Getting lost in the woods in the winter is one of the worst experiences anyone can have. So many things can go wrong that it’s not for the faint of heart. Comic writer Jay Martin uses this idea to the fullest in his graphic novel “Lost Boy.”
After a skiing trip in Wyoming Jack and his father get into a car accident. With his dad dead, Jack, who is not an outdoors or strong person at all, must brave the Wyoming woods while trying to stay warm during winter and getting chased by a pack of wolves.
Martin has a way of making people feel fear for his character. The things that happen to Jack, and the fact that he’s supposed to be weak, give each scene a tension that would not exist if Jack was capable. While he’s not crying a whining like a baby, at least Jack has the foresight to understand that he needs to stay alive for his father. Also, he befriends a fawn whose mother Jack’s father killed. This can be seen as Jack is like a fawn, weak and helpless without a parent.
The artwork perfectly brings out the Wyoming wilderness in winter. The snow on the ground, the snow falling from the sky, the grey skies and the trees give the comic this feeling of, yes, this is a dangerous and cold place. You can faintly hear the icy wind blowing as Jack and the fawn walk around. The wolves are drawn not like normal wolves, but as ravenous, blood-hungry beasts whose entire purpose is to slash and rend Jack and the fawn to pieces. This does the job of creating tension in the scene and making the reader feel worried for Jack and the fawn.
“Lost Boy” is a great comic that keeps you on the edge of your seat and makes the reader want to see both Jack and the Fawn get out of the woods alive. The artwork greatly helps with creating a backdrop that’s full of danger and adds to the overall feel of the comic.
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