Ghostwriter by Rayco Pulido - GRAPHIC NOVEL REVIEW
Ghostwriter by Rayco Pulido is due out August 18, 2020.
By Kirin Xin — Hotshot detectives. Gangsters in sportscars. Guns. Booze. Dames. That’s what most people would think of when visualizing the word ‘noir,’ not a housewife-centric 1940s radio program. However, in Fantagraphics upcoming OGN, Ghostwriter by Rayco Pulido, that is the exact start of a deceptively simple mystery that creeps up on you, knife in hand.
Set in 1940s Barcelona, Ghostwriter initially presents itself in a tidy box, reminiscent of vintage modernist prints. Even before page one, Pulido showcases the striking graphic style of Ghostwriter with its simple yet rich cover art. Then inside, the brilliant use of uncolored, inked pages juxtaposed to boxy bits of text perfectly sets the tone for an old-fashioned thriller. Pulido makes good on that setup by immediately jumping into the story of Laia, a housewife troubled by the disappearance of her husband in the midst of a string of serial killings. What follows is a cast of unique characters that each contribute their own role to the mystery. However, as we quickly learn in this cat-and-mouse style comic, no one is to be trusted, and every tiny detail points to one inevitable end.
For anyone with a very particular interest in early 1900s radio programs, the first chapter of Ghostwriter may sound familiar. We happen upon a young woman acting as a scriptwriter for a radio advice column. In her day-to-day tasks she encounters the sexism, classism, and general difficulties of a woman of the times. This particular scenario was based on a real-life show that graced Spanish airwaves for a good part of the 1900s. El consultorio de Elena Francis was an integral part of Spanish society at the time. It provided advice through the lens of National Catholicisim, and was the most listened to program on Spanish radio at the height of its popularity.
As Pulido puts it in the Epilogue of Ghostwriter, ‘this information will enhance readers’ understanding and aid them in contextualizing the characters and events,’ but it isn’t necessary to enjoy the story. While the comic decidedly serves as an overt look into society’s views, particularly those on women, at the time, its subtle criticisms obvious to the reader in a way that they likely weren’t to the average 1940s man, it is immensely enjoyable as a standalone thriller. The twists are satisfying, the suspense is palpable. Characters are intriguing in their chiaroscuro form. The humor is well timed, reminiscent of pulp detective comics, but in a charming way. It all just works and ultimately leads to a very gratifying read.
In 2017, Rayco Pulido won Spain’s National Comics Award for Ghostwriter, (titled as Lamia.) Absolutely well-deserved, the book’s English release, as translated by Andrea Rosenberg, is out August 18 of 2020. While probably not for a reader who craves immediate action, blood and guts, and bad guys getting throat-punched, it is a thoughtful and stunning recommendation for anyone with a taste for old-fashioned crime, and serves as a dark, compelling slow burn of clues that lets the reader solve the story along with its detective. It’s a book they will be thinking about for days afterward, or at least while walking home alone down dark alleyways.
Ghostwriter by Rayco Pulido Review
Ghostwriter
Writer/Artist: Rayco Pulido
Publisher: Fantagraphics
Price: $19.99
Barcelona, 1943. As a scriptwriter for a popular radio advice column, Laia is embroiled in the romantic entanglements of others. Each day, letters flood in from troubled wives and girlfriends recounting their partners' abuses, and Laia tries her best to counsel them. In contrast, her own life seems perfectly ordered, with a devoted husband and a baby on the way. But when the city is terrorized by a vengeful killer, who leaves behind cryptic messages in blood alongside the mutilated bodies of married men — while at the same time, Laia's husband goes missing — her world begins to come apart. Desperate to find her husband, she turns to Mauricio, a private eye practiced in the art of hypnosis. During the course of his investigations, Mauricio soon suspects that there may be more to this unassuming young woman than meets the eye.
Release Date: August 18, 2020
Order It: Via Fantagraphics Website
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Kirin Xin is a graphic designer, band freak, and comics writer and illustrator working out of the Midwest. They could have been prom king but devoted their life to making comic books. They can be found at kirixin.com or on social media @kirixin