If you’ve ever wondered what might happen if you took Tintin, threw it into a Wes Anderson movie, and then sent the whole thing on the road to Hell in a horror story the result might just look and feel a little bit like The Seasons #1. Written by Rick Remender with art by Paul Azaceta and colors from Matheus Lopes The Seasons #1 is a mystery, a horror story, and an adventure all wrapped up in one with threads of each woven from page to page. It’s like nothing else in comics right now and while the complex story and visually storytelling requires a careful read and a little bit of patience, the payoff in the final pages is chillingly worth it — and worth going along for the rest of the ride.
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The Seasons begins with a mystery. A thriving city, Neocairo, has mysteriously fallen silent. A news report from Autumn Seasons in 1924 reveals that more than 4 million people have just mysteriously gone silent. The airport isn’t communicating with planes, the boats and ferries aren’t running, no one is coming or going, and it’s as though the city’s inhabitants have vanished. However, across the opening pages, readers can see that is clearly not the case as there are still people in Neocairo though they all appear to be transfixed by some sort of hand mirrors. The only signs of life belong to a dog and an unsettling group of clowns who dismiss the dog’s barking to depart — they’re “needed” elsewhere.
With no additional explanation, readers are then whisked off to New Gaulia where Spring Seasons is chasing the wind — literally — in an attempt to get her hands on a letter from her sister that has gotten away from her. It’s a zany, at times comical romp through the city with Spring disrupting the charming daily lives of just about everyone she encounters. But while Spring gets her letter, all is not well. It’s revealed that Autumn has stumbled across something sinister and the letter is a warning for Spring to get her sisters and get out of town but readers quickly learn that the threat Autumn is warning about may well already be there — and Spring has already encountered it.
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The Seasons #1 is a very enjoyable read. The opening, with the mystery of Neocairo, sets an unsettling tone without giving too much away and makes the shift to Spring’s letter-chasing adventure both tonally and visually jarring. It’s a sharp pace adjustment that makes the Neocairo mystery all the more intriguing while also propelling the reader forward, laying the groundwork of wondering how everything connects. The issue particularly excels in showing more than it tells, giving readers a solid grasp of Spring’s personality right out of the gate, while not putting her in any particular box, which is especially useful as we get to the end and we realize that the threat is already there. This works beautifully in contrast with what little we learn about Autumn in another vignette, making things even more compelling.
But while the writing here is strong it is the art and color that genuinely the star/ The devastated Neocairo has its own almost shaggy foreboding while New Gaulia has a sort of candy-colored vintage French nostalgia to it that is charming and almost more unsettling/ The real standout, however, is the mysterious clown. If you have a fear of clowns, this issue is only going to exacerbate it, but it’s a chilling twist in all the right ways/
The bottom line is there is nothing quite like The Seasons. A story of layers and mystery that blends genre both visually and narratively, this is a very well-crafted first issue and while Remender can sometimes take a high concept and fly a little too close to the sun to fully pull it off, the wings built with this issue feel sturdy thanks to careful characterization and incredible art. It’s a fantastic kick off for something that feels truly special.
Published by Image Comics
On January 29, 2025
Written by Rick Remender
Art by Paul Azaceta
Colors by Matheus Lopes
Letters by Rus Wooton
