Many people spend their lives seeking truths trough collecting occult artifacts. Some find it, others think they have and others fail. For those that do find it, Brendan Cahill’s “The Harcourt Legacy” with art by Jason Federhenn and Josh Burcham is for you and the first issue is absolutely splendid.
Violet and her family are visiting her great-uncle who has just woken up from a coma. The odd thing about her great-uncle is that he’s spent his life collecting occult artifacts and now, after waking up, he says he longer needs them. He also doesn’t have any heirs, and his nephew wants to sell everything. However, he decides that Violet should be his heir.
This is a slow-moving story that may not be everyone’s cup of tea. If you’re looking for something that’s full of action, look elsewhere. This is more of a slice of life style story, well, the first issue makes it like that.
One of the things that stand out is how Cahill writes Violet. She’s obviously a goth but, unlike how many other writers write goths, she comes across as an actual human and not a walking cliché. She may start off that way, but we quickly get to know her and she’s a lot more complex than how she comes off.
One scene that may put some off is where Violet and her great-uncle bond over a record and a joint. This is one of the better stoner scenes written in any medium even if it doesn’t include nonstop laughing that we see in these scenes. Some may read this and think, “this is nonsense.†However, anyone who is a musician and has had this kind of experience will tell there is a lot more to this than the eyes can read.
The artwork is nice though nothing too spectacular. The characters look great as well as the backgrounds and the colors used make the art pop. It may come off as goofy to some, but for this story jaw-dropping and flashy art is unnecessary. There are some weird facial expressions, but that’s about the only downside to the art.
While “The Harcourt Legacy” may not be to everyone’s liking, it still offers an interesting story and a great stoner scene by the end that that is well written as well as nice art. Cahill and co. manage to keep the reader invested and wanting to know more of the story.
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