagem criatura que parece ter se apossado dela.
Temos um estilo artístico dividido entre três artistas, cada um abordando uma das linhas temporais da narrativa. Dos três artistas deste encadernado conheço o trabalho do Lee Loughridge e o do Matt Wilson: um deles por obras como A Realeza e o segundo por edições de The Wicked + the Divine. Lee é um artista bastante focado na exploração da palheta de cores e sua arte tende para uma expressividade maior dos personagens. Seus quadros são como uma explosão de cores por toda a parte o que nos deixa extasiados. Matt Wilson explora uma arte mais realista, embora tenha influências da pop art. Seus personagens costumam ter personalidade, aquele "swagger" que os coloca distintos das outras pessoas. Lee ficou com os trechos que se passam no esconderijo da besta e Matt Wilson com os momentos no Afeganistão. Nick Filardi desenhou os trechos que se passam em Londres. Até aí tudo lindo, são artistas conhecidos e que possuem um portfolio de respeito. Porém, os três ficaram estranhos ao colocarmos lado a lado. A história não segue uma estrutura linear, optando pelos flashforwards e flashbacks. Só que isso não vai ajudar em uma fluidez artística boa. Matt Wilson vai nos colocar em um cenário marcado pelo desespero e pela destruição em que os personagens aparecem se questionando o motivo de estarem ali. A atmosfera é melancólica e isso se reflete nas cores e no padrão de cenas. Lee traça alguns momentos bem gore da narrativa com as bizarrices se sucedendo por toda a parte. Além disso, ele precisa desenhar diversas criaturas sobrenaturais dos mais variados tipos, o que destoa um pouco do que foi apresentado antes. Já Filardi nos coloca em uma atmosfera urbana onde a protagonista vive sua vida comum até ser assombrada por uma estranha fome e fúria mortal que invade seu ser. Embora a arte seja boa, a combinação dos três artistas não ficou. Teria sido melhor abordar uma narrativa linear com os artistas se alternando à medida em que a história avançasse.
E aí o fluxo narrativo também sofre com isso. Mas, o principal motivo que me fez não apreciar a história foi o excesso de temas. Imagino que Spurrier tenha pensado em mais do que um encadernado de histórias (ou a HQ não teria um volume 1 escrito na capa, sendo que é o único volume dela) e alguma coisa aconteceu durante o processo de produção. Conheço o Spurrier de sua fase ao lado do personagem Legião, dos X-men. E ele conseguiu revitalizar o personagens, apresentando uma nova maneira de enxergá-lo. Spurrier conseguiu isso a partir de uma abordagem calma e paciente, com um cuidado ao explorar determinados ângulos de sua personalidade. Não vejo o mesmo aqui. O que começa como uma história de amadurecimento, subitamente passa para um debate sobre os terrores da guerra e a dicotomia inexistente de bem x mal nos conflitos. Para no momento seguinte explorar o que caracteriza um mito e como ele se adequa à nossa realidade atual, em uma vibe quase de Deuses Americanos, do Neil Gaiman. Só que nada disso recebe a atenção devida, com os últimos dois volumes parecendo corridos demais. Quase como se o autor tivesse que fechar a história de algum jeito, mas não soubesse como. Embora o final seja mais ou menos bem executado.
O estereótipo do lobisomem já foi empregado inúmeras vezes e ele quase sempre se refere a um indivíduo que possui uma inconformidade com seu eu interior. A criatura liberta partes selvagens de sua personalidade que estão presas. Às vezes uma enorme raiva quanto ao que está ao seu redor, seja por uma vida difícil ou uma realidade sufocante. Lou é uma mulher que está em uma encruzilhada. Ela quer continuar a ser ela mesma e entende que é um desastre, mas as responsabilidades da vida se empilham em seus ombros. A pessoa que a ama é compreensiva, amorosa, embora reclame da falta de perspectiva de sua parceira. Mesmo com tudo isso, Lou é amada. Mas, isso não é o suficiente para ela que deseja que sua parceira expresse com mais firmeza aquilo que realmente está sentindo. Por mais que Lou bagunce tudo, ela nunca é culpada diretamente, apenas alguns comentários ocasionais. A gente se dá conta de que o namoro não vai mais longe do que isso justamente por esse inconformismo, essa vontade de algo mais. Lou se culpa e quer alguém para culpá-la, que a faça abrir os olhos. O mais curioso é que vai ser preciso ela vivenciar uma situação crítica para acalmar o seu interior. Chegar a um acordo consigo mesma e compreender o seu verdadeiro lugar.
