Sea of Sorrows
Rich Douek (Author) • Alex Cormack (Artist & Colorist) • Justin Birch (Letters)
Everything about the Sea of Sorrows series from IDW Publishing screams “horror”. From the title, to the covers, to the atmosphere of the first page. The nearly pitch-black cover of a bell diver seeming to struggle to rise with the bubbles around it while an open-mouthed figure looks up from far below evokes an immediate feeling of tension and fear. And I love it.
The story does take a moment to come into focus because we join it after it starts. While that may be jarring, it does do the story justice by starting you off on the back foot, trying to catch up. We meet what looks like a crew of hardened seafarers and some land-dwellers on a ship at sea in 1926. Tensions between the people are high and we find it is because the expedition they are on is funded by a notorious criminal in search of German gold from an old U-Boat sunk in the area. The crew is made up of the boat’s crew, the criminal’s crew, and one other. A German who claims to have been on the submarine before it went down.
We follow the divers who find the boat, the gold, and then something else. Something that shouldn’t be there. Fleeting images of a woman at the edges of their lights in the dark depths. Then the singing. Songs causing men to lose their faculties and to have a desire to jump off the boat. Finally, the sudden disappearances of crew members. At first, in the depths, then on the boat. All the while the German is pushing for more and more cooperation from everyone to keep going, to keep diving, to stay. What follows is an incredible take on a very old legend turned into a severe nightmare of intense proportions.
Sea of Sorrows does one thing and does it well. It keeps you unsettled and reading further. I went through all five issues of the series in one sitting before I realized it. Intense visuals and more black ink than I previously thought available keep the atmosphere full of dread. The writing is well done and gives characterization not often seen in such a short series. Do yourself the favor of checking out this series, if not just for the amazing covers but for a well-crafted story, too.
Sea Of Sorrows
Plunge headfirst into the icy waters of dread in this graphic novel of deep sea adventure with a horrific twist!
In the aftermath of the Great War, the North Atlantic is ripe for plunder by independent salvage crews. When a former naval officer hires the SS Vagabond, he leads the ship to a sunken U-boat, and a fortune in gold. Tensions mount as the crew prepares to double cross each other, but the darkness of the ocean floor holds deeper terrors than any of them have bargained for!
From the creative team behind the Bram Stoker Award-nominated horror graphic novel Road of Bones comes an all-new tale of bone-chilling terror!
You can buy Sea Of Sorrows from IDW Publishing
In September all issues of Sea Of Sorrows will be collected together HERE
A. S. MacKenzie
A. S. MacKenzie is an Atlanta based author who loves all things books, movies, games, and comics. He lives with his wife, spoiled dogs, and an unhealthy obsession with building things. He can be found building worlds in books, building plastic models, or building with wood. Check out his website at asmackenzie.com for ways to join his newsletter and read free stories. Also, he’s been known to frequent Twitter (@a_s_mackenzie) to say something vaguely interesting and Instagram (a.s.mackenzie) for food, travel, and random pics.
Great review. This series was fantastic.