North 40 is like an arthouse version of a 50s B-movie: clever, freaky and loads of fun. It's one of Wildstorm's new clutch of creator-driven titles, announced earlier this year – a welcome addition to the imprint beside the long-established Wildstorm Universe and the various licensed properties. Following the fortunes of a small midwest county after two bored college kids expose it to a plague of magic and mutation, it's written by Aaron Williams (Nodwick, PS238) and drawn by Fiona Staples, who made her mark at Wildstorm with the excellent Hawksmoor miniseries.
Issue #1 of 6 introduced us to our cast just before and after the fateful opening of the 'misplaced library book' that starts all the trouble. Everyone's a familiar smalltown archetype – the geek/Goth students, the diner waitresses, the unflappable sheriff, the farmboy, the kissing couple, the family of troublemakers, the savvy wrong-side-of-the-tracks girl. If it were a zombie film, you'd be making bets at this point on which of them would get the axe and which would make it to the abandoned mall; but there was an extra wit and shiver in the writing and art that raised expectations high above that level.
Issue #2 bears this out by showing us the new social dynamics being laid down by the bizarrely altered townsfolk. Charmingly, these locals mostly just go about their business, fazed but not panicked by the extra tentacles, putting their abilities to use with stoic practicality. The goons bully; the sheriff keeps order; the guy in the diner with ten eyes just wants to finish his coffee, ma'am. When the newly initiated witch turns up, bloodstained scythe in hand, the sheriff simply observes, "You appear to have soiled your farmin' equipment, Miss Amanda." Her reply is equally deadpan: "And if somethin' eight feet tall with six legs files a complaint, you can arrest me." This smart dry dialogue nicely balances the Lovecraft-speak of Amanda's mysterious teacher. It's an ensemble book, so the characterisation is just getting started; however special mention should be made of the wonderful Sheriff Morgan, the county's sardonic moral compass. I can't help wondering if his striking resemblance to the writer William Burroughs is deliberate. A surreal, occult tale-spinner with a gun fetish seems like a good role model for the lawmaker of Conover County.
What I most enjoy about this book is the subtlety and humour with which the creature-feature is played out; like a good B-movie, it's a vehicle for experimenting with genres rather than going for the obvious. The forbidden book and its horrors are familiar from Lovecraft, but I also saw echoes of the quieter, creepier American Gothic of Ray Bradbury, as well as films like 'Tremors' and 'Near Dark.' And Fiona Staples' art perfectly suits this story. Full of contrasts, her linework is harsh and graceful at the same time, with a watercolour look that's almost soulful, even when she's drawing all-out gore. Fantastic.
