Named after Miles Davis’ Blue in Green, London-based Ram V and Anand RK tell a story of self-loathing, traumatic depression and the pressures of musical greatness when a demonic haunting latches onto Erik Dieter. After receiving an invitation to return to his childhood home to attend his mother’s funeral, an obsession forms to find out who the man is in a mysterious photo from the 1960s.

Erik is introduced as a weekend jazz teacher to students, with hints to being a once upon a time musician “haunted by the horrors of his own great expectations.” After the news of his mother’s death from a long illness, Dieter returns home and avoids the reminders of a broken childhood, seeing family faces he does not want to be familiar with, disassociating like he’s seeing ghosts wandering through peeling walls. After a long night avoiding distant relatives and hearing loving stories of an abusive mother, he finds a photograph of a man from her hidden past amongst the New York jazz scene. His investigation to seek the truth invites a demonic entity to pursues him. 

Ram V, previously known for his DC and Marvel roster, has independently set out to create a beautiful spread of imagery from artist Anand RK; concrete buildings look like blueprints, but the humans filling the spaces are inkblots, translucent, and are impressions to Erik, who is so hidden in himself that he can never see anyone clearly. We seem to be viewing a world of people hidden in a haze of cigarette smoke, in the depths of a hidden speakeasy, swaying to trumpets, saxophones, and wails from brilliant singers.

“Flickers of recognition. People who are faded versions of my memories. The promise of their youths leavened into featureless repetition. Everyone is everyone else. Identified by success.” 

The poetry of lines come to life like off-tempo songs, and this graphic novel is a great example of range from previous superhero writer Ram V. This story reads like a feature film as the imagery is extremely observational, and we see through the eyes of man who cannot see from being clouded by grief and the pressure of creative genius. Through sketchbooks and mixed media pieces, we are viewing a world in progress, being formed as moments pass and as though we are not present in his world.

The demon Erik meets could make the reader afraid, but what is more frightening is psychological: what a person can become under the weight of depression and frustration. This piece is so different from any horror comic, as we are in the mind of an anti-hero, who shows us how easy it could be for any of us to leave our souls behind with the weight of shocking events.

Blue in Green is one for those who love suspense and horror and content similar to the style of Get Out with film noir imagery. Listen to jazz while reading, and you will truly be transported to a bit of paranormal-spooky mixed with shock-horror.  A big round of applause to these two, and the work they’ve done to create a platform for independent writers. 

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