The Horror A4

The Horror A4

The Horror A4 is an independant written and illustrated by Gaz "Gazbot" Gretsky and funded through Kickstarter. The Horror A4 came highly recommended by my friend and local creator, Chris Mcquinlan, who then proceeded to message me less than 24 hours later to see if I had had read it yet. I can now say, yes Chris, yes I have read it and you were right its pretty damn good.

The Horror A4 begins with an enormous monster emerging from underground after being disturbed by a mining operation. This comic doesn't mess around, the second page in a giant rock/mud monster erupts from the earth and begins wrecking havoc and smashing things. Good work comic. The story cuts to three years later where we meet the protagonist Boots, real name Jenna, lamenting the uselessness of the Military Police, as they chase down and capture a young man, questioning if they would really help the people if a demon attacked. Boots meets up with her friends and talks about how she will tell the world all about the wrongs that are done once her stream goes live. Across town BJ, a "millionaire CEO", is desperate to create himself a legacy at any cost but needs to find a way to keep shareholders happy long enough to finish his plans.

The design of The Horror is on the futuristic side with some space age technology holographic projecting phones and robots making the world look futuristic without making it unrecognisable. The trains still look like trains and the streets and markets look like a place you could actually go. Boots and her teenage friends dress in a more gaudy fashion than most of the adults, highlighting the rebellious nature of Boots and her friends. I find the designs for The Horror to be a little busy with so much detail packed into each panel that it can be a difficult to tell exactly what is going on.

I LOVE how the character Boots is written because everyone, absolutely everyone, has known a Boots before and if you didn't know one you were one. Boots is a deeply flawed character, she shows little concern for the young man arrested by the military police in the market place even using the distraction as a chance to steal a chocolate bar but then proceeds to wail to her friends how she saw the military police beat him possibly to death, how she will tell his story and how she is going to change things.  Boots talks about righting the wrongs of the world while stealing when she has more than enough money to pay for things. Boots is self righteous, hypocritical and very very teenage.

Look at all that teenage angst

The Horror combines several different genres with giant monsters, corporate espionage and teen and, so far, it works. I really really hope I'll be able to get my hands on the next issue to see if Boots really follows through with her promise of helping the world, how much carnage the next giant monster attack will do and what the dastardly BJ has in store.

I give The Horror A4 3.5 out of 5 Horrors

Get your copy of The Horror A4 here and find out more about creator Gazbot here.