The boutique-ish Blackwatch Comics, which frames their mission statement as “bringing master craftsmanship perfection back to books,” is at it again.
Blackwatch Comics is the same company that unveiled Dead Space comic artist, Christopher Shy’s gorgous coffee table-sized Soul Stealer. That book was a collaboration with Michael Easton, featured at the San Diego Comic-Con earlier this year.
Once again they are publishing Christopher Shy’s work, this time in a somewhat fictionalized telling of famed photographer Edward S. Curtis and his daughter Beth’s time in British Columbia with the Kwakiutl Indians. The new hardback graphic novel is titled The North End of the World.
Playing to Christopher Shy’s artistic strengths, playwright and screenplay writer Dave Hunsaker has written a dark and mystical tale around the controversial photographer’s time in the Pacific Northwest. The majority of The North End of the World covers Edward S. Curtis’ time filming the pseudo documentary, In the Land of the Headhunters. Shy has expertly captured the rustic feel of the last days of the old west and the surrealism of harsh living. Chief amongst the tale’s warnings is against the cavalier exploitation of ancient mysticism but, Hunsaker is adept at allowing the reader to identify with Curtis even if he isn’t terribly likeable.
After marveling over the beauty and workmanship of the Soul Stealer compilation, I am excited to see Blackwatch’s take on The North End of the World. The 228-page book will debut at the Blackwatch Comics booth 909 at the New York Comic Con. The New York Comic Con runs October 11-14, 2012.