Para quem está em busca de uma narrativa queer, Cry Havoc pode ser uma boa. Isso porque ela não nos mostra uma personagem linda e perfeita. Muito pelo contrário, Lou é uma bagunça ambulante. Fico até me questionando se o namoro com a Samantha não era tóxico para a Sam. Lou vive em seu próprio mundo e ela acaba não dando atenção para coisas simples e básicas. Em determinados momentos fica até difícil compreender aonde ela deseja chegar ou quais são seus objetivos, dado o seu nível de confusão emocional. Lembrando também que a temática do lobisomem também pode adotar contornos sexuais à medida em que a hospedeira se torna alvo de uma selvageria primitiva. Uma necessidade de se alimentar e de procriar. Outra coisa que será tema dessa HQ. Portanto, nada é tão simples quanto parece.
Não existem lados no conflito que se desenrola no Afeganistão. O grau de violência sobe bastante e inocentes são pegos no fogo cruzado. Lou tenta descobrir se ela está lutando ou não pelo lado certo e em suas convicções quebradas porque não temos uma resposta precisa a essa pergunta. Um bom exemplo disso é uma pequena comunidade que eles chegam próximos e os moradores locais estão sendo massacrados por talibãs. Lou deseja ajudar, mas um de seus companheiros pede que ela observe melhor. Os aldeões estavam criando ópio para poderem vender a viciados das regiões mais próximas. Uma maneira de poder sobreviver à fome e à falta de abastecimento. Só que o islamismo xiita condena veementemente o consumo de drogas alucinógenas; é considerado um pecado mortal e os talibãs estão realmente incomodados com o comportamento dos aldeões. Quem está certo? Quem está errado? Não há uma resposta adequada para isso. Todos tentam viver suas respectivas vidas da maneira que acham mais necessário.
O último grande tema é o da exploração dos mitos sobrenaturais do mundo inteiro. E um entendimento de que estes estariam desaparecendo devido à falta de fé e superstição que deram lugar a um pensamento racional. Alguns dos personagens foram vítimas dessas criaturas, embora Spurrier não explore com atenção esse trecho. A linha filosófica que ele tenta entregar mais ao final parece ser interessante com a necessidade de reviver esse pensamento primitivo e sobrenatural, só que não há tempo para explorar. A sensação que fica é que o assunto ficou jogado no ar e comprimido na história que ele estava contando a respeito de Lou. Embora o tema parecesse legal, o leitor acaba preferindo entender o que vai acontecer com a protagonista, como ela vai sair da situação e até onde ela vai estar ao final da história. Embora bem pensado, veio tarde demais na trama e próximo demais ao fim.
Cry Havoc é o exemplo de boas ideias executadas de maneira apressada. Um roteirista acima da média, uma equipe de artistas com ótimas capacidades embora juntos soem estranhos e uma narrativa promissora que ficou para trás por motivos que desconhecemos. Em entrevistas, Spurrier alegou um desejo de retornar à trama, mas sem ser uma continuação, explorando o mundo a partir de outra perspectiva. Sinceramente, não gostaria. Prefiro que a história permaneça como está e o artista se foque em outros projetos. Não curti, não gostei, não recomendo.
November 26, 2016
Spoiler Details in this post, please take notice before reading.
The long and short of it: Lou is a London street musician whom struggles with making money, issues with depression, and maintaining a balance in her relationship with her girlfriend (who is a zoo keeper; fun fact and a little bit prophetic). After being attacked by something she describes as a werewolf, she struggles to maintain control or awareness as this creature comes out to feed. She receives guidance from a private organization which, in return for helping her and possibly completely eradicating her 'problem', ships her off the Afghanistan with others like her to track down a rogue commander from their group.
The story itself is presented in a random progression - her past life from before, her start in Afghanistan, and interaction with the lead baddie in the now - but its overall composition for the story is excellent given our narrator and principal character. Lou is a 20-30 something who puts in some meh-level effort into being a busking musician and full time girlfriend. Her struggles are relatable if not clichéd - she mocks hipsters and millennials while simultaneously embodying the very traits paraded about in front of sneering seniors on most news networks. Nothing seems to go well and her efforts fall short many times. Kind of a cross between 'I'm not worthy' and 'I don't want to work too hard for it'. But what I didn't find too thrilling or inspiring about her character prior to her demon/spirit encounter, her reactions to the world she is dragged into - claws, teeth, and all - is genuine and realistic. Most civilians on a good day and with the most awareness are not able to handle the day-to-day of combat and soldier life; why would this be easier on a woman barely able to keep a raging beast inside her without copious amounts of medication? (That's a recurring metaphor...so many...)
