Book Review: In The Pines; Erik Kriek.

My first read of the year, and it wasn't even one I'd planned to read! But while it wasn't according to plan, I'm glad for this read. I've enjoyed introducing myself to more graphic novels, namely because I like art so much, and these were based on 'murder ballads' which is a genre of music I'd probably never have listened to had this book not come into my life.

SOURCE: Netgalley
TYPE: E-Read

TITLE: In The Pines
AUTHOR: Erik Kriek
SERIES: --
PUBLISHER: Fantagraphics
PAGES: 136
GENRE: Graphic Novel, Crime, Mystery, Short Stories

RATING: 3.5/5 Stars

Blurb:
A collection of murder ballads — some of which have been covered by modern masters like Nick Cave, Steve Earle, and Gillian Welch — that have been adapted into ruthless graphic narratives.




What I Liked:

• The stories were really dark and cool. I'm a big fan of legends and these were a different kind, less supernatural but intriguing just the same. My favourite stories were 'Where The Wild Roses Go' because of the nod to a badass cowgirl, or 'Long, Black Veil' because of the twist at the end.
• The art style suited the stories well. I didn't love it, but I liked the colour schemes a lot and they were perfect contextually.Considering that this was a solo project from Kriek, I'm pretty impressed by the little details he added in.

What I Disliked:

• I guess I would have liked a little more padding out and excitement story wise. Plots like these are mostly about building atmosphere I know, but some of them felt a little drawn out without much going on. 'Taneytown' was my least favourite story because of this.

Overall Conclusion:

These were a great collection. They certainly hooked me enough to make me abandon my original reading plans in favour of them. That being said, I would have liked to see a few panels more devoted to plot development. The art impressed me though I wasn't totally blown away and the book managed to introduce me to a new genre of music too!