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Redlands #1
Redlands #1
A brand-new horror book from the minds of Eisner Award-winner JORDIE BELLAIRE (PRETTY DEADLY, Vision, Batman) and critically acclaimed artist VANESA R. DEL REY (ZERO, Scarlet Witch, Constantine) brings you to the sleepy, sunny town of Redlands, Florida. The police are failing to maintain control of their old-fashioned town, and a coven of killer witches plan to take everything from them. This summer, hide your bibles.
32 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 9, 2017
2 people are currently reading
153 people want to read
About the author
Jordie Bellaire
1,172 books172 followersJordie Bellaire is an American comic book colorist and writter who lives in Ireland and works for DC, Marvel, Valiant, and Image comic book publishers. She has colored Pretty Deadly, The Manhattan Projects, Moon Knight, The Vision, Magneto, Nowhere Men, Hawkeye, Batman, among other titles. As a writer, her most famous works are Redlands and the reboot of Buffy The Vampire Slayer.
Bellaire is credited with starting the "Comics are for everybody" initiative to make the comic book community more inclusive and compassionate.
Bellaire is credited with starting the "Comics are for everybody" initiative to make the comic book community more inclusive and compassionate.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
August 9, 2017
I get why stories sometimes start in the middle or just go straight into an action scene before doubling back. Normally it’s a scene or two, a few pages, to grab your attention AND THEN the story starts properly so you appreciate and understand the opener more.
The first issue of Jordie Bellaire and Vanesa R. Del Rey’s Redlands is one big action scene and it doesn’t work because everything is rushed and nothing is established so it’s impossible to care about anything.
It’s the deep South, nighttime, a police station is under siege by unknowns, and people start getting killed. There’s no main character to latch onto much less any idea of what the story is supposed to be. This reads less like a first issue and more like the conclusion of an arc. Anyway, it’s a story of a trio of witches who come to take over the town for reasons.
Bellaire’s writing and storytelling is weak, Del Rey’s art is scratchy and oddly amateurish-looking, the horror isn’t scary, the action isn’t exciting, no part of it is memorable and it read very messily as a whole. Redlands tries to be a spooky version of Southern Bastards but instead it’s like a slightly more adult episode of Charmed.
Maybe this issue will read better in collected form but I just have a feeling this title is plain not good. An awkward, dull and shallow start, Redlands #1 failed to interest me in pursuing the rest of this arc.
The first issue of Jordie Bellaire and Vanesa R. Del Rey’s Redlands is one big action scene and it doesn’t work because everything is rushed and nothing is established so it’s impossible to care about anything.
It’s the deep South, nighttime, a police station is under siege by unknowns, and people start getting killed. There’s no main character to latch onto much less any idea of what the story is supposed to be. This reads less like a first issue and more like the conclusion of an arc. Anyway, it’s a story of a trio of witches who come to take over the town for reasons.
Bellaire’s writing and storytelling is weak, Del Rey’s art is scratchy and oddly amateurish-looking, the horror isn’t scary, the action isn’t exciting, no part of it is memorable and it read very messily as a whole. Redlands tries to be a spooky version of Southern Bastards but instead it’s like a slightly more adult episode of Charmed.
Maybe this issue will read better in collected form but I just have a feeling this title is plain not good. An awkward, dull and shallow start, Redlands #1 failed to interest me in pursuing the rest of this arc.
August 13, 2017
Not a great start. The dialogue is cliche. The characters are not compelling. This is certainly inspired by current events - cop shootings, racism and sexism - but it fails to add anything interesting or complex to the discussion. The cops are racist bigots, the witches/women heroic rebels. The art is stylish, though many action scenes are incomprehensible. This is a shame. I enjoy good horror. If you want horror, stick with Regression or Kill the Minotaur.
August 11, 2017
Horror is NOT my genre. But I really enjoy the people working on this comic and wanted to see what they creatively put their passion into. This first issue is all hook and no exposition, so while i am very interested, I'm also very confused and unsure of what this series will be. But I will be checking out the next issue!
August 12, 2017
I'm a little confused about what the hell is happening in this issue. We're thrown in the middle of some chaotic shit that's going down with no real connection to any characters. Whose the bad guys here? Though I don't mind the blurring of lines into good and evil, I want some actual characters to root myself to. Unfortunately no one was focused enough on in this issue for me to care about anyone's wellbeing.
January 2, 2018
Ahhhhh yeahhhhhhhhhhhhh!
Lady witches slaughtering little piggies is totally my jam!
I have so many question and I can't wait to find out what the answers are!
Loved that blurb at the end as well!
I have a feeling this is going to be a really good series!
Lady witches slaughtering little piggies is totally my jam!
I have so many question and I can't wait to find out what the answers are!
