The Plot #5: Choosing Vanity Over a Funeral Pyre

The Blaine family history emerges from the dark and into the light with The Plot #5, providing crucial context to the story while never forgetting to deliver unwavering tension and plenty of horror.

After a bit of a break after the release of the fourth issue and arguably close to the first arc, The Plot #5 begins to build on the mystery at the heart of the terror in some magnificent ways. I’ve heaped plenty of praise on this series thus far, but taking the story back to the year 1674 is a decision that is both surprising and simply brilliant. It does wonders to add depth to the narrative finding weight in history.

When the series first began, it was easy to see a haunted house as a legacy of the Blaine family history, but as the mystery began to unravel it grew into something much more akin to a family curse. A curse that was much older than Chase his father or even his father before him. In The Plot #5, within this exploration of Chase’s ancestors we find more than just context though, we also find answers. The appearance of Lovecraftian inspired demons and the prominence of the act of drowning all come to clarity with this issue, pushing the story forward remarkably well by looking back in time. It’s one of the best examples of this type of storytelling, similar to flashbacks, that I’ve seen in a very long time.

The freedom to do such a jump in the timeline can really only come from such remarkable artwork. Maintaining a consistent aesthetic, keeping such dreadful tension and still pulling off a believable atmosphere in 1674 is a balancing act that is difficult to pull off. However, Hixson, Michael Russell and Campbell all come together to execute a comic that is downright beautiful. It sucks you into the story from the first panel, working in tandem with the quickly developing scripting and creates a pace that both adds to the horror and emphasizes the importance of what transpires.

The Plot is a near-perfect representation of what horror in comics can be. Issue #5 takes the series in an intriguing new direction, setting up a future that once again feels poised to just get better and better. After five issues, the story still holds such exciting potential and after seeing the results of what’s been accomplished so far, it’s safe to say this is still probably my favorite horror comic out today.