Russell Nohelty is one of the most constant professionals I know in the industry. He does impeccable work, but I confess I wasn’t familiar with all of it. Russell has a Kickstarter going on right now and asked why people were not checking this series out. I told him that I didn’t know much about it to tell him the truth. So he sent me copies of the book. So the least I could do was review it for him.
The Book:
Ichabod Jones: Monster Hunter
Written by: Russell Nohelty
Illustrated by Renzo Podesta
For the sake of brevity, I will only review the first three issues, as you’ll get the story right there. Ichabod Jones is about a man who hears a voice in his head. That voice claims to be God. Ichabod has been locked away in an asylum and has now found himself inside the apocalypse. It’s a hell of a premise.
Issue one is about Ichabod killing a monster. A monster that seems to be going after him. The whole issue is a chase scene, as Ichabod seeks to escape from its clutches by any means, all the while being guided by the voice in his head. I love the voice. I’m not sure that the voice is a god, a devil, a disease, or whatever, but it has a hell of a sense of humor. The way it talks to Ichabod and guides him to slay the monster is very demented and very creative. Issue one introduces this dynamic that drives him throughout the whole series.
Issue two then snaps us back to reality. Or does it? Ichabod is now being interviewed by a psychiatrist in a mental institution. Ichabod has been making progress as they seem to slowly be integrating him back into society. Ichabod turns out to be a serial killer. He then murders his roommate in the ward. All the while the voice is in his head talking.
Issue three goes back into the apocalypse. We see Ichabod saving a group of people, which the voice doesn’t want him to do. All the while this is going on the relationship between Ichabod and the evolves and the question of who and what is guiding him increases.
This is a fascinating look into two concepts. The first is the whole idea of the chosen one. Does someone come in and save us? Or are people like that just mad? The whole dynamic of the series is a fascinating self-exploration, as Ichabod very much is talking to himself. He may be mad, or he may just be right. Time will tell.
The art by Renzo Podesta has to be mentioned. When I first saw the art, I was reminded of Invader Zim. There’s this zany over-the-topness that adds to the demented world the Ichabod dwells in. Even the “normal” world (if it’s even real) has this same kind of cartoony style to it. No matter what world you are in, something seems just a little off, which adds to the mystery of what is going on. It’s Podesta that confirms just how unreliable a protagonist Ichabod is, and it’s part of the book’s charm.
I enjoyed this. It’s a fun examination of the whole concept of the chosen one. If you like Alabaster by Caitlin Kiernan, you will love this book. It explores some of the same themes but in a more whimsical way. This book is amazing. You should bid on the Kickstarter now.
The Business
The podcast officially turns Eight years old this week. My guest on my Twitch Stream is none other than the great Marissa Meyer. I’m super excited about this conversation, and you should be too. Marissa is an incredible talent, and her books are amazing. You definitely should check them out.
Beyond that, if you are a comic creator and need advertising material in the form of words, pictures, audio, or video, I’m your guy. Check it out.
And I’ll have another column next week. Either a book about a demon or a book about a Korean general. Either way, it should be fun. Stay inspired out there.
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