LAMENTATION #1 sets the stage for a great horror comic

Oni Press recently sent me a review copy of their upcoming comic I lament. Written by Cullen Bunn with rising star art Arjuna Plumini, the dark story follows a group of actors who stage the play Razide’s Lament. After months of grueling rehearsals with a script that seems to be ever-changing, the lead actress finds herself with the lead role without even an audition. I really enjoyed it, and I’m excited to read more of this story.

The art is so good for the tone of this story. I really like the way elements of the gothic aesthetic are woven into the sets and costumes. When we see longer scenes from the show, the costumes and sets are transformed so it looks like they’re actually there, which is pretty awesome. It makes for impactful appearances by the mysterious Razide, but perhaps adds more to when he’s not there. The general look of the theater reminds me The Phantom of the Opera in all the best ways.

The story itself is intriguing. I won’t go into too much detail as I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone. I will say that we will definitely become strong King in Yellow themes. If you’re not familiar with the Lovcraftian Old Gods, the King in Yellow is associated with Carcosa and the theatre. We knew getting into that cosmic horror would be one of many elements and it’s clear from this first issue that we should expect a lot. I like that this first issue doesn’t take forever to establish that it’s the horror of the supernatural variety. It doesn’t feel like a rushed staging though, it takes enough time to hook you into the mystery without over-or-under-explaining everything.

Overall, I really enjoyed this comic. There’s really not much more to say about a single first issue, but if you’re into horror, I think you should definitely check it out when it comes out on May 3rd. I’d give it a 9/10 for having such a great start.