Loved that blurb at the end as well!
I have a feeling this is going to be a really good series!
November 1, 2017
Me ha gustado todo.
"Dice el hombre con la pistola"
"Dice el hombre con la pistola"
August 21, 2020
Este volume não diz muito sobre o seu potencial, o que torna até um começo pouco significativo. Acho que faltam mais elementos que façam com que o leitor tenha um grande entusiasmo para a leitura. Não é de todo mau, mas poderia ser melhor.
September 13, 2021
The art is fantastic, the story starts off obviously during the end of a confrontation (or is it just the beginning?)
Keen to read on and find out.
Keen to read on and find out.
August 25, 2017
I thought it was quite intriguing! I loved the scratchy art and the concept, so it's added to my subscription!
September 20, 2019
Started reading this because of the awesome cover art, but it's hard to really tell anything about the series from this first comic. We only just barely meet the villains and there's zero backstory about why everyone is dying/being killed, there's just constant blood and burning. But it was intriguing enough that I'll try reading the next one and then decide if I'll keep going.
August 15, 2017
How do you write a good comic in the era of drones, hashtags and kale shakes? Well, if you’re Jordie Bellaire, Vanesa Del Ray and Clayton Cowles then you’re probably going to tackle issues like gender roles, race, religion, family and small-town politics the way they do in Redlands.
Their debut issue is a straight up ride through nostalgia country, tastefully borrowing themes from retro horror novel and films. On its own, some might say, that deserves its merit and your attention, but this isn’t exactly what deserves your admiration. What sets this story apart from other debut issues is the fact that its creators come at you guns blazing, but not at the price of being bombastic, convoluted or rushed. This isn’t a slow burner, but maybe because this story didn’t need to be. We’re given what we need to care about where the story is headed, balanced with a lot of action. At the onset, a group of characters is under siege by supernatural elements and by the end of the book we yearn to know more about the assailants, their ambitions and the fate of other characters in the town. Seems like a winner to me.
I’ll be frank and admit that a part of me was wary of this turning into another zombie tale and I was close to abandoning the book. There are too many zombie-related stories as is, and, in one way or another, those stories have all been told. It’s almost as if some twisted, reality-warping zombification has taken hold of writers’ minds and it’s all that’s on the shelves at your comic shop or TV show playlist. Or maybe I’m just an aging cynic and am disillusioned about the ironclad principle of economics and demand and supply and all that. Entitled rant over, I’ll continue to sing the praises of Redlands and the work of its creative team. I’ve learned over the years that it’s a safe play to not judge a book by its cover, but I tell you, gentle reader, that you’d be exonerated for doing so here. The lush cover art with its serpentine desperation is swollen with the kind of imagery that is ideal for the story within.
Redlands is bold and unpretentious, a feather in the cap of its creative team and another great example of the fine work Image Comics is putting out on the regular. Sure, I would’ve maybe reworked some of the dialogue to make it more lifelike, but I’m just a complainer and not a doer. The tortuous part about having read this book is the ache in waiting for the next issue. Shouldn’t they have made this a mini-series? Either way, it’s a great story and you’ll be glad you picked it up.
May 10, 2020
What a rush! This is a relentless piece of pop horror that dreams a nightmare for the reader- and like a leech, will not let go unless burned with fire.
It reminded me of Harrow County's opening, only if the opening were extended into an full chapter. It held my attention the entire time and I read through it at the same pace I usually read something like BKV's SAGA. (AKA: Waaay too fast).
I'm in.
I would also like to say the dialogue did everything it was supposed to. I keep an ear out for MIDWESTERN or SOUTHERN speak. Just because sometimes it feels natural, other times, not so much. This was definitely in that Stephen King vain of "under developed asshole characters." And remarkably, I mean that as a compliment. Sometimes it's fun to watch assholes get their comeuppance. These are obviously not important characters, the goal is to come out of the gate swinging with a fast, bold and gutsy start. And for me, it did so in splendor.
It gets the job and I am looking forward to seeing where it goes next.
It reminded me of Harrow County's opening, only if the opening were extended into an full chapter. It held my attention the entire time and I read through it at the same pace I usually read something like BKV's SAGA. (AKA: Waaay too fast).
I'm in.
I would also like to say the dialogue did everything it was supposed to. I keep an ear out for MIDWESTERN or SOUTHERN speak. Just because sometimes it feels natural, other times, not so much. This was definitely in that Stephen King vain of "under developed asshole characters." And remarkably, I mean that as a compliment. Sometimes it's fun to watch assholes get their comeuppance. These are obviously not important characters, the goal is to come out of the gate swinging with a fast, bold and gutsy start. And for me, it did so in splendor.
It gets the job and I am looking forward to seeing where it goes next.
