We Don't Kill Spiders #1

We Don't Kill Spiders #1

Black Caravan/Scout Comics 2021

By Joseph Schmalke

Lettered by DC Hopkins

In the early Viking Age, a faithless Norseman detective is summoned to a Scandinavian hamlet where a series of murders have occurred. Discovering the dark and bloody history of the village he investigates the local outcast, a necromantic witch who brings his atheistic values into question. Determined to prevent further homicides, the two band together to discover the identity of a serial killer.

There is something about this that really strikes a chord with me. I love the idea that we see about their gods, witches and a murder mystery all happening witin the first issue, add into the mix a detective of sorts who is an interesting character in his own right and of course the Völva Revna who adds her own uniqueness to these events. This is an eclectic mix of characters, ideas and beliefs that brought together in a way that almost shouldn’t work but does so beautifully. Thanks to shows like Vikings we are becoming more familiar with the Norse and their ways and yet still this manages to be a part of that world while remaining incredibly unique and different from anything we’ve seen before.

I am very much enjoying 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 do wonders in portraying them in such familiar ways. The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the story, introducing the characters and the world they live in we find ourselves completely captivated by the events unfolding before us.

I greatly appreciate the way that we see this being structured and how the layers within the story emerge, grow and evolve. The layers contain the characterisation, the plot twists & turns as well as so much more and whether they work with the main arc or swirl around it 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 extremely well achieved.

The interiors here are really interesting. There is a definite style at work here and it suits the story extremely well. The linework is strong and interesting plus with it’s varying weights and techniques we see some sensational detail work bring the characters and the city to life. While we see a fair amount of backgrounds being utilised there’s always room for more as they enhance and expand the moments. They also work within the composition of the panels to bring out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story. 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. The pinks and purples especially really make the moments pop. how we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work shows an excellent eye for how colour works.

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What a wonderful first issue and introduction to a story this is. We start off with a reason for the detective's visit followed by the introduction of him and Revna and then we end with a great cliffhanger. This is an extremely well crafted story with excellent writing and characterisation alongside some expressive and exciting interiors. Welcome to the unbridled chaos that is the detective’s world, we hope you enjoy your stay.