The Twilight Children mixes spunky kids, complicated adults, and government goons with magical realism

Any fan of Love and Rockets creator Gilbert Hernandez and of Batman, Catwoman, and New Frontier writer and artist Darwyn Cooke will be excited to read The Twilight Children, a four-issue series by Vertigo collected in this soft cover book.

The Twilight Children is set in a seaside town and the cast of characters includes his familiar mix of spunky kids and complicated adults. There are also government goons, a metaphysical siren, and mysterious, powerful orbs. People disappear, children are blinded (yet see again), and what is the deal with the glowing balls?!?

Its great to see the wonderful art of Darwyn Cooke again, but sadly he died suddenly at age 53 in May, 2016 and this may be one of his last books (reason enough to get the book). Cookes commercial art style with lively character design and simple, bold brushwork gives a more slick look than what you'd usually expect from a Gilbert Hernandez book. Dave Stewart (my favorite colorist and the best part of many Dark Horse comics!) does a spectacular job. His painterly, subtle palette and restrained use of color hold line art fits Cookes drawing perfectly. No gradient mesh or lens flare effects, just solid sponge- and dry-brush painting. The bright and colorful seaside setting is a good contrast to the darker story elements. Also included in this compilation are some nice extras, like full-page paintings between chapters and a sketchbook of characters with storyboards by Hernandez.

Warning: Some readers may feel unsatisfied with the ending. Much is left unexplained and mysteries persist. If shows like Twin Peaks piqued you, you might feel the same about this book. And, although the book looks like a colorful, mainstream comic, it is a Gilbert Hernandez story and is marked SUGGESTED FOR MATURE READERS.

The Twilight Children mixes spunky kids, complicated adults, and government goons with magical realism

The Twilight Children
by Gilbert Hernandez (author) and Darwyn Cooke (illustrator)
Vertigo
2016, 144 pages, 6.7 x 10.2 x 0.2 inches (softcover)
$10 Buy a copy on Amazon

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See sample pages from this book at Wink.