The Darkest Doors And Most Horrid Wars In Trout: The Hollowest Knock #3
by Josh Davison
[*Mild Spoilers Ahead!]
Giuseppe, after being betrayed by his brother Lint and sent on a slave train, is trapped in the middle of a horrid war between automaton armies. He has no weapons or means of fighting by himself, and the man in the diving suit is still following him–but he’s hurt. Giuseppe takes the suit off of the mysterious man and discovers the bizarre secret behind him. Meanwhile, Trout is trapped in a dark place and completely at the mercy of “Nicky Nine Doors” and his corrupting words. Meanwhile, Lint must up his oil mining operation to support the war, and the monster that has captured Trout plans to take his vengeance upon humanity. Thankfully, there is still a contingency of undersea creatures that want Trout safe and happy.
Trout: The Hollowest Knock #3 continues to push forward the dreamlike logic of this strange story and even has Giuseppe admitting that none of this makes sense.
That last detail is more than a wink and a nod to the reader though; it’s also a transformative moment for Giueseppe. It reinvigorates his courage and dedication to find Trout.
The dark conversation with Nicky Nine Doors is a strong moment in the comic too. Trout never speaks, so it can be hard to get a bead on him as a character. However, Nicky is in his mind, and that allows him to confront Trout with his own darkest feelings and fears.
The monstrous and Lovecraftian aspects of the book add a lot more flavor and give this horrid sense of urgency to everything that happens.
Troy Nixey’s artwork gives that trademark sense of ugly otherworldliness that we’ve come to expect from his comics (and especially enjoyed in Vinegar Teeth). The character designs continue to be unique and brilliant, and Dave Stewart’s color art adds more layers of oddity and alienation to this wonderfully bizarre book.
Trout: The Hollowest Knock #3 is another surreal treat from Troy Nixey and Dave Stewart. The core story of Giuseppe trying to keep his son safe is compelling and even heartfelt at times, and the apocalyptic horror of industry and eldritch horrors beneath the sea give the book a delightful amount of macabre intonations to make the book gel unlike anything else you’ve ever read. This one definitely gets a recommendation. Give it a read.
Trout: The Hollowest Knock #3 comes to us from writer, artist, letterer, and cover artist Troy Nixey with color artist Dave Stewart.
Final Score: 9/10
