This post apocalyptic graphic novel covers familiar ground. Things have gone very bad, and this guy and his daughter retreat to an isolated spot to create some sense of safety. Things change when a trespasser appears.
The plot isn't well developed enough for my tastes. I liked the art, and while the ending was unexpected, I didn't find it a compelling read.
I really loved the story behind this. The art style was good too. All in all, I genuinely enjoyed this. Hopefully there will be more that follows the world-building that this story sets up because this is a cool world that I want to know more about.
If you’ve ever wondered what an “X-Files” comic illustrated by Eduardo Risso would be like, look no further than “Trespasser,” the claustrophobic sci-fi miniseries from writer Justin M. Ryan and artist Kristian Rossi. In this dark, unsettling story, a man and his young daughter fighting to survive in a post-apocalyptic world discover an alien has crash landed onto their isolated woodland property and, assuming it’s a threat, make a fateful decision that comes with dire intergalactic consequences. It’s a tense, gut-twisting comic that keeps ratcheting up the dread right up until the final few pages, which stumble into a rushed, disappointing climax that takes a hard left turn, tonally. Rossi’s panels are consistently wonderful, though, full of ominous silhouettes, angular extraterrestrials, and gruesome body horror. Also, the version that I read, the Alterna GIANTS reprint that collects all the issues into one book, features actual real newsprint, which only adds to the delightful pulpiness of the series (and for only $4.99!). If only that ending had tied it all together a bit tighter.
As a whole, it was a nice and interesting read; pretty easy to follow as well.
Plot: 3.5/5 Could've been better, but they kept it simple and that's always good, I believe. It's a father and his daughter and their dog, and then there are aliens... vengeful aliens. And that's it. I also liked the end.
Art: 4/5 I really liked the art, it was simple, but not too simple. I really loved the color scheme and the shadowing.
Dialogue: 3/5 Nothing out of this world; a bit cliché, I'd say.
Characters: 4/5 Hispanic characters, wooohoo! And they seem very real as well, with a simple, non-typical background story, at least as far as we can see.
World-Building: 3.5/5 It's not great, but it's not bad either, considering this is a short one-shot. A prequel, explaining whatever happened to the world, and a sequel focusing on Maria's lost years, would do wonders to the world.
All in all, a nice and easy read for a lazy afternoon.
A tight, compact, atmospheric read that can be enjoyed in a single sitting. I read the original single issues published in 2017. At it's heart, this is a tale of survival with a father, a young daughter, and companion dog living alone in an isolated wood following some major catastrophe. They have to hunt for food, which is hard to come by as any kill has to checked with a geiger counter for acceptable amounts of radiation. What complicates the story is an unexpected meeting with a wounded extra-terrestrial humanoid, and the consequences of what happened following the father's decision on how to cope with this new encounter. The art is the best part about TRESPASSER. Simple, yet evocative and moving. Good use of shading and shadows. The story is lean, perhaps all for the better as some of the dialogue is a bit too typical in spots. This really deserves 3.5 stars.
In the first issue of Trespasser, Ryan gives us an intriguing setup and two unexpected twists, aided by Rossi's clean and likeable art. The story is then developed quickly over the following three issues, again with twists and turns, culminating in an ending that raises questions but satisfies in and of itself (though I would read a sequel - or any other work by these creators - without a second thought).
Tercer libro de la joven editorial Libera La Bestia y mantienen un nivel envidiable. Aquí tenemos la historia de un padre y su hija, que viven solos en una granja en el medio del bosque. Algo pasó, no sabemos en un principio (ni nunca al detalle) muy bien qué, pero hay un alto índice de contaminación, no queda un carajo para comer y existe la constante presencia de una amenaza que los rodea. Creo que lo más notable del guión de Ryan es donde elige pararse para contar la historia -el punto de vista de esa familia- y como se mantiene allí a rajatabla: sabemos lo que saben los personajes e ignoramos todo lo demás cual ellos. Eso le termina dando al libro una potente identidad propia a pesar de que transita por caminos tan recorridos como son el relato postapocalíptico, la llegada de un posible enemigo extraterrestre y el horror de los mutantes. La sutil decisión del punto de vista, de hacer antes que todo una simple historia de Padre e Hija, se respalda en el estupendo arte de Rossi, quien aprovecha y mucho las páginas de paisajes, conversaciones, caminatas y silencios, para desarrollar una obra intensa en climas, cuyo estilo recuerda al de su maestro Eduardo Risso pero con su propia impronta. Una gran muestra de que dentro de la historieta estadounidense independiente también se encuentran joyitas (a las que, por suerte, podemos acceder en edición local).
SPOILERS - Loved the artwork. I don't really understand what all happened in the story, though. I get the main action sequences, but I don't get the disease, the blisters, what the thing in the dog's head is, what happens at the end, how did she get to a hospital, why does she have the thing in her head at the end, what's the significance of the sign, why did the daughter's eyes change. Just overall confusing.