The Underwater Welder Graphic Novel review.
The Underwater Welder tells an eerie tale of new life and sudden death. The narrative exposes the same deep emotional issues that we all contend with every day, but wraps them all up with an interesting, paranormal twist. The story explores dramatic themes such as child abandonment, growing up with an alcoholic father and the fragile relationship between a blue-collar husband and his homebound, pregnant wife. The story focuses on Jack, an underwater welder, who seems to be stuck in the memories of his past and unable to deal with his inevitable future. Jack and his wife are trying to deal with the pressures of being first-time, expectant parents. On top of that, the ghost of his father, who died mysteriously and unexpectedly, is seemingly haunting Jack. The ghostly apparition of Jack’s father appears to him when he is working underwater, as well as in his dreams. The dream sequences are spooky and surreal, very much like TV show The Twilight Zone. The black-and-white art is very unique and perfectly complements the suspenseful content of the story. All the tension and anxiety of the story is released with a great ending that is well worth the wait.
Special Thanks goes out to Queen City Bookstore and Artvoice newspaper.
BONUS SECTION:
I recently went to the library for some new graphic novel reading material and I was extremely entertained by The Underwater Welder by Jeff Lemire. Jeff is an award winning comic veteran. Jeff worked for DC/Vertigo comics while working on The Underwater Welder. The intro by Damon Lindelof (Lost, Star Trek, Prometheus) sets the mood by asking the question "You guys like The Twilight Zone?"...
The cover is not worn out like it looks, it is purposely printed to look distressed.
The Underwater Welder was published in 2012 by Top Shelf productions.
Included below is a brief description of the book that is printed on the back cover.
As an underwater welder on an oilrig off the coast of Nova Scotia, Jack Joseph is used to the immense pressures of deep-sea work. Nothing, however, could prepare him for the pressures of impending fatherhood. As Jack dives deeper and deeper, he seems to pull further and further away from his young wife and their unborn son. Then one night, deep in the icy solitude of the ocean floor, something unexplainable happens. Jack has a mysterious and supernatural encounter that will change the course of his life forever.
Equal parts blue-collar character study and mind-bending mystery, The Underwater Welder is a graphic novel about fathers and sons, birth and death, memory and reality, and the treasures we all bury deep below the surface.
The Underwater Welder was published by Top Shelf Productions.
www.topshelfcomix.com
