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A review by thisisstephenbetts
Three Shadows by Cyril Pedrosa
3.0
Beautiful, allegorical fairytale. An idyllic family of three living in the woods, become aware that there are three shadows watching them, seemingly getting closer. The father attempts to protect his family from the mysterious trio, without knowing what they want or having any idea of what they will do next.
The book is beatifully drawn, with lots of controlled scribbly lines (a little reminiscent of a slightly lighter Mattotti), but Pedrosa varies his style to good effect. Some of the pages are really stunning.
Pedrosa is an animator for Disney, and it really shows - the images are really dynamic. Sometimes the characters themselves can be a little too cartoony, the expressions a little too exaggerated. It's not unattractive, but I found it a little jarring against the rest of the art. I got used to it though. Also, I found his pacing was a little erratic - the flow didn't seem to be quite right. I may be wrong, but I think this is not uncommon in animators coming to comics. I'm not sure what causes this feeling - it'd be a good area for more thought and analysis.
In the end, the story, while pleasant and enjoyable, feels a little slight, and maybe takes a little too long in the telling (certainly, it seemed to keep going longer than necessary). I would recommend this book on the strength of its art, and I hope that Pedrosa's comics chops improve. I'll keep an eye out for his other work.
The book is beatifully drawn, with lots of controlled scribbly lines (a little reminiscent of a slightly lighter Mattotti), but Pedrosa varies his style to good effect. Some of the pages are really stunning.
Pedrosa is an animator for Disney, and it really shows - the images are really dynamic. Sometimes the characters themselves can be a little too cartoony, the expressions a little too exaggerated. It's not unattractive, but I found it a little jarring against the rest of the art. I got used to it though. Also, I found his pacing was a little erratic - the flow didn't seem to be quite right. I may be wrong, but I think this is not uncommon in animators coming to comics. I'm not sure what causes this feeling - it'd be a good area for more thought and analysis.
In the end, the story, while pleasant and enjoyable, feels a little slight, and maybe takes a little too long in the telling (certainly, it seemed to keep going longer than necessary). I would recommend this book on the strength of its art, and I hope that Pedrosa's comics chops improve. I'll keep an eye out for his other work.