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Graphic Novel Review: Tales from Harrow County Volume 1: Death’s Choir by Cullen Bunn, art by Naomi Franquiz

Tales from Harrow County, Volume 1: Death’s Choir by Cullen Bunn, art by Naomi Franquiz

Dark Horse, 2020

ISBN-13: 97815067168

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition, comiXology ( Bookshop.org | Amazon.com )

 

Award-winning, Eisner-nominated Southern Gothic horror returns in Tales from Harrow County, Volume 1: Death’s Choir. The story focuses on Bernice Anderson as she has taken on the mantle of steward of the small community ten years after her best friend Emmy Crawford left Harrow County. World War II has taken young men from the community, leaving tragedy in its wake. Harrow County is left in a state of mourning when the news of the deaths of their family members arrive. A mourning woman, Mrs. Dearborn, has called upon the spirits, but in summoning the supernatural choir that beckons the spirits of those the war has taken, has also summoned a deadly banshee as well. Bernice and her partner Georgia must find a way to save Harrow County from certain doom. The town does face more than supernatural foes. With not only Bernice’s protective witchcraft, but also the same-sex relationship between Bernice and Georgia, the Reverend unleashes some passive-aggressive nonsense.

 

 

For readers familiar with Harrow County, there will be familiar haints and creatures. As a fan of Priscilla the goblin, I was overjoyed that there was more of her, but I was ill-prepared for the cliffhanger ending.

 

 

Artist Naomi Franquiz takes over from Tyler Crooks. While her style is similar to Crooks’, she seems to have a more vibrant color palette, but this does not detract from the story. Her lush landscapes and well-developed character designs and art lend Cullen’s story a familiar atmosphere.

 

 

Volume 1 collects Tales from Harrow County: Death’s Choir #1-#4. Highly recommended.

 

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

Posted on October 22, 2022 by , Reply

Graphic Novel Review: Falconspeare by Warwick Johnson-Cadwell and Mike Mignola

Falconspeare by Warwick Johnson-Cadwell

Dark Horse Comics, 2022

ISBN-13: 9781506724768

Available: Hardcover, Kindle edition, comiXology  ( Bookshop.org )

 

Monster hunters extraordinaire Professor Meinhardt, Mr. Knox, and Ms. Van Sloan have investigated and hunted the uncanny before, but now they come together to answer the question that’s haunted them for years: what happened to their friend and notorious vampire slayer, James Falconspeare? 

 

Upon finding their old friend, he tells them of his adventures. After dealing with a werewolf problem, Falconspeare ended up in a community where young people were disappearing, only to be found later dead, the bodies in terrible condition. The people in the community found the police less than helpful, so they turned to Falconspeare for aid.

 

Upon investigation of the bodies, Falconspeare at first believed the victims were killed by a vampire. The incredible vampire hunter, acting under the suspicions of dealing with such a creature, found he was in error. Clues point to Baron Fontin, whose appetites were gossiped about in influential circles, but the baron is no vampire. He is a serial killer. When the vampire hunter approached local authorities to address the situation, no one listens.

 

Out of desperation and frustration, Falconspeare went in search of the Black Docks Biter, a female vampire who lives in the sewers feasting on rats, and ventures out rarely for human blood. Professor Meinhardt, Mr. Knox, and Ms. Van Sloan discover their old friend has done something unthinkable to deal with the human monster that is Baron Fontin. Johnson-Cadwell’s unique art style provides a good accompaniment to the Victoriam tale of terror. 

 

Falconspeare is the third installment of Johnson-Cadwell and Mike Mignola’s series that include the trio of monster hunters, Ms. Van Sloan, Mr. Knox, and Professor J. T. Meinhardt.

Highly recommended

 

 

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

Posted on April 6, 2022 by , Reply

Graphic Novel Review: Masque of the Red Death: Fine Art Edition by Steven Archer

cover art for Masque of the Red Death: Fine Art Edition by Steven Archer

The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe, art by Steven Archer

Raw Dog Screaming Press, 2020

ISBN-13: 9781946335319

Available: Paperback  ( Bookshop.org )

 

Prince Prospero, trying to avoid a deadly plague, the Red Death, ravaging the land, walls himself up inside his abbey along with a number of other wealthy nobles. To combat the boredom, the prince hosts a masquerade ball within seven rooms of the abbey, each one representing a different color. Near the end of the evening, a mysterious guest dressed as the Red Death reveals herself to the revelers and Prince Prospero.

The story is not a rewrite of the Edgar Allan Poe story of the same name, but the artwork provides a new context to the tale. Written in 1842, this story has a resonance with the current global situation with the COVID-19 pandemic. Steven Archer, a multi-media visual artist, has moved the story from the plague-ridden countryside to the decadent American modern-day city. Archer also transformed the nebulous Red Death from the male incarnation in Poe’s original tale to a woman in his artwork. The images are visceral, energetic, and haunting. There are several pages that I would love to frame and hang on my walls.

At first, the price tag raised my eyebrows, but seeing the quality of Archer’s artwork and how much went into the pieces, it is definitely worth it. There are 71 pages in the book, most of which include a full page of color art. Highly recommended.

Contains: nudity, viscera

 

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

 

Editor’s note: The Masque of the Red Death: Fine Art Edition is a nominee on the final ballot for this year’s Stoker Awards in the category of Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel. 

Posted on April 22, 2021 by , Reply
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