Collecting the first 16 issues of Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino’s excellent series, Gideon Falls: Deluxe Edition Book One is a must-read.
In his introduction to Gideon Falls: Deluxe Edition Book One, writer John Thorn is quick to compare Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino’s series to David Lynch’s iconic tv series Twin Peaks. There are certainly plenty of parallels between the two series. Lemire’s Black Barn mirrors Lynch’s Black Lodge, and — as Thorn points out — Father Fred plays a role similar to agent Dale Cooper. It would be just as easy to compare Gideon Falls to Lemire’s Sweet Tooth. But, despite any similarities to other stories, Lemire and Sorrentino have crafted a remarkably unique and enthralling comic that defies comparison or classification.
This deluxe hardcover edition collects the first 16 issues of Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino’s Gideon Falls. After working together on Green Arrow and Old Man Logan, the two reunited on this creator-owned series that blends horror, science fiction, and mystery in inventive ways. Gideon Falls tells the story of Father Fred, a pastor with a troubled past, and Norton Sinclair, a young man struggling to manage his mental health while trying to solve an unbelievable mystery. Both men live in a place called Gideon Falls but inhabit very different landscapes. While Father Fred’s Gideon Falls is a small farming town, Norton’s is a dirty, congested city. The two versions of Gideon Falls appear to be connected by a mysterious and ominous black barn that also seems to be connected to a series of brutal murders.
As Lemire’s bifurcated narratives develop and revolve around each other, he uses tropes from different genres to control the pace of the story and subvert audiences’ expectations. Gideon Falls begins as a brooding gothic horror story and eventually evolves into a fast-paced science fiction romp. But even as the pace and style of the narrative shift, Lemire maintains a consistent and clear voice that keeps the story feeling grounded even in its most outlandish moments.
Father Fred and Norton are joined by a compelling cast of characters, all of whom have their own complicated relationships with Gideon Falls and the Black Barn. Lemire does an excellent job of weaving each character’s history into the central story without spoiling anything. Every new piece of information adds to the scale of the mystery. Each character’s arc is a piece of the puzzle. In this way, Lemire juggles a complicated and multi-faceted story without losing the reader’s attention in endless exposition.
At times, Andrea Sorrentino’s mindbending art offers more insight into the nature of the Black Barn than Lemire’s writing. His pages are littered with visual clues and inventive page layouts that echo the story’s theme and structure. As different narratives collide panels can be seen bouncing off one another and forming new bizarre patterns. Some sequences resemble the chaotic notes of conspiracy theorists, while others resemble classical landscapes. Sorrentino’s art compliments Lemire’s storytelling and makes for an immersive and haunting experience.
Gideon Falls: Deluxe Edition Book One includes an excerpt from an earlier version of Norton Sinclair’s story written and drawn by Lemire as well as some of Lemire’s notes on the origins of Gideon Falls. This peek behind the curtain confirms that both Lemire and Sorrentino have spent a considerable amount of time and energy planning the world of Gideon Falls. This series is a remarkable storytelling achievement that could only have been produced by the brilliant Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino.
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