This rarity has created a strange problem: The comic has become mythical precisely because so few people have read it. Leaked PDF scans circulate among hardcore fans, but many feel guilty reading them, wishing they could pay the artist for a legitimate copy. As a standalone piece of sequential art, Act I is imperfect. The lettering can be hard to read. Some action sequences (specifically the fire) are visually muddy. Barkla’s expressionist style sometimes sacrifices clarity for mood.
For the uninitiated, it looks like a rare, expensive booklet. For The Dear Hunter faithful, it is the first page of the Bible—a fragile, beautiful, and heartbreakingly rare look at the day The Boy escaped the lake, headed for the river, and began his long, tragic journey north. the dear hunter act 1 comic
Musically, it’s lush and cinematic. Lyrically, it is intentionally vague. Casey Crescenzo has always been a fan of leaving gaps for the listener to fill. By 2012, however, the fanbase had grown exponentially with the releases of Act II (2007) and Act III (2009). There was a hunger for a definitive visual text. This rarity has created a strange problem: The
Crescenzo, an avid fan of comics and graphic storytelling (citing influences like Watchmen and Sandman ), decided to partner with artist Nicky Barkla to produce a 48-page full-color comic. The goal wasn't just to illustrate the songs, but to expand the world. The comic serves as a —fleshing out scenes only alluded to in the lyrics, such as the internal politics of the Dime (the brothel) and the specific cruelty of The Pimp and The Priest. The Creative Team: Casey Crescenzo & Nicky Barkla While Crescenzo provided the story, plot, and dialogue (much of which is pulled directly from, or extrapolated from, his original script for the album), the visual heavy lifting was done by Nicky Barkla . The lettering can be hard to read
However, as a , it is priceless. It confirms fan theories. It gives a face to The Pimp and The Priest (a character who recurs throughout Act II and Act III ). It makes the tragedy of Ms. Leading viscerally real.