Coffin Hill #2 Review: Sins of the Past

by Daren Taveras
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Eve Coffin’s past mistakes rise to the surface as the story unfolds in Coffin Hill #2!

Coffin Hill #2

Coffin Hill #2

 

Coffin Hill #2

Coffin Hill #2

Positive:

The first release in the Coffin Hill series left readers with numerous questions, mysterious circumstances, and an overdose of blood. A few of those lingering questions are answered in Coffin Hill #2 however, it’s clear that the story may not be fully understood until the initial arc ends.

Eve Coffin’s family is wealthy, but with a dark past. She believes that she is cursed, as all the members of this family of witches seem to be. Eve had a rough past, and readers are given a taste of that in this issue. Despite its predecessor, Coffin Hill #2 is a bit more focused. There are small flashback sequences, but they’re minimal and serve their purpose either in the scene they’re featured in or in the previous issue. As a result, Coffin Hill #2 feels more streamlined and organized. We are finally getting to know Eve on a better level and it is gratifying to say the least.

Coffin Hill #2

Coffin Hill #2

Caitlin Kittredge is a writer known for her dark fantasy novels. She expressed always being interested in delving into writing a comic and dug up an unused story from her list to bring us Coffin Hill. The writing is natural and develops in a cinematic way that arguably wouldn’t be as easily translated in a novel. Kittredge maintains the same level of mystery throughout the issue but feeds the reader little snips of information as the story progresses. Eve Coffin definitely catches the attention of the reader as she is a very interesting leading lady. The discipline that Kittredge uses to give us just enough information to keep us intrigued shows that she understands story structure on a very high level and can adapt to writing outside of her comfort zone.

Inaki Miranda’s artwork takes Coffin Hill to a whole new level. Miranda is known for a number of works, most recently being the ‘Rapunzel’ arc of Fairest. He has a very unique style that involves using strong colors as well as pitch black to demonstrate a contrast that draws the reader’s eyes exactly to where Miranda wants you to. Miranda also feels welcome in a horror setting, and he capitalizes on it in Coffin Hill. Although the comic hasn’t gone into full chaos yet, Miranda uses his art style to make the few vicious moments linger long past their pages.

 

Coffin Hill #2

Coffin Hill #2

Negative:

Overall the issue delivers, albeit with a few problems. Although Kittredge is adapting to the style of comic writing as opposed to novel writing properly, it feels as though the series may read better in a graphic novel form. The issues end abruptly and they start immediately following the last events. Despite the misstep, this technique gives the series a fluid start and end; the reader will momentarily be pulled out of the experience when questioning how each issue ends.

There is a slightly questionable appearance to Eve Coffin’s right eye. At the current moment, we are to assume that Eve was shot in the stomach in the last issue. As she’s being wheeled into the operating room, doctors appear to be applying pressure to her stomach. However, after she leaves the hospital, Eve has what looks like a cut on her eye as well as a black misty background to it. Although the ‘why’ may be revealed later, readers will question why Eve’s eye looks like that every time she appears. It’s a small gripe, but one that, again, pulls the reader out of the flow of the comic.

Verdict: rating4outof54/5

Coffin Hill #2 expands on the history and future of the series in a short amount of time. The story remains as interesting as ever and the character development excels. Miranda’s artwork gets better and better with every release, and once the story reaches its bloody conclusion, he will take full advantage of his gift. Although there are a few negatives to it, Coffin Hill #2 is a solid release to the new series.

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