"Gideon Falls #27" Comic Review

Gideon Falls has taken us across the multiverse and through time and space. All the while, the mysterious Black Barn loomed and the frightening Laughing Man came closer and closer. Now, here we are at the final chapter of this eerie and mind-bending series. Does it stick the landing?

The short answer is...I think so. Gideon Falls is complicated. It's definitely the kind of series that will benefit from multiple read-throughs. There are times when I'm not entirely sure what's happening, yet I'm still pulled in completely. It's an interesting dynamic.

This oversized finale answers many questions and ties up quite a few loose ends. I still have questions and that's OK. Writer Jeff Lemire delivers a satisfying ending that's packed with action and all kinds of horror. The core characters are here at the end too and the journey they've been on is nothing short of incredible.

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The shining star of Gideon Falls has been and is artist Andrea Sorrentino. His work in this comic is unlike anything else on the stands today and possibly ever. You will never read a comic like this. Sorrentino twists reality itself with his artwork, bending the characters with multiple inset panels and unsettling angles that add so much to the scary elements of the book.

There are times where you'll have to turn the comic to the side or upside down as Sorrentino takes the characters from one area to the next. It gets meta at one point as we pull way back and see images of the pages themselves and the characters falling through them. I have never seen a better representation of a multiverse than in this comic.

Then there's the Laughing Man and his gigantic, frightening grin. We see what could be his final form in Gideon Falls #27. If you thought that smile was too wide before, it's nothing compared to what's in store here. Colorist Dave Stewart coats this thing in a glistening red, like it just ate its way through a giant and it's ready to swallow these characters whole. Stewart provides some great rendering to the characters, creating a gritty quality to every page.

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The Laughing Man can be heard coming. There's a sound that seems come from everywhere at once. Letterer Steve Wands populates these “Kritch” effects all over the page in an inescapable fashion. Wands adds some nice touches to one of the trippier sequences, where the images shatter into hundreds of smaller ones. The word balloons do the same, with each letter appearing in its own box. It's an awesome effect.

Gideon Falls delivers an unparalleled reading experience with its finale. There are some open questions, but they don't take anything away from this epic book. The visuals are off the charts and worth the price of admission alone. The gripping story, compelling characters, and mind-shattering horror are gravy.