REVIEW: ‘Blue Book,’ Issue #1

A couple on their way home from vacation spots a strange light in the night sky that seems to be following them. A young man on the beach at Conney Island sees something hanging over the water. Strange occurrences happen in this world of ours—a world that may be far stranger than we realize. At least that’s what Blue Book #1, published by Dark Horse Comics, written by James Tynion IV, Michael Avon Oeming, Klaus Janson, and Aditya Bidikar, would suggest to us.

Establishing an atmosphere is important when telling tales of strange events. Getting the reader into the right mood can greatly impact whether or not the book manages to pull the consumer into its world and the tale it is trying to engage the reader with. To this end, Blue Book #1 does a fantastic job. Tynion’s words, combined with the art of Oeming and Janson, work together to craft tales that draw the reader in. The problem is, once drawn in, there isn’t anything else left to deliver.

The primary tale follows Betty and Barney Hill as they drive home one night from a vacation. As they travel, Betty notices a particular light in the sky that is growing larger. Soon it is clear that it is following them. Tynion does a great job of crafting the couple and their interactions through their drive as Barney first denies his wife’s theories about the nature of the object, then comes to eventually see what she sees. Oeming’s choice of colors further enhances this scenario. Keeping strictly to blue, white, and black, this tale has plenty of atmosphere and tension built into it. However, ultimately, the story just ends, and the reader is left with nothing to take away from the event.

Blue Book #1‘s supporting story looks back at the Conney Island of yesteryear and the oddities it was home to. This feels less like a story and more like a side note to a high school history lesson, mostly. It does an interesting job of pulling strange history into its fiction, highlighting how close the two can be. Sad to say, the sequence regarding Thomas Eddison and an unfortunate elephant is at least based on actual events. It is an uncomfortable exposition whose grounding in facts is reinforced by Janson’s art. The style chosen looks much like an old-fashion print might, though with more detail and style than probably would’ve been possible. It helps to mimic the narrative’s blend of reality and fantasy.

Along with the weird energy both sides of Blue Book #1 deliver, the other common thread that holds the stories together is the lettering. In both tales, Bidikar’s lettering keeps the story running smoothly in a way that is easy for the reader to follow.

While Blue Book #1 accomplishes its attempt to establish tone, it never manages to do anything with it. The unsettling energy it delivers fizzles out in the end, like a Lovecraft tale where the monster never actually appears. While there are elements to this book I can appreciate, I can’t say for who it would be worth the money to purchase it.

Blue Book #1 is available now wherever comics are sold.