HORROR & FANTASY ILLUSTRATED: PLUM ISLAND, by Zenescope on 5/8/24, recounts the tragic events surrounding a lonely scientist and the mythical creature left in his care.
![YouTube player](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/NJfWojiVW5E/hqdefault.jpg)
Credits:
- Writer: Dave Franchini
- Artist: Allan Otero, Rodrigo Xavier
- Colorist: Leonardo Paciarotti
- Letterer: Taylor Esposito
- Cover Artist: Igor Vitorino (cover A)
- Publisher: Zenescope Entertainment
- Release Date: May 8, 2024
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $6.99
- Page Count: 51
- Format: Double-Sized Issue
Covers:
![Horror & Fantasy Illustrated: Plum Island cover A](https://comicalopinions.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/HFI_PlumIsland_cover-A-195x300.jpg)
![Horror & Fantasy Illustrated: Plum Island cover B](https://comicalopinions.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/HFI_PlumIsland_cover-B-195x300.jpg)
![Horror & Fantasy Illustrated: Plum Island cover C](https://comicalopinions.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/HFI_PlumIsland_cover-C-195x300.jpg)
![Horror & Fantasy Illustrated: Plum Island cover D](https://comicalopinions.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/HFI_PlumIsland_cover-D-195x300.jpg)
Analysis of HORROR & FANTASY ILLUSTRATED: PLUM ISLAND:
Plot Analysis:
Oh, what strange and terrible things we do for love. Dave Franchini brings readers another tale of horror, magic, and the consequences of forgetting the natural order of the world in HORROR & FANTASY ILLUSTRATED: PLUM ISLAND.
Franchini’s tale begins with a brief prologue about a group of soldiers surrounding and capturing a vicious monster composed of wood, vines, and assorted plant materials. The creature is eventually gassed and captured at the expense of several soldiers’ lives.
The creature is brought to Plum Island, a secret government research facility where strange and unusual creatures are kept for study. An entire research team is assigned to study the creature, led by Emmanuel Burton.
Years later, the team has disbanded in favor of other programs, leaving Burton as the creature’s sole caretaker and researcher. One day, the facility administrator, Claire, and her chief of security, Fleming, order Burton to shut it all down and prepare the creature for reassignment elsewhere.
Burton finds himself forced to make a difficult choice – comply with his orders or free the strange (and now beautiful) creature who has only ever shown him kindness. In the end, the man who thought he had nothing to lose learns he thought wrong.
Character Development:
Franchini digs deep to develop Burton as a mild-mannered, lonely man whose fascination with a wonder of nature grows into something more powerful and personal. Burton is pathetic in his cowardice but strangely sympathetic because he’s willing to make big moves to help something he cares about under dire circumstances.
Artwork and Presentation:
Otero and Xavier earn high marks from us for crafting a visually energetic story that mixes dramatic character acting, cool monster designs, and gruesome deaths. Their styles complement each other well, so when the artist handoffs take place, they’re barely noticeable. Further, Paciarotti deserves kudo for coloring a comic with plenty of pop when most of the artwork is, by necessity, green.
Art Samples:
![Horror & Fantasy Illustrated: Plum Island preview 1](https://comicalopinions.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/HFI_PlumIsland_page-1-195x300.jpg)
![Horror & Fantasy Illustrated: Plum Island preview 2](https://comicalopinions.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/HFI_PlumIsland_page-2-195x300.jpg)
![Horror & Fantasy Illustrated: Plum Island preview 3](https://comicalopinions.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/HFI_PlumIsland_page-3-195x300.jpg)
Pacing and Structure:
Despite the double-sized length of this issue, Franchini keeps the narrative tight, smooth, and engaging. The story doesn’t get bogged down in unnecessary exposition, leaving the art to tell part of the narrative, and the conclusion is relatively satisfying.
That said, there are one or two spots where a little background would be helpful. For example, the characters mentioned more than once that the creature will be transferred to Abby. Franchini doesn’t clarify what or where Abby is or whether or not that’s a good thing for the creature. Plus, the human “jerks” of the story come off as one-dimensional because they don’t have much time to develop.
Thematic Exploration:
Thematically, Franchini leans on the idea that “love transcends all.” If you’re looking for similar stories, Plum Island is a more gruesome take on Beauty & The Beast or the more recent The Shape Of Water (2017). However, this tale does NOT have a happy ending.
Final Thoughts:
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HORROR & FANTASY ILLUSTRATED: PLUM ISLAND serves up a love story that turns into a tragedy with drama, gruesome deaths, and heartbreak. Franchini’s script hits all the right notes to craft a double-sized issue that reads quickly and is impactful, and the art team’s visuals are excellent.
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