Dark Water Vol.#01

By: Mike Dungan
Review Date: Wednesday, September 01, 2004
Release Date: Saturday, October 23, 2004



Creative Talent
Writer/Artist:Koji Suzuki/MEIMU
Translated by:Javier Lopez
Adapted by:

What They Say
Acclaimed Ring author Koji Suzuki returns with new terrors of a mad world... The nightmare continues with the major motion picture Dark Water starring Jennifer Connelly.

The Review
The Review: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
Dark Water is a collection of short stories written by Koji Suzuki and illustrated by MEIMU. The first story concerns a single mother living in a rundown apartment building with her young daughter. The story of a girl who went missing two years earlier becomes an obsession to the young mother, until it takes over her life. In the next story, a young man entertains an offer to take over a business, while choosing whether to accept or not accept what is right in front of him. The third story is Suzuki's take on the famous sea story of the ship apparently abandoned with no reason or warning, and the final story forces a young father to make a desperate decision.



Comments
As this is an uncorrected galley proof, I can't comment on the quality of the art reproduction or cover, as they haven't been finalised yet. I can comment on the content of the story, and the original art, though. Koji Suzuki is the author of the novel "Ringu", which later became the popular movie The Ring. Now that the Japanese movie Dark Water has become a Hollywood film starring Jennifer Connelly, ADV is bringing the manga that inspired it to the US. Suzuki's stories in Dark Water all involve water in some way, and attempts, in some small way, to explore our fascination with it. Each of the four stories are well-written, creating believeable tension and realistic endings. MEIMU's art is solid, using plenty of black without overpowering the story. He does a commendable job of suggesting the wrongness of the world, without rubbing anyone's face in it. Included are a two-page afterward by the artist that discusses the nature of horror, and a page of useful translators notes. For someone looking for something intelligent in the horror genre, this is a title worth checking out.