July 9, 2019
I bought Redlands 1# on a whim, and I regret it. Although it presents itself as a feminist narrative, supposedly breaking down issues such as racism and sexism, the execution was ineffective. Due to the story being told through splintered narratives, none of the narrative climaxes had emotional payoff. It felt as though I was being shown snips of compelling story arcs, not enough to care, only enough to wish I did, and only enough to be really, really confused. Furthermore, due to the lack of a clear narrative, the scenes of sex and violence felt gratuitous. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind a sex scene between characters I care about, and violence can be good when serving a plot. But thrown in without context, with characters that are strangers to the reader, these things just felt.. uncomfortable. Even so, the art was skillful, and just one of the myriad plot threads, if fleshed out, could be good in the future.
August 10, 2017
This is an excerpt of Nerdent's review of Redlands #1 (http://www.nerdent.net/2017/08/09/new...
As should be expected from a series by Jordie Bellaire the art is on point. The imagery is one of the first things to grab your attention capturing a muggy summer Florida night. Being void of a vast color pallet emits the sense of uneasiness startling the reader…and I haven’t even talked about the demons yet!
Redlands is what the horror genre of comics should be. Bellaire includes graphic art full of gore and grit befitting of the monster invasion. However, there is so little information about what is going on it forces readers to speculate.
As should be expected from a series by Jordie Bellaire the art is on point. The imagery is one of the first things to grab your attention capturing a muggy summer Florida night. Being void of a vast color pallet emits the sense of uneasiness startling the reader…and I haven’t even talked about the demons yet!
Redlands is what the horror genre of comics should be. Bellaire includes graphic art full of gore and grit befitting of the monster invasion. However, there is so little information about what is going on it forces readers to speculate.
October 23, 2017
A good start to a series that promises to be ruthless and gory - with a healthy dose of witches who are thoroughly DONE with people telling them what to do.
The art is gorgeous; it's how I like my comic art. The story itself hasn't got far enough to say yet, but absolutely has the potential to be right up my alley.
The art is gorgeous; it's how I like my comic art. The story itself hasn't got far enough to say yet, but absolutely has the potential to be right up my alley.
September 17, 2023
Very cool! I have no idea what is going in this book, but I definitely want to find out more and pick up the trade. I was pretty much sold once that guy's head got cut off. Then add in some political nuances about the cops in power and the "bad people" locked in the basement - yes I definitely need to find out more. What's with those ladies? The need for human sacrifices? Making the town anew?
August 10, 2017
Holy fuck this was amazing. I'm subscribing to it ASAP. It's not going to appeal to the main comic book audience. But as it clearly states at the end, it isn't written for them. I feel like it is certainly written for me. Can't wait to see where this book goes.
September 13, 2017
Heavy on gore and suspense.To early to tell if this series will be a hit but it certainly has potential.
September 30, 2017
Me flipa el concepto y el arte pero a ver cómo se desarrolla la historia.
October 7, 2017
3.5 star
December 7, 2017
Nothing to write home about however I kinda wish that the first issue hooked me a bit more.
But then again, it’s a story about a coven by Image? You know I’m checking out the rest of the series.
But then again, it’s a story about a coven by Image? You know I’m checking out the rest of the series.
January 30, 2018
Hell. Yes.
April 2, 2018
Hell yes. Not sure if this is more prologue or first chapter, but I’m intrigued either way. Quite like the art though it’s not my usual style. Really fits the mood, though. The covers is gorgeous.
January 13, 2020
A compelling story that suffers from literary shortcomings, but the art style conjures up a scene of magic that will leave you entranced.
January 1, 2022
Pretty dark, in more ways than one. Creepy art, good in media res story. I'm intrigued for more.
December 29, 2022
DNF- The art was fine, but the story was so hard to follow. I wasn't that interested in any of the characters either- there wasn't anyone to root for or anyone that stood out.
Read
August 11, 2017I bought a copy because I like Vanesa Del Rey's art. The story/writing isn't doing anything for me so far, and I'm not a huge fan of the murky colors, but I do love witches so maybe I'll pick up the trade when it's available.
May 14, 2018
A brand-new horror book from the minds of Eisner Award-winner JORDIE BELLAIRE (PRETTY DEADLY, Vision, Batman) and critically acclaimed artist VANESA R. DEL REY (ZERO, Scarlet Witch, Constantine) brings you to the sleepy, sunny town of Redlands, Florida. The police are failing to maintain control of their old-fashioned town, and a coven of killer witches plan to take everything from them. This summer, hide your bibles.
**
May 17, 2018
Something is rotten in Redlands and it ain’t the witches outside the police station. It is actually very good, I am just a bit disappointed that it is so short; I have come to expect volumes from HumbleBundle not single issues.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews