The Following Casework Review

The Following Casework

Writer/Creator: Jack Holder
Artist: Lucas Santos
Colorist: Chunlin Zhao
Letterer: Micah Myers

Review by Jim Allegro

Twitter is responsible for a series of homicides that only T. Titus Thyme can solve! The Following Casework tells the story of a god who investigates theological crimes and other mysteries. With his sidekick, a punk-elf named Bev, Thyme takes on a new god that arises out of the social media site to grant us our every wish. Can Thyme and Bev stop the mayhem caused by this new digital deity?

This self-published one-shot from Jack Holder (Demon Riders) releases on Kickstarter on October 15th. Part-urban fantasy and part-satire, the comic is set among the gentrified neighborhoods of the American city. Here, mustachioed hipsters partake of obscure alcoholic drinks while worshipping at the altar of social networking sites. The timely metaphor aims at the urban gentry who act as quasi-priests for our collective obsession with technology.

Holder is a strong enough writer to provide us with clearly-drawn characters. Thyme is aloof, if a bit clueless, as to the ways of mortals. His pompous behavior sometimes leads him to neglect the work of his exasperated partner. Bev is the one who does the actual investigating in this comic book. Thyme spends most of his time pontificating. Their repartee is a reliable source of humor throughout the story.

The artwork and coloring add to the satirical aspects of this fantasy comic. Lucas Santos is at his most enjoyable when he is drawing man buns onto demons and suspenders onto dog-headed humans. Chunlin Zhao effectively uses bright hues and textures to convey a sense of the magical in an otherwise dreary world of urban renewal and mass culture.

Verdict: Buy it.

I liked The Following Casework, and I encourage you to support self-published comic producers such as Holder.