Halloween Girl - Chapter 3: The Forgotten Boy (2022) - Horror Comic Review

Earlier this year in May I checked out the first two issues in the Richard T. Wilson created Halloween Girl series, which in itself had been based on a film and a web-series. This is issue is to be part of a seven issue series that makes up Halloween Girl - Book 1: Promises to Keep. The third chapter, titled The Forgotten Boy has now been completed.

Issue three is both a new story as well as moving forward the overarching plot. Eighteen year old ghost, Charlotte Williams, gets a new lead on just where her missing son Luke may be. The boy having been kidnapped by an evil secret society known as The Hollow, She discovers that a demon known as Jason (whose moniker is the titular 'the forgotten boy') may have him, and that for a favour he may release Luke. 

The story here is mostly set-up for future events but it does reveal more character story, especially with relation to Charlotte's spiritual friend Poe, who may have closer ties to The Hollow than she has let on. With dialogue the order of the day here there isn't much horror at all, but with an ongoing series it can't be dialled up to ten all the time. I've read a preview of the issue after this one and it provides a heck of a lot of backstory for Poe and just who she actually is.
The black and white art by Pietro Vaughan can on occasion combine to make really vivid looking art, especially when Poe and Charlotte are walking through woodland. Something I appreciated from before, the facial expressions, again I enjoyed, it is easy to see just what emotions characters are experiencing, which helps in giving life to the dialogue.

The Forgotten Boy may not be the most action packed issue of Halloween Girl but it is one that isn't afraid to focus on providing set-up for future events. I finished it with an impatience to see what happens next, something that I can only take as a good thing. The Kindle edition of this can be purchased here, releasing today, July 13th.

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Halloween Girl - Issue 1 and Issue 2 (2020-22) - Horror Comic Review

Last week on April 30th the second volume of the Mad Shelley Comics' Halloween Girl was released. Now, I hadn't actually heard of this but apparently it is based on characters that appeared in the film The Halloween Girl and its sister web-series Under the Flowers. The star of this is an eighteen year old ghost named Charlotte, who, along with her supernatural friend Poe do their best to protect Charlotte's hometown of Crystal Springs from an evil secret society known as The Hollow.

Starting with issue 1 (VOL.1: Secret to Keep, Chapter 1: Candy From Strangers), this had a story written by Richard T. Wilson, with art by Stephen Mullan. While I wasn't a hundred percent clear on any of the backstory the story itself was easy to follow. After a trip into the 'In-Between', Charlotte is provided clues as to what she should be doing in order to protect her town. In this case it is a Halloween bucket in which a giant spider was dwelling. Back in the real world she spots a young boy wearing a spider costume being bullied and so makes herself corporal in order to intervene.
The art is in black and white and was crisp and simple. Panels were not deeply detailed but I liked the cleaness this created. A lot of the issue revolved around conversations but the panels remained interesting by utilising plenty of different angles so that instead of a static feel the panels felt dynamic, like the characters were actually moving around. The horror slowly introduces itself leading up to a cliffhanger finale that made me glad I also had the second issue to read!

Issue 2 (Charlotte's Web) wraps up this particular story and was more action packed then the first. Again at thirtish pages this was something I breezed through. This two issues almost reminded me of Buffy the Vampire Slayer in how they were paced out. A 'villain of the week' type situation that nonetheless ties into a greater tale. These first two issues worked at establishing Charlotte as the protagonist she needs to be, discovering powers she didn't know she had.

Halloween Girl was an enjoyable read, the clear art allowed characters to show their emotions on their faces, while the story was easy to follow. For me personally I would have preferred a darker story, but it certainly headed in that direction after its non threatening beginning. While the ongoing story didn't dig its claws into me there is potential for this to become greater. Vol. 1 is set to be comprised of seven issues, issue 2 is out now via Kindle Comics (Amazon), with a third one due out later this year.

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Football Crazy - Surreal Murder Mystery Graphic Novel by Craig Daley

I was pointed to a site recently which deals in as they term it 'Surreal Murder Mystery Graphic Novels'. These are online comics that have a thriller edge to them. So far there have been three different tales. The first one is called 'Meadowhell: The True Horror of Shopping' about security guards being murdered at a shopping centre. The second one is based on Jack the Ripper titled 'Spring-heeled Jack: From the Tunnels of Hell', while the third one 'Football Crazy: The Theatre of Nightmares on the Road to Insanity' is about a serial killer picking off players from a winning team.

I was lucky enough to read part one of Football Crazy. It is not so much horror as crime based with it's content. It follows some detectives as they investigate the murders and try to piece together who could have done it and why.  It has the feel of a Detective program such as Inspector Morse, or A Touch of Frost. There is not any horror in them. I dislike football and have long said football fans are crazy, so is a fitting subject. The art style is quite strange but works, kind of basic but at the same time it catches the eye and is very striking. The story is well paced.

All three of the comics have clues throughout to lead you to who the murderer is, the issue I read certainly made me want to read more (just to find out what the murder weapon was). If you're interested in these then pop on over to Drive-Thru Comics where they can be picked up for under £1 each. Also for news on these and upcoming comics in the series check out the writer and artists website here. Not bad, just not horror either.

AN UPDATE: I have just read part two of Football Crazy, and it was really quite funny, much more humour than part one had. There were twists that were surprising, and the vein of funny running through the whole thing really hit the spot! Full of hidden Easter Eggs as well it really hits the description of a 'surreal murder mystery'.

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