The Silver Coin, Volume 1

by Chip Zdarsky, Jeff Lemire, Kelly Thompson, and Ed Brisson

[Quirky Cat]

Summary:

It all starts with a strange coin. At first, it may seem like your luck has suddenly turned for the better. But the longer you use the coin, the higher the stakes get. This coin is deeply wrong, and it demands a heavy price.

The coin has fallen into many hands over the years. A rock band down on its luck, a bullied camper, a desperate woman, you name it. Where did the coin come from, and why does it carry such a curse?

Writing:

Once again, behind on the times, I'm trying to catch up on all the series I've missed out on. One such series is The Silver Coin, a horror anthology created by several of my favorite comic writers and authors. A big no-brainer for why I needed to read it!

The Silver Coin Vol. 1 is divided into five distinct stories, yet they all share one theme—the curse of the coin. Because of this, I'll try to break down each issue. The Silver Coin #1 does a fantastic job of explaining the world and the stakes. It's dark, foreboding, and hits hard as it should. We don't know much about the band, but honestly? You don't really need to. Their emotions read clearly through the page, and that's enough.

The Silver Coin #2 follows a young girl at summer camp. As with many new campers, her adventure is a trial as she quickly becomes the camp's target. Unfortunately, her story doesn't end well, thanks to the coin. This one got dark, possibly because the girl never really gets to leave the victim stage in her story. However, it's befitting of the world, as the coin clearly doesn't care.

Next is The Silver Coin #3, which starts after the action. A group of kids (young adults?) were breaking into a house when…things went wrong. What follows feels like the coin's version of Final Destination.

Finally, The Silver Coin #4 and #5 both look into the past. These stories explain how the coin came to be. More accurately, they tell the story of how the coin got cursed and why the initial targets deserved the price they paid. It's a great foundation for the world, and I actually really love that it followed the three previous stories.

Art:

Michael Walsh and Gavin Fullerton were the artists behind all of The Silver Coin Vol. 1, and I loved their take on this world. First, the unified art style brought the different stories together, making it clear they’re all from the same world.

Second, the art is delightfully dark and gory. Some gore is to be expected, given that it’s a horror novel. They struck the perfect balance: enough to make the violence unavoidable but not so much that it is distracting.

Finally, I love the colors. Using heavy black backgrounds allows certain colors and implied emotions to pop through. It gives the world a unique look, letting the story come to life.

Highlights:
Horror Fantasy
Anthology
Supernatural
Good vs Bad Luck

Trigger Warnings:
Death & Gore

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