Review: PAKLIS #1

PAKLIS #1
Written by Dustin Weaver
Art by Dustin Weaver
Published by Image Comics
Release Date: May 31, 2017

Dustin Weaver is a one man storytelling army with his new anthology comic, Paklis, delivering a first issue that is simultaneously gripping, creepy and eyebrow raising.

If I can sum Paklis up in one sentence, it would be “Dustin Weaver’s Twilight Zone”. This anthology features 3 different, unrelated, stories that showcase Weaver’s talent as a cartoonist. Each story is unique and well crafted, and I can guarantee no other comic on the shelf this week will take you through a journey like this oversized #1 will.

The first story, Mushroom Bodies, is fucking creepy. I’ll freely admit that I hate bugs, so Weaver was attacking me with this one. The way he evokes tension and panic in this mind-bending tale is amazing. It may be the bugs thing, but I was stressed while reading this short story. That says something about Weaver’s talent, as not many comics actually raise my blood pressure.

The second story, a two pager, caught my interest. I liked that it was black and white to completely shift the tone from Mushroom Bodies, as Sagittarius A* is a complete tone change. That’s part of the fun of this anthology: Weaver has absolutely no rules holding him back. Weird psychological story? Done. Sci-fi two pager that captured my attention in just TWO PAGES? Done.

The third story, Amnia Cycle, is but the first chapter in what appears to be a sprawling sci-fi epic. If you’re familiar with Weaver’s work at Marvel, the quality of this tale will not surprise you one bit. He hooked me in with the mystery and kept my eyes boggled with his unique style of penciling & colouring, and I’ll definitely be back for more chapters of Amnia Cycle whenever they are appearing in Paklis.

Paklis #1 is one hell of a bargain. This oversized issue features a skilled creator throwing down multiple interesting entries in a truly unique anthology format that I found very exciting. Many know Weaver for his art, which is fantastic throughout this collection, but he is a storytelling force to be reckoned with. Paklis has my attention and it’s definitely worth yours, too.

The Verdict: 10/10

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