Something Animal (Fanboy Comics)
Written By: Sam Rhodes and Bryant Dillon
Art, Photography and Design By: Robert Burrows
Original Story By: Ben Rhodes
Edited By: Barbra Dillon
In an industry where the leading publishers (DC and Marvel) need to kill off their main characters or change their identities to draw readers in, it is very refreshing to pick up and read a graphic novel that is not associated with gimmicks. Something Animal is a dark struggle of a young man, who has to come to terms with the horrifying death of the main character’s sister (her murder occurs after they left a movie theater showing Daredevil).
The story itself is told on two fronts; the physical healing of Jack Peterson as he recuperates from his wounds and the psychological healing as he deals with the gruesome death of his sister. Rhodes and Dillon don’t stop there as they add another layer to the cake, having Jack deal with the inner changes occurring within him as he has flashbacks to his sister’s death and the rapidly developing hunger for blood.
If all those plot lines and glimpses into a character’s inner turmoil isn’t enough layers to the cake, then you’ll love the icing that is the art style. I felt like I was walking back into my college art studio seeing some wonderful stories on display, using up every easel and artistic space. The dark story is complimented by this dark art with a few sparing splashes of colorful accents. It all seems to tie up nicely as the story comes to an end, even though it is really feels like it could be just the beginning. As the final page turns I can’t help but want to read more and see what Jack does with his life now that he has come to terms with what occurred, to his sister and himself.