Vasilis Lolos
Oni Press
Review by Darlo
12 August 08
When two friends, Sam and Alec, steal a car from their parents (and less amazingly a pack of cigarettes) they start on their way to what could be a night on the train to hell. After their call stalls, a blinding light hits them transporting them onto a train filled with demons, monsters and unmentionables.
After being hunted down by a vicious conductor, or as I like to call him 'Baron von Darkness', Alec is thrown off the train (literally) through a nearby window. Sam, fearing Alec's death, then becomes the main character for this first book. He meets with friendly and not-so friendly monsters, including Meredith who upon realising Sam is a human shows us an extra set of teeth. Sam then links up with a shadow called Mr S, who he agrees to help find out who killed Mr S's friend, Benny, and tried to kill him also.
The artwork of The Last Call really is something else, well compared to my usual reads anyway. Characters are drawn somewhats loosely and yet still contain incredible facial expressions, particularly Sam who is looking terrified for the majority of the book. The vast majority of the monsters also keep somewhats of a human form, yet maintains that they clearly are not. Let's just say that 'surrealism' is a very bland way to describe it.
The story too for that matter. Already in the space of one book the story has changed from what I expected. To go without saying it's a fast-paced novel, but still has it's moments of tension. With this graphic novel there was no description on the back, front page, anywhere. So if you want to know what happens you'll have to buy it (or be really cheeky and read it in the shop).
I did enjoy reading The Last Call, to an extent it reminded me of 'Baccanno!', an anime that I started watching at Leeds Uni, and think like 'Baccanno!' it has so many places it could take the story. Will I be buying future books? Maybe when I get back from Japan.