The main 'bad guy' is Lynn Odell and she talks like most RPG main bad guys do -- long, winding, lots of words, lots of self-aggrandizing speeches, and bleak commentary on life and/or the lack thereof. She uses the word 'cage' so many times, I jokingly started keeping tally marks on a notepad only to realize it was actually gaining groundspeed. Her intention is standard - superiority, control through chaos - then goes well into the territory of common-place horror movie villain with a nice dollop of fanaticism to round out a rather blasé 'bad guy'. I wanted to say props to the writers for the 'ah ha I was right' moment Lynn has at the end of this volume but it was so visible from about 12 pages away, it wasn't that ingenious after all and came out kind of flat.
The story itself is metaphor heavy. Lynn takes up 90% of the metaphors in speech while the characters around Lou suck up the last 5%...there's a lot in that 5% too. There are lots of meanings and answers wrapped up in prolonged monologues and glib speech provided by both the good and bad guys. It feels almost like no one has anyone to talk to so when newbie Lou shows up, everyone wants to talk her ear off. Even the most solitary character gives a speech about their past life at one point. Sadly, rather than being beautiful, inspiring, or prophetic, it felt more like the teacher finally said they had 30 seconds to use the microphone and their work of poetry came out like a haiku spoken in a rush. And most of the dialogue seems to be purposely filling out empty space around the massive cobweb of lies and poorly constructed truths most of the surrounding characters shoulder uncomfortably. There's a lot of distrust, lies, coercion, and hypocrisy going on between the 'good guys' and 'bad guys' so it's hard to really be shocked when things go wrong or there's a twist.
There's a decent attempt to touch on depression and medication, 'getting yourself right' - not taking your meds is bad, hiding behind your meds is wrong, you must fight depression with many weapons. The 'accept yourself for yourself' message is sweet but ultimately reads like a poster in a psychologist's office - some people will find it supportive and inspirational, others will roll their eyes and think it's placating instead of helping. I fell between those two groups.
This is my second time with Simon Spurrier's writing style and it hasn't 100% won me over. As I said above, it felt almost like I was reading through prolonged NPC or cocky boss fight dialogue from a RPG. There's so much detail in such length at times that it seems word heavy for the sake of it rather than for the effect and delivery. The movement of the story, through a disconnected time line, did come off well - I was able to keep up, didn't get lost jumping from way back to the present then scooting back to the most recent past. I did really appreciate the voicemail from Lou's girlfriend trying to talk to her about depression and being supportive; that was the perfect length with an effective use of simple words and the least amount of metaphors. And I think that's what bogged down the writing the most - number of words and number of metaphors. If the effect was to make the villain look more/sound more villainous and delusional, it can be done with much less words. It doesn't take a chapter from Dickens to prove that Lynn was well into psychosis and insanity by the time Lou showed up.
Now, for the art. Because there's a lot going on there and it's rather beautiful.
Ryan Kelly worked with several colorists, three of whom specifically worked in specific sections of the graphic novel. His line work is consistent and clean, very beautifully done. The line and shape of the characters does not provide immediate giveaways for their personalities and actions (leave that to the dialogue). There are subtle shifts in the lines as we go from each new area but it compliments the prior and later art wonderfully. The color is beautiful with each area/location in the story having a similar palette and all of the colors coinciding with actions well. There are muted earthy colors for the girlfriend and interactions with her, shades of blue with orange accents for Lou herself, violent reds and rich lush warm tones for the 'bad guys' and scary situations -- the colorists use Kelly's lines to their advantage and the effect comes of excellently.
"Cry Havoc" has a lot of potential going forward. While I'm not initially blown away by the story line, the mythology it creates along with the human to creature interaction is unusual. I wish we could have spent more time between Lou and her own personal demon, witnessing more of her interactions with this thing lumbering inside of her verses speech after speech by others. This is volume one so further issues exist; I will most likely take up reading them at some point to see how this progresses but if it continues with the same word heavy runaround, I don't think I'll read much further.
