Graphic Novel Review: 'Tales of the Mist', script and art by Laura Suárez

We're back to one of my favourite things, mythical tales expertly retold. I was immediately drawn to the beauty of Laura Suárez's cover for her graphic novel Tales of the Mist. Everything from the darkness the night to the expression of the woman in the middle worked together to pull me in. I'm glad to say that the rest of Tales of the Mist lives up to this cover. Thanks to Europe Comics and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Pub. Date: 20/05/2020
Publisher: Europe Comics

A small village in northern Spain in the 1930s, where light had not yet reached the roads. Timeless legends in which pre-war realism and the paranormal would come face-to-face. A way to make sense of the darkness, death and mist of a demanding land. The tales of the mist are those you were told as a child, time and time again, on rainy afternoons and winter nights. They were told to you by your grandmother, your mother or even a neighbor, so that you would behave. You don’t know if you believe them, but they are told in your village, in the neighboring one and in the whole region… so, they must be true, right?

Laura Suárez explains how her grandmother told her these tales and how she herself now wants to stop 'this obscure side of our culture from being forgotten'. Languages and legends are forgotten on a daily basis nowadays, as English continues to dominate. As a lover of folklore, I am completely with Suárez on trying to preserve what we can and I think that graphic novels are a genius way to do so. Suárez follows every tale with a short description of the legend just shown. In the tone of a campfire whisper, she shares the origin of the legend, what has been told of its creatures, and possible ways to escape. This allows Tales of the Mist to be both entertaining and informational, and also makes you a part of a tradition. Suárez continues the intimate connection of whispering about terrors in the dark, giving her culture a new way of growing through a new medium.

The collection is bookended by the tale of a little girl. We begin with her fear of lost souls, which are as real to her as anything.  The first tale that follows is 'The Santa Compaña', in which two girls walk home alone from the market only to have an encounter with said Santa Compaña, a troop of lost souls, which changes them forever. Next is 'The Air', in which a young woman visits a witch to dispel her sadness and depression, thereby revealing a haunting memory. In 'The Devil' we encounter a possession which can only be cured by kissing the statue of Saint Campio. But just because one is released doesn't mean another isn't still in the grip of the devil. Then follows 'The Vidoiro', in which the loss of his grandmother and the sighting of strange beings pushes a young boy to the brink. We then return to the little girl from the beginning, who finds solace from everything scary in the arms of her grandmother. At the end there is something of an epilogue in which Suárez gives us more information about Galicia, its houses and traditions. Each of these we have already seen in the tales and it really shows how Suárez is revitalizing her country's old traditions and tales.

Suárez's stories and art are beautiful. Although the art style might not be for everyone, I found myself utterly entranced by it. All in black-and-white, Suárez's art brilliantly captures her characters' emotions and lets scenes flow across panels. Although minimalist, it is incredibly expressive. The settings are crafted with care, detailing Galician traditions and allowing the natural creepiness of woods and dark nights to come through. Similarly, the flow of the stories is very natural and leaves enough in the dark to allow for your own mind to keep spinning. Rather than connecting with any character directly, what Tales of the Mist allows you to do is connect with the emotion behind the myths and legends and with Suárez herself. It's not hard to imagine a little girl, terrified and fascinated as she listens to her grandmother by the fireside. It's also not hard to feel the darkness of the woods or the chill of the wind, to feel the fear of the Vidoiro or the Santa Compaña. I have basically fallen in love with Suárez's art style and I think you should too.

I give this graphic novel...

5 Universes!

I absolutely adored Tales of the Mist. The art is sharp and evocative, the stories mysterious and entrancing. Any lover of folklore, the wyrd and the eerie, this is the graphic novel for you.

Find more of Laura Suárez on Instagram, Twitter and on her website!