Review: Murky World (One-Shot)

Comic book story arcs are fun, but sometimes I am not in the mood to read four to six issues just to get the full story. Sometimes, all a guy needs is a simple one-shot to get you through the day. I appreciate the good old days of comics where a one shot is all you needed to tell a story. Thankfully, Murky World is just the type of comic book I was looking forward to.

Written and drawn by Richard Corben, of Heavy Metal fame, Murky World takes place in a wasteland and our hero Nugat is looking for his horse Frixx. Along his travels to find his horse he is attacked by some zombie looking monsters called Deadlings. Nugat vanquishes most of the undead pretty easily but is saved by another wanderer of the wasteland named Guno. Guno tells Nugat that his horse was taken by a group of Deadlings that are controlled by Sorgof. The two travelers then set off on a mission to rescue Nugat’s horse, only to find out that Guno's sister Bodon is also held captive by Sorgorf.

After both are rescued, the group then flees back into the wasteland. Nugat suspects that Bodon might be a Deadling, but Guno explains to Nugat that she has an enhancement and that she needs to reach Falmort to heal her sister. Nugat refuses to go to Falmort with Guno, so Guno makes a proposition to Nugat in return for his horse’s services.

Coming into the issue I was hoping for one complete story from beginning to end, but what I got in Murky World was an issue that felt more like a series of small stories instead of one major story. This made the issue a little confusing, especially upon reaching at the end of the book because there isn’t really a resolution between Nugat and Guno. The issue ends abruptly and it felt like the story needed to finish what it started between these two characters since most of the issue involved them.

The art in this book is phenomenal; I love how real each of the drawings looked. It also has an earthy and gritty feel to the art, which really made the book stay with me after I was done. You can really appreciate the style of the book when you see the characters faces up-close in the panels. I was really blown away by Corben's style, very unique and very pleasant to the eye.

Murky World is one of those books that just missed the mark. The story was just not strong enough and at times it just confused me as to whether the issue was truly a one shot or not. The art is the saving grace of the book. So if you are a fan of Mr. Corben’s art, then this issue won’t disappoint just be ready for a meh experience with the story.

Overall: 2/5

Writer: Ricard Corben
Artist: Richard Corben
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Price: $3.50

Release Date: 2/8/2012