The Disappearance of Charley Butters is not a tale with an abundance of twists and turns. It is a very straightforward mystery — one readers have seen before. It is not a reinvention of the genre or a trailblazing new epic, but an engrossing read driven by well-crafted characters. On those grounds alone, Zach Worton weaves a graphic novel that is nothing short of spellbinding.
When a trio of friends in a black metal band go out to shoot a music video in the forest, they stumble upon a deserted cabin. While looking around inside, the group discovers a sizeable collection of journals that date back to the 1950s.
These recant the story of an estranged artist named Charley Butters, who left his life one day to find solitude in the forest. One of the members of the band, Travis, becomes enthralled in the story of the elusive painter and begins to investigate him further.
At its core,The Disappearance of Charley Butters is about the transition from youth to adulthood and the pursuit of self-discovery. As Travis delves into the life of the lost artist, parallels begin to manifest between the two time-displaced characters.
He continues to learn more about Charley Butters, and Travis himself begins to change; he slowly adopts a path not dissimilar to the man he strives to know more about.
Travis is a character with whom many readers can identify — he is a young man in his twenties unsure of what he wants to do with his life. He hates his job with a passion, and to make matters even worse, his best friend is a man-child; half the time they spend together is filled with arguing.
As the story progresses, Travis is forced to make bittersweet decisions that risk changing his status quo. These hard decisions will resonate with readers young and old as they reflect on the bitter and truthful realities of growing up.
While Charley Butters is the focal point of this story, his appearances are few and far between. Writer Zach Worton, however, includes the character compellingly in the few times he appears throughout the story. Charley Butters is an endearing character whom audiences cannot help but feel sorrowful towards: he is tortured, with a mind slowly drifting through the throes of madness. Like Travis, readers will surely become captivated by his journey, reading to discover his ultimate fate.
The story can be described as being very mellow; it meanders at a pace of its own. Rather than being a detriment, though, this adds a thoughtful resonance to every panel.The Disappearance of Charley Butters is a story that speaks volumes through its poignant artwork. Zach Worton’s black and white work casts a haunting tone on the story while taking the otherwise simple content and making it chilling and provocative.
The Disappearance of Charley Butters is a strong character centric mystery which hypnotizes readers to keep turning the page. Its only flaw is that it leaves readers with a cliffhanger, and a dismally long wait for the sequel.
