Ted Adams and Mark Torres ‘Richard Matheson: The Shrinking Man #1’ Review

Poor Scott is shrinking. The doctors have proven it. His wife, Lou, has accepted but fails to truly grasp it. But Scott knows his life is changing in a drastic and insanely radical way. One can only shrink so long until he ceases to exist, right? That may not matter, as Scott quickly finds that being 5/7 of an inch means every tiny insect you never gave second thought to, is suddenly a potential disaster. Especially the hideous black widow that hunts Scott relentlessly.

This is a great book, and while I admit to never having read Matheson’s novel of the same name, you can bet I’m already intrigued enough to track it down. And a lot of the credit for that goes out to Ted Adams, who transfers the story wonderfully. There’s a very golly-gee feel to the book (we’re talking about a story set in the 50s), but the panic laced throughout the story also adds a desperation that feels very modern, and the emotional strain between Scott and Lou is melancholy and touching. It’s quite well done.

Mark Torres’ artwork is also commendable. The images are all clean, and also boast a vintage vibe. The scaling is also perfect, as we see Scott shrinking throughout the first issue in steady, believable fashion. And seeing the man after he’s dwindled down to less than an inch is fantastic, as Torres really emphasizes the threat of the black widow. While we know it isn’t the largest creature in existence, on page, it feels like a mammoth. It’s no wonder Scott is terrified.

Where issue two takes us remains to be seen, but I’m extremely anxious to read it. This is a top notch book that had my complete attention inside of four pages The only negative I can hurl in the direction of The Shrinking Man is simple frustration that I’ve got to wait a few months to see how the story ends. Grade-A stuff from IDW, right here.

Order it right here.

Rating: 4.5/5