Tom Waltz, writer of Past Life and Silent Hill 8, let us know that the upcoming Silent Hill Past Life issue #1 will be a little late. The issue was scheduled to be released October 27, 2010, but Waltz says that the November 3rd release has been confirmed (source)
As a big fan of the Silent Hill franchise I’ve been quite disappointed with the past Silent Hill comic series. With the exception of Sinner’s Reward, the rest of the Silent Hill comics have left a sour taste in my mouth.
In the comics we see some familiar creatures and places but overall the connection to the Silent Hill franchise seems to me to be in name only. The stories are pretty superficial and the style of artwork made the plots at times very difficult follow. Seeing cheerleaders fight Pyramid Head (Paint in Black) and listening to a foul mouth Christabella (Dying Inside) certainly didn’t feel like any Silent Hill game I played and furthered my dislike for the comics in general.
Despite my overall distaste for the comics my opinion warmed slightly after reading Tom Waltz’s, Sinner’s Reward. It was really the first time I could see “Silent Hill” in comic form and it was the first real glimpse of the games I know and love.
When I learned that Waltz was returning to not only pen the 4-part Silent Hill Past Life comic but also has a hand in writing the upcoming Silent Hill 8 my interest in this comic went through the roof! I got to say after that after reading this first issue, Waltz does not disappoint! Silent Hill fans you are in for a real treat! We have a direct tie to the upcoming game and we get to see a bit of the mysterious past of Silent Hill.
Seriously, what’s not to love?
It’s 1867 and Jebediah “Hell Rider” Foster and his new bride Esther have left their home in the Dakota Territory for the town of Silent Hill. Esther has inherited her uncle Benjamin Munroe’s farm and with a baby on the way the couple hopes that the distance from Jebediah’s past as an murderous outlaw will help them start a new life with a clean slate. Unfortunately for the Fosters dark pasts and Silent Hill can have hellish results and actually obtaining that clean slate will be a lot harder then expected.
The Fosters on route towards their new life in Silent Hill.
After their arrival into town the influence of Jebediah’s dark past immediately brings forth the town’s darker side. Jebediah catches glimpses of strange creatures and people in the corners of his eyes and significant items from his dark past mysteriously appear and trigger thoughts of his criminal past. The Fosters may have only just entered Silent Hill but it’s clear the town is already gearing up to make them face the shadows of their past.
Uh oh…
In the first issue we meet a character that I believe has a direct connection to Vatra’s upcoming Silent Hill title that Waltz himself has hinted about in a number of different interviews.
The Fosters run into the friendly Howard Blackwood right outside of Silent Hill. Much to their surprise Howard, who is a black man, has the job title of Postmaster only two years after the Civil War! It seems that Silent Hill is a head of the times concerning equality which Howard attributes to the town not caring “…much ’bout what’s on the outside of folks.”
This is in no way confirmed but I’m convinced that this isn’t the first time we’ve seen Howard! Remember the mumbling postman Murphy meets during the Vatra E3 2010 trailer? I think they are one an the same and that Howard here is the mysterious character shared between the game and the comic. I say we should keep an eye on this cryptic postman him in future issues, he’s definitely more than what he seems…especially if he’s still alive after so many years in Silent Hill 8!
Menton3’s drawings are beautiful
The artwork in Past Life is the best I’ve seen front a Silent Hill comic to date! Menton3’s style really captures the mess and disturbing visuals we see in the games but without going over board like so many of the previous comics did before. I love how the characters are rendered very realistically for once! The brown/yellow/black/white color scheme really gives the comic the overall look of being an old story dug up from the past.
I think what I like most about Menton3’s artwork is that even though it can get messy at times I haven’t once felt lost while reading. This was a big problem for me with the earlier Silent Hill comics where the art style often left me confused about what was actually going on panel to panel. I also think it’s great that Menton3 doesn’t just focus on drawing the characters and spends the time to create some fascinating backdrops and environments. In my opinion it is the inclusion of real background that I consider a HUGE improvement over the previous comics. It was hard to follow many of the previous comics when the backgrounds consisted no more then splotches on the page.
