Bog Bodies Review
I didn’t know what to expect when I first saw Bog Bodies, other than the cover art is really awesome. Based on that cover, I went into the story expecting a zombie-filled read but was pleasantly greeted with a crime story of regret and guilt.
The story follows an Irish gangster as he flees for his life after botching a job. While on the lam, he meets an injured woman lost in the Dublin mountains. Together, they must survive the bog that’s been used as a burial site for horrible murders throughout Ireland’s history all while evading their deadly pursuers.
Shalvey has crafted an intriguing plot and expertly develops each character’s personalities through their speech patterns and interactions with one another. The conversations between each character feels natural and believable. I found myself drawn to each character for different reasons, even the antagonists of the story are of the love to hate variety. Neev stood out the most to me and her lines add well-executed humor to the book that lightens the tension of the plot.
Gavin Fullerton and Rebecca Nalty make for a great team and were the right choice for this book. The art is superb, especially in terms of lighting and coloring. The ambiance and theme are driven home through their choice in color palette and line work. The setting, primarily the bog and forest, are a significant portion of the story and Fullerton and Nalty work wonders in amplifying that importance, from their use of shadows and light to the scale of panels where the characters are dwarfed or engulfed by their setting. Along with the tone of the book, their scaling with Cowles lettering add to the volumes each character has when speaking at different portions of the book.
I cannot praise the art in this book enough, the whole team coordinates to deliver an emotionally charged tale. Bog Bodies is an incredible read that you should definitely pick up if you’re a fan of crime stories.
The story follows an Irish gangster as he flees for his life after botching a job. While on the lam, he meets an injured woman lost in the Dublin mountains. Together, they must survive the bog that’s been used as a burial site for horrible murders throughout Ireland’s history all while evading their deadly pursuers.
Shalvey has crafted an intriguing plot and expertly develops each character’s personalities through their speech patterns and interactions with one another. The conversations between each character feels natural and believable. I found myself drawn to each character for different reasons, even the antagonists of the story are of the love to hate variety. Neev stood out the most to me and her lines add well-executed humor to the book that lightens the tension of the plot.
Gavin Fullerton and Rebecca Nalty make for a great team and were the right choice for this book. The art is superb, especially in terms of lighting and coloring. The ambiance and theme are driven home through their choice in color palette and line work. The setting, primarily the bog and forest, are a significant portion of the story and Fullerton and Nalty work wonders in amplifying that importance, from their use of shadows and light to the scale of panels where the characters are dwarfed or engulfed by their setting. Along with the tone of the book, their scaling with Cowles lettering add to the volumes each character has when speaking at different portions of the book.
I cannot praise the art in this book enough, the whole team coordinates to deliver an emotionally charged tale. Bog Bodies is an incredible read that you should definitely pick up if you’re a fan of crime stories.
A Look Inside
