Spoogue, vol. 1, by Olivier Milhiet 7.75

I’ve had this comic book for what seems to me to be a looong time. Heck, I don’t even remember when and how I got it. Was it a gift from a friend of mine? Or did I buy it from library’s bookstore and forget about it? Funny how that happens…

Anyway, I was digging through my pile of books for something to read a few weeks ago, and this one stood out: not only does it have a unique main character in Spoogue, our larvae-headed grave-digger, but the world Milhiet created is an eye-popping mix of medieval and fantasy.

I’m not a big fan of fantasy fiction, but I quite liked the style that this book is rendered in. Milhiet has a few minor limitations skill-wise, but he has such a grand vision that he makes up for it amply. I can totally see what he’s going for and I’m hoping he develops his art further – it’ll be complete eye-candy if he does.

It must be said that it is a solo endeavour, so it’s hard to knock the auteur in light of how successful he is at the many facets of his work: the story is funny, engaging and well-paced, the character designs were quite nice, the overall rendering is pretty good, the paneling is coherent and the inking/colouring amplify the pencil work.

‘Spoogue’ is quite enjoyable. Oh, it’s not my favourite book, but I am curious to know where it’ll go next. And that’s a good start for any series. Plus which, since it’s such an effortless read, it’s not a huge investment for me. I’m more than happy to spent an hour (or two!) revisiting Milhiet’s Spoogue; the payoff might be worth the time.