Whisper of the Woods is our first in a while Mad Cave Studios graphic novel. You know that this isn’t a Maverick title since it’s aimed at adults with its folk horror roots. This one just happens to go into an underused demographic, Romanian folklore.
Wait… are we dealing with more vampires?
Admittedly that was my first impression too. What with one character being named Vlad.
But my bias got a reality check. Turns out there are worse things that go bump in the night than bloodsuckers. And yet people can’t help but be drawn to them.
Whisper of the Woods: Seduction of the Innocent
The cartoonist behind this graphic novel Ennun Ana Iurov, combines their simple eye-catching art style with some horrific imagery. Through the viewpoint character Adam, readers experience just how little they understand what’s happening.
A small village on the edge of Hoia Baciu might seem like a cottagecore getaway. But there’s something sinister in the atmosphere highlighted by the scorched circles all around the ground. A church way into the horizon feels like a beacon trying to keep this wicked force away. But this does practically nothing as the villagers recount stories of the siren-like iele.
This feels like the scenes from An American Werewolf in London where a doctor struggles to make sense of a curse. Because all that these old wives tales do is lead people astray. You can’t help but empathize with Adam’s frustrations, not only is he not getting closure on his best friend’s disappearance, but he ends up getting lost along the way.
Whispers Aren’t Just Sounds
Between Iurov and the letterer Micah Myers, the woods feel alive. Every part of the forest, past and present have eyes that watch the villagers. Even the floorboards of the houses tell readers that they’re being watched by the iele. Meanwhile Myer’s black word balloons with echoing white outlines evoke the power iele have over men. They’re an echo that keep people up at night, almost hypnotizing them into an iele’s embrace.
Despite these nightmarish images, they are juxtaposed with the bright and fair looking iele. This gives these forest nymphs a impressionable presence that no reader may ever forget.
Whisper of the Woods Stays In Your Mind
This graphic novel demonstrates the enchanting power of folklore. There isn’t much to the plot other than a basic tragedy, but the artwork and presentation steal attention. Despite the dangers and warnings, readers can’t help but feel curious beyond what brought them there in the first place. Probably because once you get a feel for something like the iele, you might feel a stronger connection to something you never realized you wanted. Overall this gets 8/10.
Thanks for coming to the end and as always remember to look between the panels.