Loathe as I am to admit to not being familiar with a writer’s or artist’s work, before losing myself in Downlands, I couldn’t have told you who Norm Konyu was. This is shameful as his resume is full to bursting with shows I love (which will teach me to pay far more attention to the closing credits than I previously have) and books I should have read but haven’t. And trust me, I’m going to make it my Lovecraftian mission to track down and immerse myself in A Call to Cthulhu, as given the place that Howard’s mythos hold in my heart, how or why this book slipped under my radar is beyond my ken. 

That said, it’s time to return to the matter in hand, Konyu’s addition to the four color realm, Downlands. A masterful exploration of grief and loss, and how both drive and impact the human psyche, that plunges the reader headlong into the rural superstitions, history, and folklore of middle England, and is equal parts heartbreaking, intriguing, and fascinating, Downlands is the story of a teenager trying to come to terms with the sudden death of his twin and the mystery that surrounds her passing. Normally, I’d dive slightly deeper into the plot, but doing so might spoil the impact of the multi-layered tale that is the beating heart of this book, and that’s the last thing that I’d want to do, as you need to read, experience, and doing so fall in love with Downlands for yourself.

The gradually unfolding narrative is captivating and, I suspect, for all too many of us who have lost loved ones, instantly relatable and the art that it supports is achingly beautiful, and truth be told, the former could easily be a cult classic short story, while the latter could tell the story without words, and lose an ounce of its power, and emotional weight. Downlands is a book that is proof positive that comics are a literary medium that have transcended their humble origin to become one of the most potent and imaginative storytelling mediums to have ever existed. Incredible. Absolutely incredible… Tim Cundle 

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