With each new installment, Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino’s Bone Orchard Mythos gets creepier and creepier. In The Passageway and Ten Thousand Black Feathers, the two creators have combined horrific images of otherworldly monsters with intimate character-driven stories to keep fans on the edge of their seats. Lemire and Sorrentino are joined by colorist Dave Stewart and letterer Steve Wands in The Bone Orchard Mythos: Ten Thousand Black Feathers #3 — a thoughtful exploration of loneliness, adolescence, and regret punctuated by some truly terrifying surprises.
The Bone Orchard Mythos: Ten Thousand Black Feathers #3 gives readers more insight into Jack’s disappearance as Trish continues to explore her hometown. She looks back on her high school years when the two friends began to drift apart and dwells on the fateful night when Jackie disappeared. As Trish digs into her past, she realizes that the present day might be just as dangerous.
Lemire is the master of introspective, quiet horror. He focuses on Trish’s memories of Jackie and the ways their relationship changed when the two friends went to high school, and it’s easy for the reader to invest in their friendship. But as the audience becomes more and more absorbed by the grounded drama between friends, Lemire reintroduces the sinister voice in Trish’s head and the looming horror that seems to be lurking around every corner. The final grisly scene is sure to have lasting repercussions throughout the rest of the series, as Trish’s past and present collide in thrilling and unsettling ways.
Sorrentino’s haunting artwork reinforces the story’s mysterious, anxiety-inducing atmosphere. In The Bone Orchard Mythos: Ten Thousand Black Feathers #2, Sorrentino renders Trish and Jackie with striking clarity as they explore their imaginary world. But in this issue, their faces are obscured by murky shadows. As always, Sorrentino’s page designs seem to hint at the secrets lurking beneath the surface of this unnerving world. Each page stands on its own as an impressive piece of art while contributing to the overall tone of the series.
Stewart’s colors help distinguish between flashbacks and the present day. He makes subtle changes to the color palette to remind the reader which timeline the story is following. This efficient approach allows Lemire and Sorrentino to explore other angles of the world without overwhelming or alienating the audience. Wands’ lettering captures the sinister tone of the voice that continues to harass Trish. Like Sorrentino, his design choices do a lot to contribute to the mood and atmosphere of the story.
The Bone Orchard Mythos: Ten Thousand Black Feathers ends with a disturbing image that demonstrates just how much danger Trish is in without giving away anything about the mystery she’s investigating. Lemire and Sorrentino leave the reader asking a million questions and fearing each answer. This issue represents a distinct change of pace for the series and brings Trish one step closer to learning the truth about the Bone Orchard Mythos. The entire creative team has crafted yet another strong issue that’s as beautiful as it is frightening.
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