The long and short of it: Lou is a London street musician whom struggles with making money, issues with depression, and maintaining a balance in her relationship with her girlfriend (who is a zoo keeper; fun fact and a little bit prophetic). After being attacked by something she describes as a werewolf, she struggles to maintain control or awareness as this creature comes out to feed. She receives guidance from a private organization which, in return for helping her and possibly completely eradicating her 'problem', ships her off the Afghanistan with others like her to track down a rogue commander from their group.
The story itself is presented in a random progression - her past life from before, her start in Afghanistan, and interaction with the lead baddie in the now - but its overall composition for the story is excellent given our narrator and principal character. Lou is a 20-30 something who puts in some meh-level effort into being a busking musician and full time girlfriend. Her struggles are relatable if not clichéd - she mocks hipsters and millennials while simultaneously embodying the very traits paraded about in front of sneering seniors on most news networks. Nothing seems to go well and her efforts fall short many times. Kind of a cross between 'I'm not worthy' and 'I don't want to work too hard for it'. But what I didn't find too thrilling or inspiring about her character prior to her demon/spirit encounter, her reactions to the world she is dragged into - claws, teeth, and all - is genuine and realistic. Most civilians on a good day and with the most awareness are not able to handle the day-to-day of combat and soldier life; why would this be easier on a woman barely able to keep a raging beast inside her without copious amounts of medication? (That's a recurring metaphor...so many...)
The main 'bad guy' is Lynn Odell and she talks like most RPG main bad guys do -- long, winding, lots of words, lots of self-aggrandizing speeches, and bleak commentary on life and/or the lack thereof. She uses the word 'cage' so many times, I jokingly started keeping tally marks on a notepad only to realize it was actually gaining groundspeed. Her intention is standard - superiority, control through chaos - then goes well into the territory of common-place horror movie villain with a nice dollop of fanaticism to round out a rather blasé 'bad guy'. I wanted to say props to the writers for the 'ah ha I was right' moment Lynn has at the end of this volume but it was so visible from about 12 pages away, it wasn't that ingenious after all and came out kind of flat.
The story itself is metaphor heavy. Lynn takes up 90% of the metaphors in speech while the characters around Lou suck up the last 5%...there's a lot in that 5% too. There are lots of meanings and answers wrapped up in prolonged monologues and glib speech provided by both the good and bad guys. It feels almost like no one has anyone to talk to so when newbie Lou shows up, everyone wants to talk her ear off. Even the most solitary character gives a speech about their past life at one point. Sadly, rather than being beautiful, inspiring, or prophetic, it felt more like the teacher finally said they had 30 seconds to use the microphone and their work of poetry came out like a haiku spoken in a rush. And most of the dialogue seems to be purposely filling out empty space around the massive cobweb of lies and poorly constructed truths most of the surrounding characters shoulder uncomfortably. There's a lot of distrust, lies, coercion, and hypocrisy going on between the 'good guys' and 'bad guys' so it's hard to really be shocked when things go wrong or there's a twist.
There's a decent attempt to touch on depression and medication, 'getting yourself right' - not taking your meds is bad, hiding behind your meds is wrong, you must fight depression with many weapons. The 'accept yourself for yourself' message is sweet but ultimately reads like a poster in a psychologist's office - some people will find it supportive and inspirational, others will roll their eyes and think it's placating instead of helping. I fell between those two groups.
This is my second time with Simon Spurrier's writing style and it hasn't 100% won me over. As I said above, it felt almost like I was reading through prolonged NPC or cocky boss fight dialogue from a RPG. There's so much detail in such length at times that it seems word heavy for the sake of it rather than for the effect and delivery. The movement of the story, through a disconnected time line, did come off well - I was able to keep up, didn't get lost jumping from way back to the present then scooting back to the most recent past. I did really appreciate the voicemail from Lou's girlfriend trying to talk to her about depression and being supportive; that was the perfect length with an effective use of simple words and the least amount of metaphors. And I think that's what bogged down the writing the most - number of words and number of metaphors. If the effect was to make the villain look more/sound more villainous and delusional, it can be done with much less words. It doesn't take a chapter from Dickens to prove that Lynn was well into psychosis and insanity by the time Lou showed up.
Now, for the art. Because there's a lot going on there and it's rather beautiful.
