The Silver Coin
Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artist: Michael Walsh
Publisher: Image Comics
The classic and well-known Aesop morality tale of “Be careful what you wish for” is resurrected in
the new horror anthology The Silver Coin. Issue one kicks us off with the horrific tale entitled “The
Ticket”. Let’s get in our DeLorean and travel back to 1978. A much more simpler time, where bell-
bottom jeans were the sexiest fashion out there, there was a rise in serial killers and the age-old
conflict of lovers of rock hating anything to do with disco was at its peak. Here we have 3
bandmates, Ryan, Ashley and Joe; and all they want to do is play kick-ass rock, and eventually
“make it”. After playing constant gigs with no crowds in attendance, and everyone still professing
their love for disco, they are close to giving up completely; that is until they find the silver coin.
Ryan decides to use the coin instead of a guitar pick for their next band rehearsal, and that is when
everything changes. Euphoria, awe and motivation wash over the trio, and this is what spirals
them on to perform better. And sure enough, they do. They start playing to large crowds and with
each performance played, Ryan becomes more ambitious to the point it completely consumes
him…but at what cost?
The basis for this story has been told countless times in all different mediums, but it still
remains a tale worth telling. Chip Zdarsky manages to steer the light-heartedness our main
characters possess at the start and merge them into something much more bleak. The character
progression moves quickly as a way of pushing the story forward, however it doesn’t lose the
weight of the morality tale this is trying to tell. The colour palette of Michael Walsh merges into
Z’darsky’s story with pure perfection. Walsh uses colour reflecting mood to his advantage in this
issue. And in doing so he executes the shift in mood with the colour flawlessly.
If you are looking for something sharp, witty with horror undertones, look no further. The Silver
Coin pulls no punches, it knows exactly what it is, and how to execute the context effortlessly.
