Mazebook #1 is a haunting, emotional story about family, mourning and hope in which a grieving father receives a call from the beyond.
In 2016, writer-artist Jeff Lemire collaborated with Dark Horse Comics to co-create the Black Hammer series that eventually won him his debut Eisner award. That partnership is back, and it returns with a graphic novel laden with grief and hope. Taking over both pen and brush duties, Lemire’s Mazebook is sure to pull at the reader’s heartstrings.
Mazebook #1 opens with a grieving father reminiscing about his daughter, only to realize the alarming fact that he cannot remember her face anymore. Will Warren is a building inspector who had lost his daughter, Wendy, at the mere age of 11, a tragic event that haunts him to this day. As an escape, he has chosen to live the life of a lonely recluse, following his mundane routine one step at a time out of a self-professed fear of change. Having no friends, he actively avoids forming a meaningful relationship with anyone. However, all that changes when he gets a call from the person he was least expecting.
Lemire’s Mazebook is a raw, emotional portrayal of a father wallowing in grief, and the grounded testimony of the character’s slow descent into depression creates a harrowing effect. Lemire places the narrative focus solely on the protagonist, Will, who is self-aware of his own plight, yet abstains from having human interactions or experiencing the different joys of life. By delving into Will’s repetitive schedule, the issue creates a claustrophobic experience for the reader. Despite that, as the story progresses, it is hard not to feel for Will’s loss and the pain he is suffering within.
This isn’t the first time Lemire has taken up art duties for his own graphic novel, having already drawn the critically acclaimed comic book Sweet Tooth, among several others. Lemire uses a free-hand technique to scribble his characters and their surroundings with rough line work, giving a ragged, gritty look to the world of Mazebook. However, nothing deepens the melancholic atmosphere of the issue more than the muted shades of a brownish-gray palette washed over the pages, giving off the aesthetic of an old watercolor painting. However, Will’s memories of his daughter are filled with brighter swathes of color, predominantly the color red, giving a stark contrast between the protagonist’s happy past and his current existence.
Mazebook #1 is a hauntingly beautiful and emotionally powerful start to a tale that captures the true essence of the human condition. The issue keeps the exposition to a minimum and sometimes forgoes dialogue or narration boxes in lieu of expressive artwork, creating calm moments of introspection. Throughout the issue, a red thread appears to connect the protagonist to the memories of his daughter, as if the real world is the maze in which he is lost and the string is his escape. Mazebook #1 is a somber story laced with pain and love that is not only for fans of Lemire’s previous works, but also a welcoming piece of art for newcomers as well.
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