Advance Review: Hob's Lane #1

Coming soon to Kickstarter from Blue Fox Comics is a new three-part series - this is Hob's Lane #1

Hob’s Lane is a three-issue mini-series examining the rapidly decaying life of John Tate, a recent widowed theoretical physicist whose world is spiralling dangerously out of control. Tate is sure he can bring his murdered wife back, his research into parallel dimensions proves it, it’s all right there on his blackboard. But as he puts his plan into motion, and the bodies begin to pile up, Tate’s world soon collides with that of his old school friend, and now London cop, Doug Kendal.

Written by Martin Hayes, with art and colours by RHStewart, and letters by Paul McLaren

As a beginning to a three-act, this had an interesting beginning. As a grim and gritty crime drama, we get introduced to the main character early. We get his humour and his opinions in the first few pages. This, in the sake of tradition, was after we find the horribly mutilated body...

It's the body that should be the first clue that all is not right. Shredded and disgusting, we get a good tease into it - the darkness shrouding what is to come.

Blinking into the light there is the crime scene investigation, where we meet the detectives who have the case and a link to Doug's past.
This is a little of Chekov's Gun, but it leads the story forward well. It gives us some valuable backstory and gives us further insight into the various characters.

This pretty much brings us through the first two parts of this first issue. From there, things get a lot more ethereal and spooky. There is something wrong in Hob's Lane, and this looks to cause more bloodshed as the story goes on. I like the way it all builds up to this point, and as the issue ends, it leaves us hanging and wanting to know and understand what is going on.

The artwork for this story is perfect, with a read detective story feel in the beginning, to the more horror-based aspects at the end. It has some excellent colouring to go with this. It contrasts not only the night and day well, but also the dark, gritty, gruesome and strange as well. I have a feeling that the final panel will stay with me!

This is an excellent beginning that promises some interesting storytelling between the normal and the abnormal.

Hob's Lane #1 is coming to Kickstarter this month, follow Simon Birks on Kickstarter here to be notified of its start.

And check out Blue Fox Comics other titles here.