51 Serif St #1 Review

Title:	51 Serif St
Contributors:	Horatiu Radoiu
Publisher:	Self Published
Issue #:	1
Year:	2013
Pages:	54 Pages
Age Rating:	18+ (Language, Violence, Gore, Nudity, Adult Themes)
Story Grade:	B
Art Grade:	A

51 Serif St issue #1 was the first, and to date is still the only, digital comic that I have actually paid for with my own money, through Comixology and there is a reason. In one simple sentence; 51 Serif St is the definition of what a horror comic should be. This book focuses on the story, the people, and not the grotesque and the cliche to scare people like so many try to do.

This is the story of man, committed to an institution located at 51 Serif St, who believes he is in control. It is very reminiscent of Cuckoo's Nest in that both protagonists believe that spending some time in an insane institution would be easier than the alternative, prison, but they are wrong. But that is about the only similarities to Cuckoo's Nest.

As the story progresses, you learn just how deep one man can be dragged into madness. The story is told from the perspective that you are reading his diary pages so it is very narrative, and passive an passive writing is something I am not normally a fan of, but this reading experience is like getting inside the head of a man going mad as an amusement park ride, and it's one hell of a ride.

This is a dark, harrowing story, akin to "In the Mouth of Madness", "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "The Shining" meets "Rose Red". It is the little details in the books that add to the overall ambience. Like the progression from the very few misspellings of words in the beginning of the story to the increasing number of misspellings towards the end as the narrator falls deeper into the maddening hole. It is this attention to detail in the storytelling that really locks the reader in. Because on the first misspelling you begin by thinking that this is a poorly done book and that the author couldn't even use spellcheck. But as the story progresses, you realize that this supposed to be pages from a madman's diary, and spelling would likely be an issue. Subtle, but effective.

The artwork, which blends real life images overlaid with visceral haunting layers adds a certain visual quality to the reading experience that is both disturbing and enjoyable at the same time.

The artwork doesn't so much add to the storytelling as much as it lays down a visual backdrop in an effort to unsettle the reader. And it works as the art creates a haunting visual experience that truly compliments the writings contained within the pages.

For a completely indie published book, this was a completely astonishing reading experience. I graded this a solid B+. Horatiu Radoiu has truly produced a masterpiece of horror here. It is available on Comixology only and is definitely worth a look if you love horror.