The Shadows is a nightmare. It follows an unnamed pair of siblings as they seek safety from murderous Horsemen that attack their village.

As they try to navigate their way to safety in the Other World, they encounter monsters, slavers, people smugglers, and the unfeeling bureaucracy.

The Shadows has scratchy art that belies the heaviness of its story and themes. It looks like a mixture of Quentin Blake and John Burningham. If the characters aren’t weird looking, they are grotesque. There is a Gilliamesque surreal quality to it. Indeed some of the art did remind me of the animation from Monty Python. It is utterly engrossing. The initially curious choice of having the brother and sister wear masks is justified because most of us see migrants as faceless. There are some genuinely impactful panels that hit me right in the gut.

As our protagonists make their way to safety, they encounter the ghosts of those they left behind. These ghosts haunt them. They don’t want to be forgotten. In turns, they provide both guidance and admonishment.

As a refugee story works astonishing well. The Shadows is a sensitive exploration of the terror, anger, hopelessness, and determination felt by those fleeing violence. In a story where we never see some of the main cast faces and is set in the fantasy world, this is some accomplishment. At its core is how there is a lack of compassion for those that need it most. How this lack of empathy leaves them more vulnerable than they should be.

As an allegory for real-world events, The Shadows is as dramatic as it is affecting.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.