Dancing with the Wolves by Jade Aquil, a Horror Based Mini-series To Sink Your Teeth Into
When Aye Cue announced that he was launching his own publishing company last year, Aconic Media, fans all around became eager to see what was to come of it. He already has a very lulling & calm storytelling voice; examples are littered throughout his projects. Well, now the kiddies won't have to wait any longer to cry wolf cause his comic series has finally arrived. "Dancing with the Wolves," a 3 part comic series intended to help readers become equipped with all the right tools to ensure the wolves have their last tango, those teeth & snarls phase us not from learning to adapt to life with them.
The story begins with "Dancing with the Wolves," following the escapism of Deco, whom when we meet him, appears to be imprisoned, conditioned to this life of isolation. Alone in a cold cell within a cell, as I'm sure mentally he's behind bars as well. Yearning for a way out but nearing his last breath, what appears to be a wolf or rather an outlier, emerges out of the smoggy shadows to rescue Deco from this world he's been forcibly trapped within. Deco, who's now able to fog a mirror, follows the advice of the wolves & puts an end to those who have kept him caged here. Perhaps he wasn't an animal before his entrapment but became one gradually over time. Still, it seems Deco is filled with rage now & there's no telling if anything will be capable of stopping his vengeance. It seems now he's going to give others in the orange scrubs just like him a choice, kill or be killed, mere survival; it's either this way or none. This is what happens when you keep the innocence locked away in a dungeon, expecting that when they eventually walk out of here, that they'll be changed & they'll be changed alright; just ask Deco.
Traveling deeper into the land of the wolves, we flashback to their origins with the story of Venia. Her interaction with one of these wolves takes a more nightmarishly violent turn, as she deals with what seems like either her lover's dual personality or her father's. It seems her mother lost her life at the hands of a beast, her being the beauty within his castle, like a princess, but that's only sheer fantasy Venia is slowly coming to terms with. She lies awake at night, thinking of those words her mother once told her before her lover or father comes barking orders at her to get out of bed. She, too, feels trapped as he gradually becomes more violent with time due to his loss of control over her. Unfortunately, the mere want of her to explore & be on her own became unbearable for him, so he had to dig her grave. If I can't have you, nobody can or rather the father disposing of her, which makes this one even more chilling when you realize her mother possibly died a similar fate.
Venia's story furthers in "Light Year," where we pick up with her awakening from her state of unconsciousness, unaware of why exactly she was still breathing after the whirlwind of hell she previously endured in her "Dark Year." It's almost as if she's in a fever dream, it doesn't seem real what her eyes are seeing, but its presence is far too alluring for her not to follow. She hands her a mirror to show her that they're no different; frightening to her at first. The beast begins to show her the beauty that lies within, heeding every ounce of advice she has to give; now indebted to her for giving her another chance, she seems ready to take on this power struggle. Still, the twist that brings everything full circle is when it's revealed that she's the wolf who saved Deco in the beginning, who was locked away for a crime he did not commit.
Everything concludes on a somber note, with Deco letting out two words in monotone. His love has come back & now the two can indoctrinate others to take down the establishment & make those in power pay for their inhumane actions spawned from ego, pride & greed. No longer will they sit back & allow this system to continue the ways it's cyclically been & just like that, this beautiful 3 part fantasy series about redemption & vengeance is concluded. I swear, what Jade has written here is impeccable storytelling, compelling from start to finish; you can draw correlations to these characters once you immediately become invested in them.
Whoever purchased Aconic Media's first publishing, which sold out the 1st day, restock coming soon, got their money's worth. Jade is so eloquently proficient with his way of weaving a story, thread by thread. The artwork done by Sarah P Draws adds so much to the story, all the little subtleties like the contrast between both eyes looking down on Venia as she lies in both prequels. It's incredible work they've done here with this first release; every kid needs a copy of this by their bedside for them to read whenever the going gets tough. It's empowering & just might give the children, or anyone for that matter, the courage to make it in this land of wolves. If they want to dance well, let's dance; nobody is crying wolf over here, surely not Venia or Deco.