A murderer is preying upon the upper crust of the 19th century Parisian art world. The methods used though are far beyond what any normal person would expect. Your Major Spoilers review of Picture Of Everything Else #1, awaits!

PICTURE OF EVERYTHING ELSE #1

Writer: Dan Watters
Artist: Kishore Mohan
Colorist: Kishore Mohan
Letterer: Aditya Bidikar
Publisher: Vault Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: December 23rd, 2020

Previously in Picture of Everything Else: As the 20th century dawns, art promises to change the world…and steep it in blood. A rash of impossible killings sweep through Paris, tearing the rich and beautiful apart in their beds.

WATERCOLORS OF DEATH

Picture of Everything Else #1 opens up at a swanky party where a pair of twins are discussing the arrival of photography in the art world with the hostess of the party. The group is then joined by two others, Alphonse and Marcel. The conversation continues and the topic of an English artist moving into town comes up. The group talks until it becomes clear that Alphonse has stolen something and the two must make a hasty retreat. After getting away the two have an argument and split up. Later one of the twins shows up to speak with Marcel and admire his artwork. Elsewhere Alphonse goes to scope out the Englishman’s house where he sees him finishing a painting of the twin when he suddenly tears it in half. Back at Marcel’s house, he’s shocked to see the twin he’s speaking to split in half and die. Later Marcel and Alphonse meet up and Marcel explains what happened and the two then set out to confront the Englishman.

A GOOD TWIST

The first issue of a horror comic is a tricky one to get right. Finding the right mix of introducing the conflict while not giving away everything is something that a lot of comics get wrong. Thankfully, Picture of Everything Else #1 manages to pull this off quite well by using a twist late in the issue that is pretty clever. Other than that, the feel and tone of this book is pretty enjoyable. It’s a period piece involving wealthy characters but it avoids overdoing the haughty language where it feels like a poor episode of Masterpiece Theater. It also nails a more sophisticated approach to horror, where truly gruesome things are juxtaposed with polite conversation and gentlemanly interactions. The one thing that feels a bit off is the twist at the end only happens due to a very strange bit of reasoning by one of the characters that comes off as a bit convenient and simply taking advantage of the readers unfamiliarity with these characters.

FINE LOOKING BOOK

It makes sense that a comic book whose plot is intertwined with the creation and discussion of fine art should look the part. The art is selective with the details it shows, which works wonderfully with the painted look it has. Each page looks like it could come from the sketchbook of an impressionist but doesn’t become overindulgent with this where it obscures the action. Things remain clear throughout.

THE BOTTOM LINE: AN INTRODUCTORY ISSUE DONE RIGHT

Picture of Everything Else is a good looking book that manages to stick the landing on its first issue even if it’s a little shaky in its execution. Already this has shown it has an interesting story to tell that goes beyond the typical horror tropes and cliches. A good mixture of setting, subject matter, and narrative hooks make this an effective comic book. 4 out of 5 stars.

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