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Writer's pictureByron O'Neal

REDLANDS, VOL. 1

Updated: Jun 24, 2021


Story: Jordie Bellaire & Vanesa Del Rey Art: Vanesa Del Rey Publisher: Image Comics


The Vision (tpb), cover, Marvel Comics, King/Walta

WHAT IS IT?

A swampy South Florida crime drama complete with witches, a murder mystery, a serial killer and more!

Basically, take the TV show Dexter. Instead of a serial killer, the protagonist is a trio of witches. Heavy themes of power, predator vs. prey, justice and social issues interweave for a horror book that has depth and feels authentic.

WHAT'S IT ABOUT? (Minor Spoilers)

Three witches take over a town in South Florida, wresting it from a police force that was seemingly corrupt.

Years later, they’re the local police. But are they trying to keep the peace or simply maintain their position of power? When local murders start to appear connected, they have to find the killer or risk losing power. Plus, when more supernatural problems come to the forefront, will they be able to handle those, too, or will they lose the town they’ve worked so hard to keep under their control?

WHAT WORKS?

  • While the witches are the protagonists, they aren’t necessarily “good,” causing ourselves to question our own concepts of morality, humanity and revenge

  • Del Rey’s art is creepy and visceral and sexy in a non-male-gazey sort of way

  • Really fascinating to see the balance between the creepiness inherent in a woman’s day-to-day normal life juxtaposed against the creepiness of supernatural dangers

  • The art also really captures the heavy humidity of South Florida (I should know – I lived there as a young yeti)

  • Very tense moments build suspense effectively

  • Even as a white male yeti, there were moments of minority empowerment in response to others that just felt incredibly cathartic

WHAT DOESN'T WORK?

  • The first trade sets up a lot of future plot, so don’t expect much to get resolved

  • Don’t expect to be scared sleepless, unless you scare easily – after the first issue, it turns into more of a thriller


WHY SHOULD I READ IT?

It’s so good! And I have a feeling the next installment of the series is going to continue to be great. Seriously, if you're into witch stories, or you like Dexter, or you're just a fan of Jordie Bellaire (which is what got me), you should check it out.

WHAT DO I READ NEXT?

If you like the writing:

  • Harrow County, Vol. 1 by Cullen Bunn & Tyler Crook

  • Wytches by Scott Snyder & Jock

  • Clean Room, Vol. 1 by Gail Simone & Jon Davis-Hunt

If you like the art:

  • Tokyo Ghost Deluxe Edition by Rick Remender & Sean Murphy

  • Manifest Destiny, Vol. 1 by Chris Dingess & Matthew Roberts

  • Injection, Vol. 1 by Warren Ellis, Declan Shalvey & Jordie Bellaire

ABOUT THE CREATORS

Jordie Bellaire – Writer & Colors

  • Multitalented: This is one of the first comics she’s written

  • Name Recognition: One of the most talented and sought-out colorists in the industry

  • Dream Team: Currently works with some of the biggest names in comics

  • Outlander: Lives in Ireland

Vanesa Del Rey – Art & Story

  • Knows South Florida well – she lives in Miami

  • New Face: Only recently began working on comics, but already worked on some Marvel titles

  • Got her start doing concept art for animation

Clayton Cowles – Letters

  • Name Recognition: Cowles (pronounced ‘Coals’) is also extremely talented and sought-out in the comics industry

  • Dream Team: Currently works with some of the biggest names in comics

  • Prolific: This guy has lettered most of the comics I’ve read in the past 3 years

HOW DO I BUY IT?

Click one of these:

The image(s) used in this article are from a comic strip, webcomic or the cover or interior of a comic book. The copyright for this image(s) is likely owned by either the publisher of the comic, the writer(s) and/or artist(s) who produced the comic. It is believed that the use of this image(s) qualifies as fair use under the United States copyright law. The image is used in a limited fashion in an educational manner in order to illustrate the points of the author and not for the purpose of entertainment or substituting the original work. It is believed the use of this image has had no impact on the market value of the original work.

All Image Comics characters and the distinctive likeness(es) thereof are trademarks of and copyright Image Comics or their respective owners. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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