Royal City 3 Reviewed

It’s Grim Up North

Tripwire Contributing Writer OLLY MACNAMEE takes a look at Jeff Lemire’s Royal City#3, out now from Image Comics…

Royal City#3

Writer and Artist: Jeff Lemire

Image Comics

Another tense issue in which the ghost of Tommy takes something of a backseat – quite literally in one scene – so the family tensions of the hera and now are further explored and wounds once thought healed, ripped open once more. While it would be rude to pigeon-hole this as simply a kitchen-sink drama for the obvious reasons listed above (they all see ghosts!) it does feel like your typical ‘Grim Up North’ affair with no-one really winning in life. Alcoholic layabout, Richie, thinks his brother, writer Patty, has it good, while we know this ain’t the case whatsoever. Internalising one’s problems don’t make them go away. Meanwhile, the threat of unionising the workforce leads to other relationship strains too. No-one’s coming out of this looking good, I’m afraid.

Jeff Lemire, once again providing words and pictures, offers up a slowburn of an issue and a colour palette that helps express the worn out town that’s seen better days in delicate watercolours. In the back, there is a reminder that the playlist he selected to accompany his own journey making this personal story is available on social media should you want to interact even further with this promising, gritty, ghostly series.

Royal City No. 3 from Image Comics is out now.

Royal City#3 review www.tripwiremagazine.co.uk