4 out of 5

Green Wake is, actually, unlike any comic I’ve ever read.  I’ve read my fair share of indie books, my fair share of weirdo stuff, and a good smattering of the norm.  Kurtis Wiebe has quickly shot up my list of favorite writers, but there’s not a defining moment in his books or a theme that I’d point to.  He’s truly just writing stories.  They are very good stories, with much personal involvement on his behalf, developed well and paced responsibly – an eye toward patience without the never-ending “is this developing into something…?” feeling that writers like, say, Jonathan Hickman give me.  And like the best stories, they entertain and yet seem to work on another level.  Whether or not you care for that level is up to you – the reading is enjoyable regardless.

Green Wake is probably the most obvious of Wiebe’s “another level” books that I’ve read thus far, if only because events here are so very surreal that something must be happening.  Green Wake is a town somehow connected to and yet separate from reality.  People show up on its shores in a boat, but once there, cannot seem to leave.  Many people are slowly turning into frogs, accompanying the tons of frogs already littering the streets.  And now there are murders happening, some committed by monsters which seem to boil up out of the ground and then disappear…

The closest to the wandering/focused narrative I’ve read is probably Peter Milligan’s Enigma, and the comparison feels sound due to the art as well – Engima was drawn by a more sketchy Duncan Fegredo, which gave it this very manic, beautiful feel.  Green Wake’s art is by Riley Rossmo and, though gorgeous, is part of why the book only makes it to 4 out of 5.  Now this is unfair – Green Wake deserves the mixture of styles Rossmo brings to the table (imagine Ben Templesmith actually concerned with paneling and allowing for word bubbles), but there are moments of action that just don’t translate as well to the sketchiness.  It reminds me, in this sense, of Archaia’s ‘The Awakening,’ which was a very promising story rendered sort of silly by the artwork in some scenes.  And Wake stumbles similarly, some interactions unclear and some dialogue a bit mixed up.  Going back to the Enigma comparison, Milligan’s main sin (or trait which has served him very well on occasion) is in lapsing into syrupy poetry here and there before trying to recover by saying, in effect, ‘i know it’s syrupy’.  Enigma wasn’t without this.  Green Wake has its moments of reflection, where a main character thinks on their past actions.  But such is the honesty in Wiebe’s style that this stays just at the level of truth it should – they feel like real thoughts, not yearning to make a point, but dipped with sadness.

The story stretches over two trade volumes, the second volume cleaning up some aspects of the story (the collected edition actually including an ‘explanation’ of Green Wake at the end, which isn’t as pompous as it may sound and was appreciated).  Some of the monster art is truly awesome, a step outside of the normal Lovecraftian / vampire creepies we’re used to seeing.

If you’re okay with a story that’s written, truly, like a book (setup, characters, an evolving story) but with the mindset of writing for a visual medium, plus this mixture of surrealism, horror, mystery…  Green Wake is up your alley.  But it’s one of those books that doesn’t take long to read and so can be lent to anyone.  It should grab their eye.