It’s nearly impossible to be in the Star Wars and Doctor Who fandoms now and not know Cavan Scott’s writing. I loved the Tempest Runner audiobook and The Ninth Doctor comics (reviews to come), so I knew I wanted to try his original comic Dead Seas, now available as a full-collected volume. Dead Seas is a gritty, slasher horror filled with ghosts, corrupt and powerful men, and covert commentary on the industrial prison complex.
Title: Dead Seas
Author: Cavan Scott
Artist: Nick Brokenshire
Publisher: IDW
Genre: Horror Graphic Novel
Page Count: 160 pages
Release Date: Oct. 24, 2023
Synopsis:
The New York Times-bestselling author of Star Wars: The High Republic – The Rising Storm turns to comics for this gruesome graphic novel takedown of the prison industrial complex–where the ghosts are real, dangerous, and incredibly valuable.
Ghosts are real and dangerous. But they’re also valuable, their ectoplasm capable of curing countless diseases. There’s only one problem: Harvesting the wonder drug can be just as deadly.
Prisoner Gus Ortiz is willing to take the risk in return for a reduced sentence—anything to see his daughter again. All it will take is a few months at sea scraping ectoplasm off the walls of the Perdition, a floating prison containing the most vicious ghosts on Earth. Surrounded by dark waters, Gus soon realizes that angry spirits are the least of his worries.
Lock yourself away and set sail for this daring adventure by New York Times-bestselling author Cavan Scott (Star Wars: The High Republic) and fan-favorite artist Nick Brokenshire (Star Wars Adventures).
Review: Listen, I’ve read a lot of books with ghosts. Most of those books have perfectly pleasant worlds I would live in with no problem. Dead Seas is not one of those books. It is not a happy world and does not have nice ghosts. At its best moments, Dead Seas feels like a 90s slasher film. It’s unflinching, sometimes terrifying, and purposely a bit ridiculous. If you’re a fan of slasher horror films, progressive storylines, and bittersweet endings, then this is a great pick-up for your collection.
Art: For this graphic novel, Scott teamed up with artist Nick Brokenshire, also known for his work in the Star Wars universe. The colors used throughout Dead Seas captured the eerie feeling of the story while remaining colorful and, surprisingly, a bit playful. I loved how Brokenshire matched scenes and dark themes with equally dark colors and palettes. It’s effective and moody and works well in this comic. Scott and Brokenshire are the perfect comic pairing.
Final Thoughts: I really enjoyed Dead Seas and Scott’s overall vision for the story. I wish he’d had a couple more issues to fill out the story because it felt a bit rushed at the end. Altogether, I quite enjoyed the finished product and would love to see more original non-fandom content from Scott and Brokenshire in the future.
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Thanks to IDW for providing me with a review copy of this graphic novel. All the above art assets belong to them. All thoughts above are my own.
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