Don’t be fooled by the childish aspect of the comic that Norma Editorial brings us, Dulces tinieblas shows us the worst of human nature
There is a curious symbiosis between terror and childhood that only accentuates the horror. It is possible that this is due to contrast, as childhood is often idealized as a time without worries and innocence, but many people agree that a clown meant to entertain children can cause a lot of fear, like Pennywise.
The screenwriter Fabien Vehlmann and the artistic duo Kerascoët They wanted to contribute their grain of sand to this curious genre. With clear similarities to Tim Burton, Alice in Wonderland Already Gulliver’s Travels These artists give us a work that seems childish and angelic, but which will gradually show its darker side. The work has already arrived in our country via Astronaut projects with the title of Beautiful darkness. Now with the new name, Sweets Darkness, arrives in our bookstores by the hand of Editorial standard.
once upon a time
The childish-looking comic begins in a way that makes it clear that it is not for children. The body of a girl is found in the middle of the forest and small creatures begin to appear from the body as if they were characters from a children’s fairy tale. These “insects” begin to organize a society around the corpse led by Aurorathe protagonist who acts as a leader. Everything seems to be going well, it seems that everyone is collaborating, helping each other so that everything works, but as the work progresses, cruel, petty and horrible situations arise that will be impossible for any reader to turn inside out.
The story is told fantastically and very intelligently. There is almost no dialogue, leaving the reader to fill in the gaps and come to their own conclusions. And as the play is conceived, not many words are necessary, the actions of the characters speak for themselves, since we will see evil and selfish acts, but also horrible acts that arise from innocence and the most absolute irrationality.
We are faced with a work full of contrasts where Kerascoët’s art stands out. A “childish” design with soft and bright colors that goes perfectly with the design of the characters, very adorable and full of curves. An art that from the outside seems perfect for the little ones in the house, but once you open it you realize that it’s better not to even get close to the little ones, otherwise they won’t sleep that night.
The gentle darkness shows the worst of human nature. Aurora She is the absolute protagonist and it is through her eyes that we will see much of the story. We will see how a person who only wants to help others will fall into an abyss of corruption. It is up to the reader to decide whether the fall of Aurora Is it due to everything that is happening around him, or if the horrors that occur have only allowed his true nature to flourish.
Norma Editorial’s edition of Sweet Darkness
Being a comic of French origin, Norma presents us this comic in hardback format with a good quality dust jacket and a drawing by Kerascoët. As usual for the publisher, the quality of the pages is of excellent quality. With a total of 112 pages, the comic is on sale for €32.00.
Sweet Darkness is a work of contrasts. His childish appearance is nothing more than pure makeup to show us a horror story where the worst of human nature is shown. The comic is not an easy read due to its more perverse moments, but it is a unique work that deserves to be on shelves. The only downside is that, due to its appearance as a children’s story, many readers may ignore this fantastic work, thinking that we are watching a children’s comic.
Author: Fabien Vehlmann | Kerascoët
Editorial: Editorial standard
Format: Hardcover with dust jacket
Measure: 23 x 30.2 cm
Pages: 112 color pages
Price: €32.00
ISBN: 978-84-679-7171-2
Synopsis: AN UNCLASSIFIABLE FAIRY TALE AS BEAUTIFUL AND DISTURBING
A motionless girl lies in a spring field. In that same place, as if straight out of a fairy tale, a small community emerges. But the charm and sweetness they exude begin to be overshadowed by dark tides and leaky roofs, while little Aurora does everything she can to avoid it. The fantasy world collapses and the atrocious creeps to its edges, no longer able to contain such cruelty.
With clear reminiscences of Tim Burton and Alice in Wonderland, Fabien Vehlmann (The Wild God) and the artistic duo Kerascoët make us dance hypnotically to the sound of a visually angelic parable that will gradually undress until it shows us its darkest side.
