Tuesday, August 20, 2024

The First Issue of, "Paranoid Gardens," is Surreal and Eerie

Gerard Way is the writer behind a number of comics, the most famous probably being his wild, "The Umbrella Academy." Chris Weston has worked on a ton of comics too, having been part of my absolute favorite graphic novel tale, "The Filth." That's a winning combination if there ever were one, so I was eager to pick up the debut issue of their new Dark Horse series together, "Paranoid Gardens." I would be remiss if I didn't mention Shaun Simon is also involved in the scripting with everyone giving us a stellar debut!

Set in a nursing home/care center (or is it more of a prison) known as Paradise Gardens, it is full of odd creatures/aliens, it has helpful staff (or are they stuck there too?), and the strange building everyone lives in might be alive. Much of the series follows a young woman named Loo who seems normal but clearly has her own stuff going on as well. Between a cult dedicated to a theme park, a freaked-out superhero, strange aliens, and the most boring ventriloquist show in the common room possible, a lot is going on and much of it carries a weird foreboding vibe. 

This extraterrestrial ER/retirement home/whatever it is looks amazing thanks to Chris Weston, who honestly deserves to be on a metaphorical Mount Rushmore of best comic artists ever. Thanks to him, Paradise Gardens is astounding to witness. Gerard Way and Shaun Simon give us a plot that mixes humorous and freaky tones with ease and Weston excels as always. I loved this first issue of, "Paranoid Gardens," and can't wait to read more and see just how crazy everything gets.

5 out of 5 Stars.

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