Review - Go Home #1 (@ALTERNACOMICS)

"Because this is war. And things will never be the same again."

War is a hellish creation that brings out the best and worst in people. Most wars are fought over ideological guidelines and they typically bring with them an abundance of time in assessing one's own morality. Husk in Go Home #1 from Alterna Comics does just that. The issue is written by Dan Hill and illustrated by Andrew Herbst.

The story follows a young sailor, Husk, during WW2 as he washes up on a secluded Pacific island after his ship is torpedoed.

The premise behind Go Home #1 is simple enough, yet Hill manages to wring plenty of emotion from it. Husk is a WW2 sailor forced into war and Hill gives him plenty of reason to doubt just about everything around him as a result. The plot moves in a pretty believable fashion for a young man--shipwrecked--as he struggles to reconcile his morality with survival. Hill's pace in the issue is pretty brisk and he moves Husk through various scenarios rather quickly. Hill wants to convey to the reader that events in war happen at an almost imperceptible speed that doesn't really leave one much time to fully absorb what's going on.

Herbst echoes Hill's sentiments of war with a black and white style that borders on eerie. There's definitely a cartoonish aspect to the artwork that keeps it grounded, but Herbst does a great job of emphasizing the range of emotions Husk experiences. Heavy cross-hatching and shading add further intrigue to the work and gives the book a very ominous feel. Many of the pages feature panels that sit atop a broader, full-page spread that give them more emphasis. The images of war juxtaposed with images of peace give Herbst plenty of latitude in terms of rendering both sides.

Go Home #1 is a book rife with introspection. Husk is contending with an enemy he doesn't understand in both other soldiers and himself. Hill provides a very flawed character struggling to make sense of everything happening around him. Herbst illustrates the book with an emphasis on emotion and morality. Go Home #1 is an interesting book that allows the reader to question what's right when everything's wrong.

Go Home #1 is available November 24.