Vertigo Comics announced a few months back they were launching four new titles. They did a good job of offering something for everyone with these books by covering vampires, zombies, fairy tales, aliens, and the occult. Who couldn’t find something to like out of all those choices and subgenres? I was sent a copy of the first issue of “Dominique Laveau: Voodoo Child” and gave it a read, although I usually steer clear of things I would consider to be glorifying the use of voodoo.
In Issue #1 of “Dominique Laveau: Voodoo Child,” the title character finds herself on the run from supernatural forces who believe she had a part in the murder of the Voodoo Queen and her court. She begins having visions of the Queen and her court’s deaths and a strange man who appears to be following her.
The book has a legitimate feel of dread and darkness as poor grad student Dominique runs from one place to the next encountering all sorts of dangers and death. It takes the magical and mysterious history of New Orleans and uses it as the background for a supernatural horror tale that doesn’t let up from the very beginning. For example, it begins with Dominique running from a monster and concludes with her stumbling on a murder scene that leaves us hanging by a thread until next issue.
Writer Selwyn Seyfu Hinds penned a captivating introduction to the world of “Dominique Laveau: Voodoo Child.” It feels like he’s trying to do with voodoo what Harry Potter did with magic. Voodoo has a negative connotation when you hear about it. I haven’t seen very many movies where people who practice voodoo use it for good. I personally don’t dabble in either voodoo or magic and don’t condone it. No matter what Hinds is trying to say with the book, he definitely knows how to grab a person’s attention.
Denys Cowan penciled the issue. He’s known for his time as co-founder of Milestone Media where he served with the late Dwayne McDuffie. Cowan also worked on “The Question” comic. His artwork for this is a mix of modern realism with a 1970s gothic flare. He believes in bringing the horror to the forefront and shows it with his illustrations of decapitated bodies and grisly murder scenes. John Floyd’s inking adds a nice splash of colors that make the images jump off the page at you.
As much as I thought the story was intriguing, I have a hard time recommending someone to delve into the world of “Dominique Laveau: Voodoo Child.” Like I said earlier, I try to steer clear of anything that promotes the occult or voodoo as a tool for good. I know it’s just a story, but I have to draw the line somewhere.
For more articles by Eric Shirey, check out:
Review: ‘Saucer Country’ Issue #1
‘Vertigo Preview 2012′ Comic Book Review
American Vampire Volume 3’ Graphic Novel Review
Eric Shirey is the founder and editor of Rondo Award nominated movie and comic book news websites MovieGeekFeed.com and TheSpectralRealm.com. His work has been featured on Yahoo!, DC Comics, StarWars.com, and other national entertainment websites. Besides his three decades long obsession with everything sci-fi, horror, and fantasy related in TV and movies, Eric has what some would call an unhealthy love for comic books. This has led him to interviewing and covering legendary writers and artists in the medium like Geoff Johns, Scott Snyder, Steve Niles, Bernie Wrightson, and Howard Chaykin.
