A man is kidnapped from his home and taken to a secret facility, where a mysterious pale man tells him he’s in deep trouble for supposedly committing serious crimes. In fact, a fellow prisoner tells him, he — and they — “fit the profile.” For what? Is keeping your audience in the dark, as in Chuck Amadori and Ruvel Abril’s Pale Dark, about the plot the best way to draw them in? Tim and Mulele discuss.
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I have to say that I completely disagree. I have had the great fortune of reading through Pale Dark, Issue 1 for myself, and I feel you have completely missed the point.
As a lover of mystery, I found the subtle details, dark elements, and “lack” of information to be exactly what the story needs, as strange as that may sound. I’ve never read a good mystery that gave away too much information in just the first chapter, and I relate that same element to the world of comic books.
You must remember, there are many issues ahead, all which I’m sure will unveil a new piece of the puzzle and help to further fill in holes and gaps. That’s how a good storyteller does it. I personally find it to be a huge weakness on the part of any author who tries to incorporate mystery into their work yet gives away too much information up front when they’re attempting to keep people intrigued and wanting more.
Perhaps this isn’t the kind of work that will appeal to the ADD generation that thrives on instant gratification. We all know that there are a lot of people who want things up front and fast, and I can’t fault them for that. This isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea.
However, for those of us that are looking for a great, well-rounded sci-fi mystery that is well written and makes you work for the story rather than serving it to you on a platter, it’s well appreciated and a wonderful, incredible read. That’s who this comic is aimed at, and those are the people who will gravitate towards it and love it as much as I have.
I honestly feel bad for those who won’t have the patience to let this story tell itself with each new issue. In the end, it’ll be their loss. That certainly won’t stop me from enjoying it, and for those who love a good story that makes your brain think, read the first issue and I think you’ll agree with me.
That’s just my two cents.