Limbo TPB #1
Image Comics
Writer: Dan Watters
Artist: Caspar Wijngaard
Colorist: Caspar Wijngaard
Letters: Jim Campbell
Review by Insha Fitzpatrick
Let me just tell you something straight off the bat. I was absolutely blown away by Limbo.
Cover by: Caspar WijngaardLimbo is everything you want from a comic, especially a neon-noir comic. It’s fresh, it’s bold, it’s absolutely exciting. It’s a comic that screams to be read and if you haven’t yet, you don’t know what you’re missing.
This neon-noir miniseries turned its focus on a P.I named Clay. A man with no memory of his past and probably feels no luck for his future. He’s joined by, what seems to be his only friend, Sandy, who has dug him from the gutter and fixed him up with a brand new life. When Clay gains a new client in the beautiful, yet mysterious Bridgette, Clay finds himself entitled in a world of television madness, video tapes, mixtapes personalized to gods and the magical, mystical world of Dedande City.
Again, there are very few comics that make me stop in my tracks. Limbo is one of them. The comic created by Dan Watters and Caspar Wijngaard is so fresh, new and important to comics. It feels like an old story created in such a way that just makes you crave more. Not only does the Dan Watter’s script entice you, but the characters they write completely keep you in their grips. From the voodoo gods to major characters, Limbo has every character you need to make this the best noir possible. A P.I looking for his memories of what he’s done before the story begins, a beautiful woman who asks for his protection, a drug lord who has terrorized a city and a awesome woman who makes mixtapes for her gods. If there was a character that was the breakout star of Limbo, it has to be Sandy. One of my favorite parts is when she explains what makes a good mixtapes. It goes back to the 80s fully. You have to make the right mix, with the right songs, in the right order and with precision and skill.
The backdrop to this comic is Dia de Muertos, the Mexican holiday also known as, Day of the Dead. It blends this culture, with a little mix of New Orleans lore, so well within the story and you find yourself wanting to learn more about it as read panel to panel.
I don’t think I have enough page room to talk about how fond I am with Caspar Wijngaard’s art and colors so I’ll try to keep it insanely brief. The reason I picked this up at first was for the art at first. Caspar does something wonderful with his skills and in this book, he not only does the art, but he colors and designs the book as well. He brings his skills to the for front and makes this completely his own and something you haven’t seen before. The transition from panel to panel in some of the pages are absolutely beautiful. One magically thing he does is make design the panel transitions along with the static of the television of the tape cords. Neon-noir is a highly correct description of what his colors are. This story is oozing in rich green, purple, red, etc, to give you the feel that this is truly a world of limbo. They catch your eye immediately and drown you into this world. It reminds me of the essence of the Sin City noir mixed with with colors of a Nicolas Winding Refn movie. It holds you tight and never lets go. It’s absolutely brilliant.
Verdict:
BUY IT. Limbo creates a world that kinda blends away all cultures and creeds, especially in the colors. It gives you a sense that this kind of setting can be anywhere, these people can be anyone, you can step into this world with ease and it’s
