Pariah, Missouri

Pariah, Missouri: A Penny Dreadful Review

            Something strange is going on in Pariah, Missouri, a thriving riverboat port. Something is just a little off about the puppeteer duo that just rolled into town. Hiram Buchanan, chameleon, gambler, and spy, is on the case. He assembles a strange collection of outcasts, some of whom have talents that are not entirely natural. Supernatural, one might say.

            This is Pariah, Missouri, a graphic novel by Andres Salazar and Jose Luis Pescador. It’s a good read and the art is terrific. The color palette is simple and gives it an old-timey feel. The art is expressive and tells the story quite well.

As for the story, there seem to be a couple of holes in the explanations, as if a few panels are missing, but nothing that will throw the reader too far off track. I enjoyed the characters, and it was refreshing to see a strong presence of minorities in Pariah and in Hiram’s hand-picked team of… well, I won’t spoil it. I will say that I’m not sure why he hand-picked Nellie. Maybe he needed her local expertise? Her uncanny acquaintances? Maybe it will be explained better in the second volume. I look forward to learning more about just what is behind the normal façade of Pariah.

            I give this four gears out of five. I eagerly await the next volume. I suggest you investigate the goings-on in Pariah for yourself.

            They currently have a kickstarter going for further work. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/andresjsalazar/pariah-missouri-directors-cut-hardcover-volume-one

Your Correspondent From The Bookstore,

Penny J. Merriweather