Or maybe to justify the book’s “adult” label – just in case the blood, gore, and weighty themes weren’t enough. Tretyakova (our flaxen-haired maiden above) is drawn naked in many scenes, for absolutely no reason except that she’s Russian and female and therefore must be sexualized. After a while, seeing all of this sameness slows down the visual experience, and I felt my interest in reading wane at several points. Most panels are still shots of characters standing around, talking head shots, scenery, or profiles. Bilal doesn’t experiment much with space, and that’s perfectly fine. (At first, I thought this was playing to the stereotype that “Russians” are always stoic, but no – this is apparently a hallmark of Bilal’s style.) The faces seem “samey” as well – though it’s clear they belong to different characters (thanks in no small part to hairstyles), they all look old, gaunt, and pockmarked. Characters maintain the same stony expression throughout the entire story. Everything is blanketed in a grimy gray, with the exception of flashbacks.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |