Strangehaven

Rating:
Summary: Quirky and Whimsical
Review: If you're at all interested in the comic book "Strangehaven", picking up the graphic novels is definitely the way to go. The creator, Gary Spencer Millidge, is only able to crank out the individual issues at erratic and infrequent intervals, and he's lucky if he can push out four of them a year.

Consequently, it's difficult to maintain a sense of continuity. More importantly, though, there's no critical guiding story at the core. There are many references to the possibly murderous activities of some local crypto-Masons, and mysterious cutaways to a dead woman floating serenely in a giant fishtank, but there is no central plot as such. Rather, Millidge takes time to throw the many supporting characters into the spotlight in their turn, and to develop the history of the village of Strangehaven.

In a very general way, this is like an English take on TV's "Northern Exposure", but with more of an occult flavor. That is to say, Strangehaven is, like Cicely in Alaska, a remote village peopled with engaging eccentrics who have fled (or been subconsciously summoned from) the "civilized" world. Hence, this is where you will find a man claiming to be a stranded alien astronaut, alongside a white shaman from an Amazon tribe who is self-exiled from his adoptive clan.

The art is gorgeous (although I do think it's sometimes hard to distinguish one blond female character from another). Millidge clearly pours a titanic amount of effort into creating each panel and the covers, and he uses a variety of artistic techniques and innovative layouts to bring forth very striking and memorable imagery.

For some reason, Millidge's work reminds me of Neil Gaiman's "Stardust" (both the "word" novel and the graphic novel) and Robert Holdstock's "Mythago Wood". You might want to check those out, too.

If you have the patience to let the story slowly develop in its meandering way, and if you delight in taking unexpected side treks and explorations away from the main character, you'll find "Strangehaven" very rewarding.

Rating:
Summary: I Would Move to Strangehave if I Could
Review: This is the first collection of one of the best independent comic series being published these days, which unfortunately comes out too infrequently. With its excellent dialogue, character development and almost photorealisitc black and white art, it is like a light-hearted alternative to From Hell.

Combine the Prisoner with Twin Peaks, subtract all the secret agents and a lot of the darkness and add some romance and humour and you have Strangehaven. A normal guy winds up lost and enters a little villiage in the middle of nowhere filled with eccentric characters and can't seem to find his way back to "civilization". There is a murder mystery involving a cult clearly based on the Masons which has been slowly unfolding over the years, but so far this has remained largely in the background as we get to know each of the characters and their wonderful little quirks and histories (things only really take off near the end of Volume 2).
Frankly, I would be satisfied with the series even without the mysteries thrown in given the town's interesting inhabitants and their stories. Like me, I'm sure you'll find yourself wishing you could move to Strangehaven, a village filled with the beauties and delights of scenic small-town living but without any of the boredom. However, the mystery is a nice bonus that will keep you guessing and speculating (Who is the woman in the fishtank? Is that Alan Moore lookalike really an alien? Is Strangehaven really just a small remote village?)