Writer, Artist & Colorist: Jeff Lemire
Flashback Pages: Shawn Kuruneru
Letterer & Designer: Steve Wands
Editor: Greg Lockard
Background Art Assistant: Beatrix Green
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: $44.99
Release Date: March 5, 2025
Every summer, the fishflies descend on Belle River, Ontario. They don't stay long, but they blanket the cars, pavements, and buildings. One night, Paul Dupuis and his cousins walk to the Mini-Mart. But when they reach it, they find the parking lot carpeted with fishflies. The boys want their snacks. But getting them means walking across thousands of winged insects. How will this dilemma shape the boys’ future? And how will it influence other residents of this Canadian town? Let’s grab a snack, leap into Fishflies HC, and see!
Story
Helen Dupuis sits by her son's hospital bed. Her husband left years ago. She doesn't get along with her sister and family. Other residents think she is weird. Yet Helen sees strange things in the hospital. She believes the fishflies and her son's fate are interwined. But how can the police investigate fishflies when a man shot her son? And should Helen abandon her son’s hospital room to tell the cops, when at any moment, Paul’s heart may stop beating?
When Officer Danny Laraque investigates the Mini-Mart shooting, he discovers who robbed the store and shot Paul. But while Danny searches for the drug addict, people disrupt his search. Helen Dupuis wants to be involved in the investigation. And then there are Betty and Butch Bracken. The twins urge him to study the cycles of violence that have rocked Belle River for decades. Along with Helen, the seniors argue that the shooting is related to fishflies.
While Helen and Danny follow separate but related lines of inquiry, a local girl goes missing in Fishflies HC. Sergeant Murphy uses the situation to force the black officer out of his department. Helen needs answers to the supernatural aspects of her son’s condition. Danny must choose between protecting his career and finding the daughter of a man who drove his wife to abandon their daughter and flee for her life.
Art
Jeff Lemire sketches a convincing portrait of small-town life. All the residents show the struggles that accompany living in this remote community. Perhaps most broken is Lee David Simard. Although a stranger to their world, his life spirals ever downward. He looks frightened and haunted as the fishflies swarm to him. A blotch of red appears on his side as Lee remembers shooting the boy in the Mini-Mart. Lee’s fright increases as the fishflies do the impossible in Fishflies HC.
Jeff Lemire uses watercolors sparingly to suggest the timeworn nature of Belle River. Light touches of yellow, blue, and gray give the town a faded look. Scenes from their history are green, while Franny Fox, the star of Fishflies HC, shines in her vibrant red jacket. The colorless snot dripping from her nose makes Franny a pariah among her less colorful peers. And then there are the red symbols that Lee and Helen see.
Steve Wands fills white dialogue balloons with large uppercase text that grows bold for emphasis. Words occasionally enlarge and deform balloons as Franny discovers the belonging she craves. The immense crunch between chapters reminds readers of the annual swarm that links Canadian residents with ancient Egyptians. Perhaps the most poignant sounds in Jeff Lemire’s story are the inhuman chittering that expresses friendship, fright, and remorse. Thanks to Image Comics for providing a review copy.
Final Thoughts
Life in a small town can be crushing when individual differences lead to ostracism. Fishflies HC paints a portrait of peer pressure, alcoholism, and our need for existential answers. Yet Jeff Lemire's story also reminds us that while life follows cycles, love and determination can help free us from the bonds of the past.
Rating 9/10
For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.
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