Tresspassers # 1
(US Comic book) late 1995Comix Reviews
by Joe ZabelSTRANGEHAVEN - Running away from a heartbreak, young Alex Hunter finds himself on a midnight drive, going around in circles on the English countryside. He passes a signpost for Strangehaven, but can't find it on the map. Suddenly there is a beautiful woman standing in the road. He can't stop fast enough - he hits her - but at the moment of impact she transforms into a tree!
Knocked unconscious, he awakens in Strangehaven, a quaint village with eccentric but friendly residents, including the young and pretty Janey, who quickly develops an attachment to him.
But there are bizarre undercurrents to life in Strangehaven: Mr Megaron, who studies the mythologies of his Brazilian ancestors, the Mahinaku tribe; a secret society, the Knights of the Golden Light, who conduct ceremonies in cowled costumes; and the strangest of all, the unaccountable present of a woman in an aquarium, who seems to be conscious of, even to preside over, all the events in the story.
Although this tale has antecedents in TWIN PEAKS, THE WICKER MAN and numerous episodes of THE AVENGERS TV series, cartoonist Gary Spencer Millidge's thorough research, graceful pacing, and unique sense of humour make the material fresh and intriguing.
Millidge is a smooth, engaging storyteller; his narrative moves confidently from scene to scene without bogging down in excessive text or becoming elliptical and confusing.
His photo-realistic drawing style is extremely well executed, capturing an enormous amount of detail that contributes to the atmosphere and the sense of concreteness.
The problems with fantasy stories often is that the other-wordly elements take over the story and make it impossible for the characters to behave naturally and believably. But in Strangehaven the fantastically is revealed in subtle, indirect ways (such as the way Janey's cat Hitchcock keeps turning up in the most unexpected places); it allows the characters to relax and be themselves. This is definitely not an X-files style paranoid fantasy; the village residents are genuinely warm and friendly, and not shy about sharing their petty gossip with newcomer Alex.
Strangehaven is a place you'll enjoy discovering, and I can't wait until my next visit!
©1995 Joe Zabel
If you've read any notable pieces concerning Strangehaven that may have escaped our attention and does not appear here, we'd like to hear about them! E-mail us at webmonkey@millidge.com