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: $24.99
Release Date: October 22, 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 TP Vol
1, 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 TP Vol 1. 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 TP Vol 1.
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 TP Vol 1, 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 TP Vol 1 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
Fishflies is also available as an attractive hardcover edition.
