Ex Occultus #1

“Badge of Langavat”

Writer/ Creator: Robert James Russell

Artist: Sandra Lanz

Colorist: Tim McDonley

Cover by Sandra Lanz

Warning: Contains Spoilers

Drew's Review:

This was an interesting little comic.

I'm a huge fan of noir stories, stories with morally ambiguous characters set against a bleak and desolate background. So, of course, the idea of a semi-noir story set in Scotland in 1864 is a big draw for me personally.

And yes, there is a lot to this comic. A lot that could make it a great read. But first, it's going to need a ton of work, mainly to fill in the holes in the plot and characterization.

I feel that Russell has a fine story to tell, it's just that it fails in its execution. I, as the reader, want to know more about the two lead characters, their mission, and more importantly their world. None of that is given here, and it feels almost like a trailer to a bigger film, only that film isn't coming.

Another rough edition to this is the fact that the art, while sufficient and enjoyable, doesn't help the story too much. Rather, it makes the comic even murkier. Of course, in no way am I saying that the art is bad, (I for sure couldn't draw that well!). What I am saying is that it doesn't help serve the already confusing story.

The back-up feature "The Occult Field Guide" serves as a "hole filler" in that it gives the reader more information into what happened. Yet there is no reason why that important information couldn't have been weaved into the story somehow.

I know that there's a good story in here, and an enjoyable one as well, but as a reviewer, I have to say that this is a miss. Personally, I will read another issue to see where it goes and if these problems are rectified. However, as it now stands, I cannot say that I recommend this for I feel it's an unfinished comic.

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