Old British sensibilities have been grafted onto classic American pulp fictions to create something modern and inspirational. This is a merging of cultures and genres that crosses oceans, time, and mediums. There is a powerful Frankenstein influence that has been combined with a Captain America style origin story. Monsters combines gothic horror with comic book tropes to produce a melting pot of twisted drama, moral dilemmas, and unrelenting brilliance from the opening onwards. Within the first two opening double pages, Windsor-Smith expresses his mission statement for Monsters, and it leaves you reeling as you tentatively begin following Bobby’s journey through life. Almost incomprehensible text fills the monster’s speech balloons, which contrasts the clear, overly large text Windsor-Smith uses for Bobby’s mother.

It is impossible to escape from the situation, and the reader is drawn into the heavy line work and dark shadows. The twisted depiction of the abusive father towers over the frightened mother and her unconscious son. Windsor-Smith crams the panels with tension, and raw terror as Bobby’s mother rushes to protect her son.

The book’s tone is set within the opening pages where Bobby, as a child, is attacked and scarred by an overpowering monster of a man. Bailey and McFarland’s lives are destined to be linked, and the Sergeant’s moment of weakness at the beginning of the story leads them down a path of destruction. And so begins a journey of horror, genetic mutilation, grief, and regret. His recruiting office, Sergeant McFarland, believes that he may know a part of the military where Bobby may fit in. In the 1960s, the young Bobby Bailey attempts to enlist in the US Army, but his credentials aren’t up to scratch. MonstersĬredit: Fantagraphics Books An Unfolding Horror Monsters weaves a web of horror and drama and reflects comics’ history within its modern gothic tale. His latest opus has been a work in progress for over 35 years, and the final product carries the weight of that commitment, physically and metaphorically. He also worked on some of the more feral superheroes and mutants, including the Wolverine origin story, Weapon X, where he had both writing and art duties. Windsor-Smith made a name for himself in the 1970s, working for Marvel and winning several awards for his artwork in The Savage Sword of Conan. The cover alone, with its crisp design containing the image of a distressed ‘monster,’ sparks intrigue and promises a complex, disturbing tale. On April 13, 2021, publisher Fantagraphics is due to release Monsters, which, in their own words, is ‘the most anticipated graphic novel in recent comics history!’ Running at a mammoth 360 pages, the black and white comic book by the award-winning British illustrator Barry Windsor-Smith is a visual spectacle and demands attention.

Windsor smith monsters