Graphic Novel Review: Out in the Open
Posted on February 5, 2019 at 11:30 am by Gene Ambaum
Out in the Open by Javi Rey, based on the novel by Jesús Carrasco. Translated from Spanish by Lawrence Schimel. SelfMadehero, 2018. 9781910593479.
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A young boy flees his village in an attempt to escape the abuse and violence he suffers at the hands of his father and the local sheriff. Men pursue him across a dry wasteland, but luckily he meets a kind, old man who offers help. When the sheriff’s men catch up with them, the old man suffers.
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The boy’s nightmares are terrifying. At their center is the demonic, red-faced sheriff, and the boy naked or helpless before him. (In the worst of his dreams, his father leaves him for the sheriff.)
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The colors Rey uses for the desert scenes made me feel the heat and dryness, and perfectly set up the hope-filled final scene.