Quicksand #1-5, Review

Are you looking for a comic series featuring horrific creatures, badass soldiers and a whole lot of action? Quicksand by Jonathan Hendric, with art by Debora Lancianese, could be the comic for you.

Quicksand #1-5 are published by Scout Comics. It's about a swarm of monsters that climb out of a bottomless pit in Egypt to tear through anything that gets in their way. They retreat as quickly as they arrive, leaving the planet in shock. A team of elite specialists called "Canary One" are sent into the pit to take the attack to the monsters and discover more. However, they don't return, and the world must prepare for another attack.

Let's start with the art. Debora Lancianese draws with Sunil Ghegre colouring. Together, they produce a horrifyingly beautiful comic. The creature designs are incredible, which they needed to be in a story like this. They are large and nasty in all the right ways. These monsters are depicted as huge, menacing, and repulsive in all the right ways, with just enough detail to make them appear like they could be real. There are some nasty horror elements, too, that are incredibly well done - someone's face melting off shouldn't look that good. And talking of faces, they're always a key part, and Lancianese nails it with a wide range of emotions that doesn't leave you thinking that there's something off about the face.

The use of vibrant colours by Sunhil Ghagre in this comic series is quite surprising. It would have been easy to go for a darker look, but the bold choice of using vibrant colours pays off. Even in underground scenes, there are a few dark backgrounds, but everything is clear and visible. While there are moments where the horror aspect is lost because you can clearly see everything, the overall impact of the vibrant colouring makes the comic engaging and less horror-esque, which serves the majority of the comic well.

Cristian Docolomansky is responsible for the lettering in the comic, and he does an excellent job of making it clear and easy to read. Occasionally, a word is highlighted in a different colour and pops out of the speech bubble for emphasis, which is a nice touch. In the final issue, we see some impressive use of different colours for a specific character. However, in one double-page spread in the final chapter, the text is not as legible as it could be, and using a text box would have been helpful. Apart from that particular spread, the lettering is brilliant throughout the comic.

As for the story, Jonathan Hendric has a lot to pack into just five issues and does a terrific job at conveying everything you need to know. There's the occasional flashback page, pages of pure horror before cutting back to a calmer area, characters who are emotionally invested in the problem and characters that are assholes and just want to kill monsters. The plot is straightforward, and the storytelling comes at you hard and fast, allowing you to sit back, relax and enjoy where it takes you. The characters are well-developed, with some you want to see live and some you can't wait to see getting what they deserve.

Overall, Quicksand is a great series. With its fast-paced action and satisfying moments, it's sure to capture your attention. The incredible designs of the monsters will leave you wanting more of them, but you don't need more. Set across all five issues, I'd say you get just the right amount of them to show that they are not just a threat but would be absolutely nightmarish if they were real. And you generally get the answers you want come the end, which is always nice. You might not get all the answers, but a bit of mystery is good. It's a series that makes me want to seek out more from the creators involved, which is exactly what I'm going to do!

If you're a fan of sci-fi, monsters, good storytelling, and perhaps even a bit of horror, I highly recommend checking out this series. It ticks all the boxes to be a great read. Although it could have been spread across twice the number of issues, the series works well as just five issues and delivers on many fronts. If you want to check it out (and you really should), you can purchase physical and digital copies over at scoutcomics.com, along with some nice additional things like shirts and mugs to really show your love for the series.

Rating: 4.5/5