“Hidden Springs #1” Review – A Monstrous Good Time

From writer Rob Williams (Judge Dredd, Suicide Squad) and following in the footsteps of “Iron Giant” comes “Hidden Springs”. Centering mainly on a group of formerly famous senior citizens from the Hidden Springs living home, they work together to protect a new kaiju. Will they be able to prevent the end of the world? Only time will tell!

Writer: Rob Williams
Artist: Nil Vendrell
Colorist: Berta Sastre
Letterer: Simon Bowland

Monstrously Good

Let me tell you right off the bat; if you like the movie “Iron Giant”, you’ll love this. Going into it, I went off the cover and fully expected a monster-filled horror romp. What I got was so much more than that. “Hidden Springs” is something that makes readers both feel good and excited. In more ways than one, I was reminded to not ever judge a book by its cover, as the monster itself feels very innocent and like something you instinctively want to protect.

Williams did an utterly fantastic job at crafting the beginning of this story and its characters. There were several times throughout where I’d go from keeling over in laughter to worrying about potential fates. Already, I can’t help but feel as if this story is going to make myself and other readers cry. To top it off, this first issue was very well paced and fun to read, helped in part by the humor and the variety of its characters. Not one character is similar to another, each having their own distinct looks and personalities, my personal favorites being Loretta, Tyrone and Bazza.

Springing Into the Art

Speaking of the characters having distinct looks, artist Nil Vendrell and colorist Berta Sastre worked together to make sure each character stood out. I absolutely love that they each have their own distinct physical differences that completely match their personalities. Not only that, but they stand out in my mind, much like how one can easily imagine Spider-Man or Superman! The individual character expressions are also very on point, giving everyone more relatability and personality.

I also really dug the overall design and how it sort of felt like looking at a classic monster movie poster. Whether it was intended or not, the line work, coloring and shading really come together to create something that’s absolutely fun to look at. There’s one page in particular that I love dearly, though I won’t spoil that here! If you want to see it, you’ll have to read for yourself!

Final Thoughts – 8/10

From start to finish, Williams crafted a genuinely great start to a so far light-hearted horror ride! A true page turner that’s sure to please anyone missing the era of “E.T.” to “Iron Giant.” The writing is coupled only by the great art and colors from Vendrell and Sastre!

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Comments

Are you a fan of Rob Williams’ work? Are you picking up “Hidden Springs?” Let’s discuss in the comments below!