Review: Farmhand #7 (Image Comics)

Farmhand #7 Takes An Unexpected Turn

Farmhand has been a fascinating, sort of biological, and slow-growing horror series so far. It’s only seven issues in, yet countless questions have been raised during the plot’s course so far.

Farmhand #7 breaks the pattern of the past few issues, giving us some backstory, some monologuing, and some answers. But of course, it also raised twice as many questions along the way, but that was probably to be expected.

Writing

Rob Guillory is the brains behind the series – and no pun intended there. He’s the one who came up with the original idea and is the one that has been writing all of these issues. He’s shown us that he can tell a plot with a slow build.

This issue was refreshing, in a way. The dialogue was much more open, with characters talking about the problems at hand rather than just pretending everything was fine. Because of that, we were given answers to some of the questions we’ve been asking in the series. Some of the answers, mind you. Not all. But it’s a start.

This issue used an interesting blend of storytelling techniques to give us the full picture. It starts with a very emotionally compelling backstory. It explained a lot about the family dynamics and how they came to be so broken.

From there, the issue jumped perspectives several times, giving us a solid idea of what was happening within the family and city. Together these pieces are starting to show us how everything works, though I still have many questions.

The issue does end in a cliffhanger, which some people love, and others hate, so take that with a grain of salt. I thought it was well done, so it won’t bother me (though it might have if it was about to go into hiatus).

Art

Like all of the other issues of Farmhand, Rob Guillory is also the lead artist for the series. And Farmhand #7 is no exception to that. He provides a distinctive style that fits his vision, and honestly, it was probably the best call. This plot requires a specific format for the art style. I honestly don’t think any other art style would also carry the plot.

Guillory has a way of blending two different forms of life – plants, and humans – in a way that looks both natural and garish. It’s fascinating and certainly adds to the horror elements of the series. There was more of that in this issue and a few other unique opportunities.

Taylor Wells did the coloring for this issue, like the others. His bold coloring complements Guillory’s art style perfectly. The colors bounce back and forth from being bold and daring to muted earth tones. The balance may seem a bit odd, but it’s perfect for the subject matter at hand.

Conclusion

Farmhand #7 took some unexpected turns for the series, but they were also badly needed. The readers can only hang on for so long without getting answers, so it was refreshing to finally get a few hints.

This issue was also shockingly emotional, which I think was also needed. It reminded us that the people at stake are just that – people. They’re flawed, broken, and hurting, but they’re still people. I’m looking forward to the next issue to find out where that cliffhanger will lead.

This review was originally written for Word of the Nerd, but has been ported over to Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks now that the site has shut down.

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