Meadowhell is the first in CD Comics’ Surreal Murder Mystery series, and comes with a warning: This story could change the way you shop forever! Set in 1990, just before the opening of Meadowhall, one of the biggest shopping centres in the UK, Meadowhell tells the story of why its opening was delayed. 3 bodies have been discovered on the site of Sheffield’s new shopping complex, and the circumstances surrounding the deaths have the local constabulary more than baffled. Enter DCI Bramley, assigned to the case from the Metropolitan police.
Another superbly written comic from Craig Daley, Meadowhell unravels like a Yorkshire based X-Files. The mysterious, gruesome demise of each of the victims is something out of the ordinary, with no plausible explanation, and while DCI Bramley delves deeper into the killings, things make less and less sense. Intentional or not, I can’t help but draw comparisons to the 90’s sci-fi TV show, be it some of the characters or the weird goings on in the soon to be opened shopping mall. And while it does share that similarity to the show, it also plays out like a typical British detective drama too, with the larger than life, and somewhat stereotypical english law enforcement. The bizarre ending is amusingly macabre, with an all too knowing mockery of subtext so blunt it would be worthy of an episode of The Scary Door! The art, once again, looks like it’s been knocked together on Paint, yet really stands out and is actually very good. There’s great detail and a sometimes vibrant colour pallet, it’s deceptively brilliant.
While Meadowhell wasn’t as entertaining as the more recent Football Crazy, it’s still a great read, with another out there conclusion. Good luck trying to second guess the outcome of this one, as with aforementioned Football Crazy, it ends in such an amusingly bizarre way that seemingly just comes from nowhere. Daley’s unique, dry wit is the highlight of his writing. He may write great stories, but when it comes to the closing pages, there’s no one else to compare. Spread across two issues, Meadowhell is a more serious fare, with a dark sense of humour, and along with the other Surreal Murder Mystery story, features the local area as an additional character of sorts. So far, CD Comics output has been nothing but a treat to read, with Meadowhell being no exception. Another cult gem.
You can find CD Comics back catalogue at the following sites, and with each issue being less than £1 each, what are you waiting for?
DriveThru Comics
CDComics at Smashwords Comics
KoboBooks
Diesel E-books
Kindle –Amazon
You can follow CD Comics on twitter, too! @CDGraphicNovels
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