4 out of 5

I’ve gone through Tyler Landry’s Likeness several times now, trying to parse potential meanings or themes.  The story – which is mostly linear – seems to concern the travails of a young woman in a world of primitive humans and savages, in which sublimation is a means of survival.  Heady stuff for a wordless story, especially, in Tyler’s hand, told with an edge of horror, something he would flesh out for his (hopefully) ongoing Vile series.

Imagery throughout gives the tale a gender bent: that the lead dreams (possibly a flashback) of a life with a troupe of women, when her current time is spent with all men; that an attacking group of others have a rather penisy shape to them; that the girl’s escape from this group is interrupted by what might be blood dripping from between her legs…

I’m giving context to the images as I see them, but you could tell me I’m reading into it and I’d accept that.  The (positive) takeaway is that Landry is capable of committing both a story and a feeling through his panels, and the two don’t necessarily have to be related.  Which is higher-level story-telling in my mind: I can read this however I want.

Presented in a two-tone orange and black print on a six-panel grid, Landry’s art is akin to the simple but purposeful linework of guys like Sammy Harkham of Jordan Crane, but his sprinkling in of dynamic angles and action lines gives it this interesting sprinkling of a Silver Age vibe.  A fascinating micro-thriller / think-piece.