A chance meeting of two grief-stricken social outcasts leads to a healing journey and hope for a new future. Cathy Malkasian’s latest graphic novel deals with heavy themes including despair and isolation, and is rendered in subdued, gloomy earth tones, and yet is crafted with such masterful skill that the end result is positively uplifting.
Buy Shadows of the SeaWe’re first introduced to Stanwick, a feeble anthropomorphic dog casting about for direction in the wake of a tragic and career-ending accident. When he encounters a group of thugs harassing a small but feisty woman named Doris, he attempts to help her from afar and subsequently approaches her after the scuffle. He’s seemingly mute, but Doris is very chatty, making her the de facto narrator as she attempts to guess his story and describes their joint wanderings into unknown territory.
Malkasian makes unlikely stars out of a handicapped old dog and a stout middle-aged woman commonly disparaged as a troll. Their chance meeting and subsequent joining of forces feels organic and genuine, even before we have any inkling of their sad back stories. The unlikely duo wander through an abandoned town before reaching the sea, where the weight of their emotional burdens physically manifests as shadows attempting to drag each of them into the sea.
It’s only when the accumulated grief of their shadows enters the cleansing, healing sea that we finally discover the origin of their pain. Their stories play out in visuals projected over the sea by their shadows, allowing each character to fully face their trauma, share it with their new partner, and finally start to heal. Rich in allegory and heartfelt emotion, the book is a rewarding puzzle inviting readers to explore its fascinating premise.
Malkasian’s artwork is shaded with lush, somber watercolors matching the downbeat mood of the characters, but the line work is so crisply defined that it effortlessly cuts through the gloomy hues. While most of the story transpires in the great outdoors of the countryside, the architecture of the abandoned town reveals vast scale and whimsical detail that feels akin to Jim Woodring’s fanciful approach to construction. Malkasian also pays special attention to conveying Doris’s state through her facial expressions, driving home the full extent of the character’s emotional journey. It’s an artistic tour de force that greatly enhances the already intriguing plot.
Malkasian has once again created a stunningly original and wholly involving tale. Readers are guaranteed to connect with Stanwick and Doris, making this a buoyant quest of discovery and emotional engagement.
