It is always nice to find a one-off comic that will delight its readers with its uniqueness and fun. The Little Deaths of Watson Tower by Nick Bryan and illustrated by Rosie Alexander takes readers on a short journey and has them back safe and sound just in time for tea.
The story focuses on Kelly Arnold, a teenager that enjoys messing around with her friends at an apartment complex called Watson Tower. They create harmless mischief as they parade in outfits that pay homage to the grim reaper. However, while everything may seem to encompass the highlights of teenage youth, Kelly is forced to struggle with the concept of mortality and the hard times that surround her home life. It doesn’t help that there is also a bunch of skeletons walking around.
The Little Deaths of Watson Tower is definitely a strange number. It takes its audience on a weird little adventure but one that is full of fun and laughs. For the small story that it is, Kelly Arnold is lively teenager whose character arc is charmingly bittersweet. The moments between Kelly and her father are particularly touching and are arguably the best aspects to the comic. Their interactions may not happen often and are very brief but there is still something about the dialogue and art in those moments that really pulls at your heartstrings. While the segue from mischievous teenagers to real-life skeletons can be a bit jarring, you simply can’t stay mad at this story with its entertaining oddity.
Rosie Alexander has created wonderful artwork in this black-and-white piece. Her use of light and shadows is absolutely superb for this piece. As mentioned earlier, the moments between Kelly and her father possess such strong emotions and this largely comes from Alexander’s art. But probably the most breathtaking part of her art are the coloured covers. The colours are vivid yet also present a sense of softness, making them nearly impossible to look away from. Her composition is at its finest in these two pieces and will leave its audience in awe. We certainly look forward to seeing what other artwork Ms. Alexander creates in the future.
Overall, we love this quirky, small comic. It’s an absolute treasure to read and one you will have fun reading over and over. We can’t wait to see what these two creators have up their sleeve next. For anyone looking for a quick read or a story that will take you on a strange little adventure, The Little Deaths of Watson Tower is definitely something you will want to look into. It’s charming, fun, and an overall good time.
You can purchase your copy of The Little Deaths of Watson Towers here! Help support these storytellers by grabbing your copy today. And, if you’ve had the chance to read it, let us know what you thought of it by commenting below or sending us your thoughts on Facebook or Twitter!
