Swoon Now! Sand Castle

"None of us can leave..."

Brrr.  I've read Sand Castle (Self Made Hero) and this line gives me a chill.   It's a dark tale contrasted but the bright summer sun baring down on the clutch of characters who have found themselves together by chance on a tiny beach.  When a dead body is discovered floating in the water, followed by the realisation that everyone in the disparate group is aging very quickly we have a mystery wrapped in an enigma; so much so that it's now clear that we have strayed into the territory of science fiction.  It is the mystery of why (is this happening) and how (are they going to free themselves) that kept me feverishly turning the pages but as the uncomfortable nature of the ageing turns into an outright nightmare I found myself drawn in on a deeper level that hasn't actually left me yet.

 

The art by Blue Pills artist Frederik Peeters is excellent channelling a hint Will Eisner whilst expertly containing the potential for melodrama as the characters become hysterical.  For writer Pierre Oscar Levy it marks his debut graphic novel.