Published On: 2022-09-07 by Boom Studios
Artist: Jonas Scharf
Colorist: Alex Guimarães
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
Catch-up on Last Issue
In Basilisk #10, Hannah (with the help of Regan) survived an attack from the faithful. The question remains who was Barret’s sacrifice? The faithful, Hannah, or didn’t it matter as long as someone died?
In This Issue of Basilisk 11
Since the very beginning, Basilisk has had two types of artwork — a painted style and a drawn style. This issue the painted style takes the pole position as we learn what happened when the Chimera’s chosen first entered the path. Regan and Vanessa share thoughts about what’s to come. Vanessa cuts lose with the Chimera’s power. Hannah weighs Barret and finds he’s as mad as they come.
What Else Happens in this Comic?
We get a new character in the form of the restaurant owner. Much like the nurse last issue, he may be a nobody. That said, he did get a lot of attention. Will he be Hannah’s angel in disguise?
How's Basilisk 11's Writing?
The Dialogue
Cullen Bunn has been a master at giving us just enough details about the Chimera to maintain the mystery of the creature. Even with this issue’s reveal of the Chimera backstory, there’s still a bit of mystery left. I’m hopeful we’ll see the last totem open revealing the monster inside.
Showing Versus Telling
Basilisk #11 could have been a lot of telling us what happened. Instead, we’re shown how the Chimera’s chosen gained their powers. It was a great bit of storytelling with elements of horror mixed in.
The Vibe
‘Pure horror movie’ best describes this issue. When the Chimera’s chosen survive the encounter with powers intact, it is a horror fans favorite nightmare. Seeing Vanessa cut loose gives us the five-senses horror elements this series is known for.
Comic Art Review
Jonas Scharf has always been a pull for Basilisk. He’s a power-house artist. Basilisk #11 gives him a lot of material to work with from talking heads in a restaurant to Vanessa letting loose with the Chimera power at the camp. The Chimera path and totems are alien. One of my favorite visual motifs is the swirls that appear whenever Vanessa uses her power.
Alex Guimaraes uses color to help us navigate from scene to scene. Vanessa is in greys. Regan is all blues (like her sight power). Hannah and Barret are in yellows at the restaurant. As we get to the restaurant and our storylines converge, we get a merging of the colors. The lights of the restaurant mingling with the blues of the night to create green. Vanessa using all of the Chimera’s powers blending green, yellow, grey and blue.
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- Basilisk 11 Cover
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- Basilisk 11 Cover Alt Ryan Sook
On the Cover
Jonas Scharf drew the primary cover featuring Barret and the faithful. We still don’t know his angle in this story and it’s not always in the favor of the Chimera’s chosen.
Our secondary cover is by Ryan Sook. It’s a close-up of Vanessa with her scarred face and white eye. This is the third cover by Sook, and all of them have been fantastic.
The Comic Panel by Panel
For Basilisk, Ed Dukeshire has developed a visual language around the speech bubbles. We have square and cursive style letters for Hannah’s thoughts. We have broken, odd shaped mental bubbles from the Chimera thoughts. There are bordered round telepathy bubbles when Regan or Vanessa use their mental power. Lastly, there’s standard word balloons. Inside the speech bubbles, give close attention to the bold words and small fonts for whispers. All of it creates a cohesive reading experience.
World Building
- The Chimera Camp
- A restaurant
Live the horror
Wear the horror
Who's In This Issue of Basilisk 11
- Vanessa
- Regan
- Barret
- Hannah
- Chimera Camp staff and clones
The Big Question for Next Issue
What's in the remaining totem? What happened to the other creatures in the totems?
Wear the horror
He's mad, of course. As much a victim as he is a monster.
Who Will Like Basilisk 11?
In addition to the standard horror elements, Basilisk #11 gives us an alien world on Chimera path. It’s a touch of science fiction and enough to grab fans of sci-fi horror.
I Need More Content like Basilisk 11
Check out Jonas Scharf on Instagram account.
What was I missing?
I’d like to know the backstory about Boom Studios and Basilisk. This comic series hasn’t received an update on their website in months. It’s difficult to find any news beyond the first few issues.
Should You Buy This Comic Book?
This was talking-heads issue. We needed it to fill in some of the details about the Chimera. The show-down between Vanessa and Regan is coming. Buy this issue to learn what you need moving to the end of the series.