The United States is full of stories. Some stories are darker than most. That is the hook for a new comic called “Texarcanum” by Christopher Monfette with artists Miguel Martos and Patricio Delpeche.
In the town of Texarkana, Avery Belle is responsible for keeping any supernatural creatures under control. Fortunately, Texarkana is experiencing what appears to be plagues of biblical proportions and Belle can handle. That is, if he remembers what any of his belongings are and how they work.
“Texarcanum” is one of those “throw everything at the wall and see what sticks” stories. Within the first issue, there are at least two different monsters, a possessed trailer, people levitating and a plague of locusts. While everything around Belle is serious, Belle comes across as more laid back than anything else. He knows that there is danger, but everything from him forgetting to label his items to taking down a monster with ease and the laid-back narration gives a sort of tonal shift that some may not be comfortable with. That’s not to say the story is trash; it’s more decent to the point of being mildly entertaining.
The art has some nice touches to it. The monster designs are gory, the panel with Belle lassoing a possessed trailer (yes) looks both amazing and comical and anything supernatural looks fine. The character designs are forgettable at best. The color used for scenes whenever something supernatural happens looks great and is probably the highlight of the art.
The first issue of “Texarcanum” may have anything groundbreaking and is an everything but the kitchen sink story, but it is a mildly enjoyable one. The main lead may not have much to him or the plot, but the art has a lot going for it. From the monster designs to how the colors are used, “Texarcanum” is more of a visual feast than a literary one.
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