White Boat #1 Review: A Nautical Mystery Voyage Worth Taking

White Boat #1 proves another outstanding horror debut from DSTLRY.

By Charlie Ridgely

DSTLRY may not be on your comic publisher radar yet, but that should change after the release of the company's newest series White Boat. Writer Scott Snyder and artist Francesco Francavilla have re-teamed for a supernatural nautical thriller about a mysterious sea vessel that many think only a legend. The first issue of the series hits shelves this week and it's an absolute page-turner.

White Boat kicks the story into high gear right away by introducing twin brothers Lee and Ward. In the opening pages, it's revealed that Ward is killed in a surprising boat crash, though Lee and their father survive. It's evident by the ominous panels immediately following the sinking of the boat that something deeper is occurring, but White Boat is playing the long game. Years later, Lee struggles with his life as a writer and, on the anniversary of his brother's death, receives an invitation to board the elusive White Boat. After he boards things spiral out of control and Lee is introduced to a harrowing new world, including some fundamental truths that will alter everything about his life.

Snyder and Francavilla do a wonderful job of providing just enough information about the mystery at hand to keep readers moving, but never overplaying their hand. Too many comic books fall on either end of that spectrum, but White Boat threads the needle with ease. You never feel like you're missing anything, but there's so much you still can't wait to discover. Everything is plotted out exactly as it needs to be.

Francavilla takes that even further by expertly controlling your eye through every panel. The use of color and lighting here are fantastic on every single page, especially once the story takes Lee below deck and deeper reds come into play. As he explores the secrets of the White Boat, so do you, in what feels like a guided tour. It's impressive just how easily your eyes glide from panel to panel.

Lee isn't some spectacular lead character, in fact he's pretty run of the mill when it comes to a protagonist, but the story knows how to wield that as a strength. Lee is the vessel with which we can enter this story, and the ease with which we can understand him is for our benefit. His simplicity allows for the spectacular around him to shine. It's the same reason Kevin Costner was cast in Field of Dreams instead of Robin Williams, who'd been up for the role. Williams is not a normal man, so the magic of the cornfield wouldn't seem quite as magical with him accompanying it. Costner played the everyman, allowing the magic around him to become the true star. Snyder understands this element of storytelling so well (as he demonstrated with Bruce Wayne for many years) and lets Lee be exactly what he needs to be.

White Boat #1 is exactly what you might want from a debut issue. There will undoubtedly be better entries later in the series, but it sets the stage in excellent fashion, ensuring that anyone who reads it will want to sail again in White Boat #2.

Published by DSTLRY

On May 22, 2024

Written by Scott Snyder

Art by Francesco Francavilla

Colors by Francesco Francavilla

Letters by Andworld Designs

Cover by Francesco Francavilla

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