Welcome to Hoxford #2 – Review

By Ben Templesmith (Writer and Artist)

I had somewhat mixed feelings about the debut of this new Ben Templesmith series, but I just couldn’t resist another look at the deranged inmates residing in the twisted Hoxford Reform Facility. And after reading this issue, but am I glad that I did.

While the bulk of the first issue was spent establishing characters and Hoxford itself, the second wastes no time creating a focal point between inmate Raymond Delgado and Doctor Ainley and a conflict between ancient evil with a taste for human flesh. The premise is the darkest that humanity has to offer finds himself face to face with the darkest that history has to offer. And you know what? It works far better than I had expected. While I am not entirely sure how long you can really go with such a fairly limited concept, I am more than willing to go along for the ride.

Ben Templesmith is really impressing me with his work on this series. Raymond Delgado is an incredibly compelling (and completely insane) anti-hero that really wouldn’t work unless the setting, atmosphere, and concept was just right… and it is. Simply put, I don’t think he could work in any other environment or storyline, and that alone makes him unique and interesting enough to warrant following. Delgado’s reality (and Hoxford in general) is dark, dreary, and disturbingly violent – a fact that is reinforced by some incredibly gritty and surreal visuals. From a creative standpoint, everything just comes together extremely well.

I really don’t have anything truly negative to say about Welcome to Hoxford at this point, but feel that it really is being written for a specific type of audience. I can’t (in good conscience) make a sweeping recommendation, but those into the horror genre or the concept of the anti-hero really must give this one a try. (Grade: B+)

-Kyle Posluszny