Ryan Kelly worked with several colorists, three of whom specifically worked in specific sections of the graphic novel. His line work is consistent and clean, very beautifully done. The line and shape of the characters does not provide immediate giveaways for their personalities and actions (leave that to the dialogue). There are subtle shifts in the lines as we go from each new area but it compliments the prior and later art wonderfully. The color is beautiful with each area/location in the story having a similar palette and all of the colors coinciding with actions well. There are muted earthy colors for the girlfriend and interactions with her, shades of blue with orange accents for Lou herself, violent reds and rich lush warm tones for the 'bad guys' and scary situations -- the colorists use Kelly's lines to their advantage and the effect comes of excellently.
"Cry Havoc" has a lot of potential going forward. While I'm not initially blown away by the story line, the mythology it creates along with the human to creature interaction is unusual. I wish we could have spent more time between Lou and her own personal demon, witnessing more of her interactions with this thing lumbering inside of her verses speech after speech by others. This is volume one so further issues exist; I will most likely take up reading them at some point to see how this progresses but if it continues with the same word heavy runaround, I don't think I'll read much further.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2016
Another of Si Spurrier's ruminations on myth and storytelling. I didn't enjoy it as much as Six Gun Gorilla and it has its problems, but there's still plenty to like about it. There's some great character moments, although reducing it to 'a lesbian werewolf story' is very problematic, misleading and undermines this. The art work is visceral and fantastic, particularly the single covers and the colour coding of the different time periods (cleverly demonstrated on the trade cover) with some excellent big reveals. That said, the story has some big ideas that it struggles to fully get across and parts of it can cause that, and the artwork, to become a bit confusing. I read it as singles though and each had a fascinating glossary of the mythological creatures featured and their origins which I really enjoyed, but I'm not sure if the trade has that. If you're coming to it expecting an LGBT werewolf story, you will almost certainly be disappointed/offended, but if you want an occasionally confusing story about the nature of stories, featuring a girl who self destructs spectacularly and a shit ton of monsters from every cultures' folktales, then there's something for you here.
January 6, 2017
What a hot mess. Unfortunately this is one of those comics that has too many ideas crammed into one comic. I found annotations in the back of this volume to explain the "symbolism" and folklore used. Not a good sign when you have explain to the reader what you just wrote. I shouldn't need to read it to find out and I really was just too done to bother.
Though it had an interesting premise, it fails to deliver any fleshed out characters or plot points. Frankly I still don't know what I just read. The dialogue is pretentious. It tries so hard to be deep and thought provoking but ends up a jumbled mess. The four converging timelines weren't as cool as they were confusing.
Though it had an interesting premise, it fails to deliver any fleshed out characters or plot points. Frankly I still don't know what I just read. The dialogue is pretentious. It tries so hard to be deep and thought provoking but ends up a jumbled mess. The four converging timelines weren't as cool as they were confusing.
August 24, 2017
I rate this higher on ambition than actual execution, plus I generally enjoy Spurrier's humour no matter the context. For instance:
The awkward moralizing at the end kind of ruined the feel for the story for me, though. Did Spurrier even know what his point was, or did the editors just insist on some kind of "We have to find middle ground!" resolution the reader could get behind? In any case, I'd like to return to the world of Cry Havoc again, though maybe not with the all-over-the-place Lou as the central character again.
The awkward moralizing at the end kind of ruined the feel for the story for me, though. Did Spurrier even know what his point was, or did the editors just insist on some kind of "We have to find middle ground!" resolution the reader could get behind? In any case, I'd like to return to the world of Cry Havoc again, though maybe not with the all-over-the-place Lou as the central character again.
November 4, 2022
This was an interesting one... Cry Havoc suffers from flaws that I regularly see returning within the comic genre: it wants to invent a grand narrative but gets lost along the way in its own chaos, time jumps make the reading progress rather confusing, there is so much going on at the same time, the characters are all so snappy and use a lot of 'lingo', which all adds up to a rather chaotic result. Still, I found myself enjoying this for the most part. One thing about comics: they keep you engaged and are rarely boring. So 3,5 stars from me (I am once again asking Goodreads to add half-star ratings :') ).
August 8, 2016
I really loved the idea of this story and I loved how the story was told in past and present simultaneously. It was definitely a cool narrative effect and gave you all the right info at the right time. However I really want to give this comic another shot in later episodes because it definitely seemed more like a strong start than a complete stand alone.
Definitely super promising, especially with all the routes they can take in the future.
Definitely super promising, especially with all the routes they can take in the future.
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