By Joe Schickman, Reporter
Official Synopsis:
In Brynmore, the recently divorced and newly sober Mark Turner returns to his hometown of Turner Island hoping to rebuild his shattered life and rekindle a relationship with his estranged daughter, Sophie. Planning to renovate the town’s dilapidated church into a home for himself, Mark’s dreams of a second chance soon begin to crumble as he encounters hostility from the locals and finds himself enmeshed in a dark and sinister legacy of intrigue dating back to when the island was first named after his ancestors. Locked in battle with malefic forces beyond his control, Mark must work to uncover the island’s dark history while keeping himself and Sophie safe from harm—and staying away from the bottle in the process.
Creative Team:
Writer: Steve Niles
Artist: Damien Worm
Art Assistant: Alyzia Zherno
Letterer: Taylor Esposito
Arriving by ferry in the golden rays of the setting sun, Mark Turners’ pickup truck and trailing RV lead us onto Turner Island, where his ancestors settled almost 300 years prior. The rest of the Turners have all left the island, their once encompassing clout faded to just a name, but their controversial legacy still makes them despised by many of the locals. However, decades away using drugs and alcohol to hide from his life and avoid his responsibilities destroyed Mark’s once successful construction business, ruined his marriage, and left him estranged from his daughter. So now a recently divorced and newly sober Mark returns home to rediscover, reinvent, and rebuild himself, reaching his destination just as the last fiery glow of the lowering sun fades over the dilapidated chapel. Symbolizing his own quest for renewal, Mark plans to rebuild the old church as a home for himself.
As night takes hold, Mark already draws the ire of locals harassing him from a passing truck. Heading into town the next day for supplies, Mark runs into the same locals. Their leader, a “big pile of useless” named Lester, forces an altercation. Later Mark’s new neighbor, Becca Lynch, comes over to introduce herself before questioning Mark about his presence on Turner Island, and inquiring about the Turner Curse. After the brief but pleasant visit from Becca, Mark attempts to mend bridges with his wife and daughter, but to no avail. Frustrated and disappointed, Mark contemplates climbing back into the bottle, but pours himself into his work instead, unaware of the secrets he is about to uncover or the depth of his own entanglement.
This book does a particularly proficient job generating the fictional Turner Island and endearing the reader to our protagonist quickly, while not shying away from sharing either’s shortcomings. The setup seems effortless and quick to get through, effectively conveying Mike’s motivation in the narration while showing life on the island as we see him head to his soon-to-be project site. The creative team balances brevity for the sake of rhythm, against panoptic visuals and narrative context, to accomplish world-building without boring. Writer Steve Niles errs on the side of quality over quantity, with scrupulously selected language capturing the intonation heard throughout the book. Artist Damien Worm takes the reader on a detailed tour of the island, beautifully capturing the shifting light of the setting sun, while perfect pacing his storyboarding.
Brynmore # 1 succinctly displays a balanced approach towards the show/tell dichotomy, with artist and writer working in harmony to effect this combination. By focussing on the human aspect of Mark Turner’s journey throughout the first issue, the creative team has formed a bond between the reader and their very relatable lead character. I finished this issue genuinely caring about Mark’s future relationships, invested in him reconnecting with his daughter, and curious over what supernatural sights have been set on him.
Rating: 
ComicsOnline gives Brynmore # 1 3.5/5 Secret Staircases
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