Graphic Novel Reviews: The Silver Coin, Vol. 1

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The Silver Coin, Volume 1

Written by: Chip Zdarsky, Jeff Lemire, Kelly Thompson, and Ed Brisson

Illustrated by: Michael Walsh

Publisher: Image Comics

Format: Softcover, 144 pages, Color

ISBN: 978-1534319929

Ages: 16 and up

All good things come with a price, whether it’s realized or not. The Silver Coin is an anthology of horror stories by rockstar writers Chip Zdarsky, Jeff Lemire, Kelly Thompson, Ed Brisson and illustrated by Eisner Award winning artist Michael Walsh. At the center is each story is an eerie magical coin that gives its owner exactly what they want, but there’s a catch. The coins owners don’t survive for very long after their desires are fulfilled. 

The first story is about a down on their luck rock band, just itching to make it big. Things seem to be on the up and up when their guitarist finds the silver coin. However, things quickly take a turn for the worse. Next, the coin provides a girl who’s been bullied at summer camp with the sweet, sweet revenge she subconsciously craved. Then there’s a robbery turned sour when one of the thieves happens to pick up the coin, causing her to turn on her partners. The next story is a futuristic one where a scrapper on the run from law comes across the coin in an abandoned civilization from this distant past. The coin helps her escape, but drives her mad in the process. In the final story, readers are shown how the coin came to be, after a woman was wrongfully murdering for being a witch.

On their own, each story is superb, with high caliber writing and artwork. However, they could fit together in a little more cohesive way. With that being said, it’s still a great book that’s perfect for reading during the spooky season and would make a great addition to a high school or public library’s collection. 

Jonathan Khan
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