Watersnakes – Tony Sandoval

Mila is a solitary teenager ready to put another boring summer vacation behind her until she meets Agnes, an adventurous girl who turns out to be a ghost. And not just a regular ghost, but one carrying the essence of an ancient fallen king and a mouth full of teeth that used to be his guardian warriors.

Three-time Eisner Award-nominated writer/artist Tony Sandoval presents a wondrous world of secret places and dreamlike magic hidden in the everyday corners of our sleeping imagination.

Tony Sandoval’s imagination knows no bounds! Talking octopus. Magical girls. Badass teeth warriors. Awesome stuff!

Watersnakes is completely bizarre and surreal. The artwork is really beautiful and I love the combination of innocent faces, gruesome deaths and the copious amounts of blood that goes with it. I also love the dreamlike atmosphere and how it throws me off kilter. Several times I had to ask, is this really happening?

Despite the languid looking art, the pacing is fast and the story telling is not bogged down by too much dialogue. The talky bits were concise and to the point but they also had some snappy humor. The events of the story simply happened here and now and there is little backstory. But even with all the weirdness, the plot is easy to follow. Mila and Agnes were wild, adventurous girls with a streak of crazy. Yep, shipping them!

Watersnakes is a gothic horror graphic novel that sucks you deeper as it gets creepier and creepier. When the ancient king appeared, he asked to be taken to the water while doglike monsters hunted them. The warriors prepare to fight. The battle was fierce and took a heavy toll. The fields were red with blood.

We are already dead…You can only see and feel the projection of our energy like the light from a dead star.

Hold on to your teeth!

P.S.

I received a copy of Watersnakes from  Diamond Book Distributors  via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits

Soundtrack: On+Off
Artist: Maggie Rogers
Album: Now That the Light is Fading