Brynmore: A Dark Viewpoint on Family Tragic Events
New novel Brynmore from IDW Publishing by horror maestro Steve Niles examines familial pain from a sinister angle. Renowned horror writer Niles, who created masterpieces including 30 Days of Night, now teams with artist Damien Worm to bring readers Brynmore. The first problem of Brynmore sprouts fascinating secrets while exploring the dark caverns of family trauma–and sets the series to be another Niles winner.
Steve Niles exploded onto the comics mainstream in 2002 with 30 Days of Night, drawn by Ben Templesmith, after ten years of working for small companies like Eclipse Comics and touring with punk bands. Originally a screenplay, Niles chose to create a comic book when every big studio turned it down. One of the first products from the young IDW, 30 Days of Night became a word-of-mouth hit that eventually inspired a whole franchise as well as finally becoming a hit feature picture in 2007. Along with starting Templesmith's career, 30 Days of Night made a star out of Niles. With books like Criminal Macabre and Simon Dark, Niles has established himself as among the best horror writers in comics since 30 Days of Night. Now he has once more teamed with IDW to provide fans with a fresh horror vision: Brynmore.
Brynmore opens with an Eerie Beginning.
Art assistant Alyzia Zherno and letter writer Taylor Esposito join Niles and Worm for Brynmore's inaugural issue. Recovering alcoholic Mark Turner, a recently divorced man, visits his ancestral island off the coast of North Carolina. Though Mark has been gone for many years, his forefathers helped to colonize the island years ago. Mark battles to start over in this odd-yet-familiar location and runs against hostility from the islanders. He chooses to renovate a historic chapel into his house. Working one night, he finds a secret stairway going into the chapel's basement where he comes upon an enigmatic object fashioned with occult-looking patterns.
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Brynmore carries loads of cool mysteries.
The problem ends there, leaving readers guessing about what Mark found. This is only the first of the several riddles at Brynmore's center. Some Turner Island residents are unhappy to see Mark; but, why? Clearly, there has been something terrible on the island in the past that has made the people there suspicious of Mark and the Turner clan. The only buddy Mark has in the first issue notes the "Turner Curse," but Mark dismisses it as he doesn't believe in such things. Mark might be changing his views, though, following his revelation at the end of the issue.
The foundation of Brynmore is family trauma.
Although these secrets drive the narrative ahead, Brynmore's real heart is its exquisite treatment of family pain. Mark has not been home in years; for as yet unknown reasons. Clearly Mark experienced something that turned him apathetic toward his family's house. Additionally broken is Mark's own immediate family; he recently got divorced and his daughter wants nothing to do with him. The aforementioned "Turner Curse" becomes symbolic for familial trauma; how this will manifest over the book's run will make for interesting reading. Steve Niles is a master of Horror Comics, and IDW Publishing's Brynmore—which emphasizes generational trauma—looks to be another triumph for comics' maestro.
Now on sale from IDW Publishing is Brynmore #1!
