The Golem Walks Among Us! #1

The Golem Walks Among Us #1

Dark Horse Comics 2021

Written by Mike Mignola & Christopher Golden

Illustrated by Peter Bergting

Coloured by Michelle Madsen

Lettered by Clem Robins

The Golem has a long memory . . . After being awakened from his long sleep in a shrine in Eastern Europe, Josef the Golem aids in the fight against the witches that once again terrorize humanity. Deployed to a small village where a cult has taken root, Josef encounters not only witches but an old enemy who remembers him well . . . and is out for vengeance!

I have been such a fan of Joe’s since the first moment I saw him and that we get to see him in the past is a pure treat. This one starts off weirdly, which is perfect all things considered, and it draws you into the story and makes you want to see and know more. These guys know what they are doing and that’s more than evident. That there is still so much to see about Joe before New York sank and he became an Occult Detective and his hatred for witches still stands above all else which is really kind of nice to see. This gives him some sort of direction and purpose, for now, and in this era of Europe was rife with them.

I am a huge fan of the way that this is being told. The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well. The character development that we see through the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how they act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter does a magnificent job in portraying them as people, people we can relate to or empathise with. The pacing is superb and as it introduces us the story, the characters and this world we’re drawn into this beautifully.

I appreciate the way that we see this being structured and how the layers within the story are being introduced, how they grow and evolve throughout. The layers are where we see the characterisation, the plot twists and so much more and they add this great depth, dimension and complexity to the story. How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is expertly achieved.

I am also a huge fan of the interiors here. The linework is clean, crisp and strong and with the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create the detail work we see throughout is really well rendered. The mood, tone and feel of the work really suits the story and the creativity and imagination is beautiful to see come to life. That we see backgrounds as we do being utilised to expand and enhance the moments is sensational to see as is how they work within the composition of the panels to bring about the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story is marvellous to see. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkably talented eye for storytelling. The colour work is beautifully rendered as well. How we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is brilliantly rendered.

​

I love it because it has that old world charm and superstition wrapped up in some modern thinking that plays out especially well during this trying time in history. Adding in a whole fictional supernatural element to the mix and this leaves me chuffed to bits. Joe Golem in any incarnation is one of the best characters around, and here he’s less sophisticated and much more brutish in nature and I have to say I’m loving this side of him. With some superb writing and intense characterisation along with these fabulous interiors, this is what storytelling is all about and what it’s for. To evoke a reaction out of the reader, to make them feel along with being engaged and entertained and these folks do it so much better than most.