Sweet Heart TPB Review: Great

There are plenty of things that one can inherit from a family member. Some of these include land, fortunes, pets and in some rare cases a monster that will constantly chase after you. That statement may be from out of nowhere, but comic writer Dillon Gilbertson decided that would be a great idea for a comic called “Sweet Heart” with artist Francesco Iaquinta. 

A small town has a problem with a type of monster that “chooses” its victims. It will hunt them for years just to eat them, but there is a tonic that can keep them away for only a few hours. Ben Parks, and then his daughter Maddie, is one of these “chosen,” but this type of monster will not only hunt and eat one person but will continue that trend with that person’s next generations. However, Maddie is trying to figure out a way to stop this cycle and get rid of these monsters for good. This is a great concept and Gilbertson has done a great of plotting it out. You actually want to see how this plays and how this situation ends. This family may not be anything extraordinary, but the circumstance is.

The idea behind the monsters is also a fascinating one. Gilbertson does give some background to these monsters and what their strengths are. However, there are some lingering questions such as how have these monsters not journeyed outside of town, why hasn’t anyone figure out how to fight these things and why does everyone in town seem so OK with living with these monsters. Also, you will see a lot of time go by with plenty of “ten years later” thrown in. Also, one character who is introduced as just a minor nuisance in one part of a character’s life becomes semi-important but comes off as just padding.

It wasn’t well done and that situation could’ve been better written. The artwork does a fine job of creating a horror atmosphere. The characters and backgrounds do look scary enough and give off that horror vibe. Colorist Marco Pagnotta manages to add colors that make things seem eerie. The monster designs, however, look way too basic and come off as just something to use just because a monster was needed.   

“Sweet Heart” has a great plot with some great art and storytelling but there are some shortcomings that prevent this comic reaching its highest potential. It’s not terrible, in fact it’s a great read but it’s not a masterpiece.