Speaking of which…
Make sure to pay close attention to the details in those lovely backgrounds! It’s unknown at this point whether this has any relevance to the plot but I’ve noticed in several panels share a similar text and circular symbols hidden within the backgrounds. I can’t make out what a lot of it says but since it’s repeated from page to page it makes me wonder if it will have some significance in the future!
The consistency of the art style in Past Life is another big plus in the comic for me. The only time a significant difference is seen help show a shift in narrative. In previous comics the art style varied issue to issue just because there was a change in artists with no other real purpose.
A non headache inducing art style change seen in Past Life issue #1
So Silent Hill fans, the Silent Hill inspired comic you’ve been waiting for is finally here! If you’ve been hesitant to pick up this series the due to disappointments in the past… don’t be! The writing is top notch and the artwork is phenomenal. Past Life is gearing to be the best comic series yet so don’t miss out!
Past life Issue #1 goes on sale November 3, 2010! (source)
Big thank you goes to Tom Waltz for sending me a digital copy of Past Life #1 to review on my site. Totally made my week 🙂
This is a re-post of my HD article 🙂
http://helldescent.com/2010/10/13/character-with-past-life-and-silent-hill-8-connection-revealed/
Tom Waltz recently talked to Comic Book Resource news about the upcoming Silent Hill Past Life and a little about his role in the upcoming Silent Hill 8. I think this is the “juiciest” interview to date! Overall a bit more is revealed on the plot of the series, we get some backstory to why it’s set in 1867, learn how Tom got involved in Vatra’s Silent Hill 8 and finally got a sneak peek at some of the comic artwork!!
Full interview here: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=27818
The Story
The eponymous town has a long, storied and eerie history as established in the “Silent Hill” games, and Waltz’s latest miniseries will build off its brief prosperity as a mining town. “Silent Hill is, at this time, on the backend of a coal mining boom and we’re starting to witness what I call the de-evolution of the town,” the writer told CBR. “Many folks have started to leave the area, and we’ve already got a rift in the religious group the Order, as some of its members have split and set up a separate camp in the newly-founded and neighboring Shepherd’s Glen, with the separatists calling themselves the Sect of the Holy Way (and if you played ‘Silent Hill: Homecoming,’ you know the huge impact that has on the universe). The American Civil War has ended and the infamous Toluca Prison Camp (which housed Civil War POWs) has been converted into the ultimately equally infamous Toluca Prison.
So why did Tom decide to set his comic in Silent Hill’s past? For the fans 😀
What’s the connection between the upcoming game and the comic?
How he got involved with Silent Hill 8
Over on the Silent Hill Heaven forums Tom Waltz posted some character art from the upcoming Silent Hill Past Life!
Tom Waltz has recently become a member of our very own Silent Hill Community! And has a special message to all Silent Hill fans!
To find your closest store, simply phone 1-888-COMIC-BOOK, or go to COMICSHOPLOCATOR.COM. Tell them you want them to preorder SILENT HILL: PAST LIFE #1 through #4. Give them DIAMOND ORDER CODE AUG100356 . Preorders are actually happening now, so no time like the present to let your retailers know you want them stocking Silent Hill comics for you, otherwise you may miss the cutoff for preorders.
And, if your Retailers need more info, let them know the ad for the first issue can be found on page 155 of the August 2010 Previews Catalog.
And please know, your support is greatly, greatly appreciated by Menton and I!
Thanks!
Tom Waltz
Another Tom Waltz interview by Comicmonsters. Has a bit more info on what the comic is about including character names and synopsis!
http://www.comicmonsters.com/features-1143-Tom_Waltz_talks_Silent_Hill_Past_Life.html
Tom Waltz has agreed to a fan email interview over on the Hell Descent Forums Have a question of your own for him? Be sure to register and submit it to the thread!
Check out Destructiod’s Interview with Tom Waltz about the upcoming crossover comic!
http://www.destructoid.com/interview-tom-waltz-from-comics-to-silent-hill-8-180084.phtml
Hell Descent has found an image of the cover for the first issue of the Silent Hill 8 crossover comic. Pretty cool! I’m really excited for this what about you guys?
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