Horror and ghost stories are big business in Hollywood and have been for decades. From the psychological horror of the original 1963 take of The Haunting to the slasher flicks of the 1980s and 90s to even the popularity of Netflix’s series Stranger Things now in the 21st century, and so many other titles and franchises in-between, it is obvious that humans love to scare themselves and be scared. To that end, Boom! Studios is bringing its own new horror title to readers Wednesday in the form of Ghostlore. The franchise’s debut issue is scheduled for release Wednesday and is a strong start for the new series. That is due in large part to its story, which will be discussed shortly. The dialogue used throughout the story does well to help keep the story flowing and will be discussed a little later. The artwork exhibited throughout the new series adds its own touch to the new issue and will also be discussed later. Each item noted is key in its own way to the whole of the debut of Ghostlore, which was co-created by Cullen Bunn and Leomacs (a.k.a. Massimiliano Leonardo). All things considered they make Ghostlore’s debut issue a must read for anyone and everyone who loves a good scare.
The debut issue of Boom! Studios’ new 12-issue comic book series Ghostlore is a strong start for the limited series. It is a presentation that fans of horror and ghost stories in general will find appealing. That is due in part to its story. The story, written by Bunn, follows a young family led by its patriarch, pastor Lucas Agate, as it makes its way home from a sparsely attended Wednesday evening church service. When Lucas hands the keys to the family car to his angsty teen daughter Harmony and lets her drive the family home, the result is a fatal crash that claims the life of her mother and younger brother. She and her dad are the only survivors. The wreck happened when Harmony sees the ghost of a young boy in the middle of the road and swerves to avoid him, hitting a tree head on. After the wreck, Harmony’s little brother, Chris, confesses to the reason so few people had been attending his father’s services. The confession will be left for audiences to discover for themselves, but it plays out like something right out of Stranger Things. After confessing, Chris dies. Harmony and Lucas are left alone, seeing the spirits of so many people surrounding the car, some with good intentions, others not so much, but all wanting to tell their story. It immediately conjures thoughts of so many paranormal movies and television shows. Even with that stylistic similarity in mind, this opening “chapter” of the 12-issue story still manages to remain gripping all because of the fact that it ends in such a cliffhanger. Audiences don’t know if the spirits are going to attack her, continue begging for help or something else. It does well to leave readers wanting more in a good way.
While the story featured in the debut issue of Ghostlore is reason enough for paranormal and horror fans to pick up the book come Wednesday, it is just part of what audiences will appreciate. One example of that is the interaction between Harmony and her mom (who is not named in this debut issue) following the church service. Harmony’s mom catches her smoking outside the church, but instead of chiding her, really shows a certain love for her daughter, overlooking the behavior. She tells Harmony, “Just…try not to play with fire……literally…Where your father might notice?” She could have gone off on Harmony, but that gentle approach, and that she reminded Lucas that Harmony’s behavior as a teenager was normal makes her a wonderfully sympathetic character. It makes it all the harder hitting when she dies in the wreck, after already having to endure a shouting match between Harmony and Lucas. It makes it really tragic that she died all because of Harmony, and certainly will come back to haunt Harmony (no pun intended) in later issues.
Lucas’ outburst after Chris confesses about what has been happening is even more telling as he asks in a full-on shouting tone, “What is wrong with you kids? It’s like…you resent me for trying to raise you in the right way.” His outburst shows a certain weakness. That he is so willing to blame everyone else for things make shim a bit of an antagonist here who has a lot of deep-seated emotional baggage that one can’t help but wonder about. Maybe more on this will come out in later issues of the story. That he has his outburst after Chris confesses shows also, that despite telling his congregation that people don’t have to see in order to believe, he clearly does not live by his words. This adds even more to the story and to him as a character.
Chris’ silent pleading, which eventually builds to his scream that Harmony and Lucas were not listening is one more example of the strength of the story’s dialogue here. Lucas had been so concerned about Chris’ withdrawn behavior, so seeing the situation build up to that point will really make readers listen in their own way. That final outburst and Harmony’s response makes for one of the issue’s most moving moments and just one more example of the importance of the issue’s dialogue. When the dialogue overall is considered alongside the story featured here, the two elements give audiences all the more reason to take in this debut issue of Ghostlore.
While the story and dialogue presented in the debut issue of Ghostlore obviously does much to make the issue worth reading, there is one more aspect worth noting here. That element is the issue’s artwork. Handled jointly by Leomacs, Jason Wordie, and Ed Dukeshire, the artwork offers its own interest. One of the most key examples of the importance of the artwork comes early on, again, as Harmony’s mom catching her smoking. Audiences will note the very subtle detail of certain marks on Harmony’s arm. The marks look like those made by someone who is using or who has used heroin. Readers will note in a wider shot, Harmony hiding her arm behind her back. The moment is so subtle, but it is just evident enough that it lets audiences know it will come into play later in the story, too.
On another level, the very design and the look of the book is vintage to a point. It throws back to some of the artwork that audiences were presented from, say, some of the older X-Men books from the late 80s and early 90s. It isn’t that spit-shined, processed look of so many comic books out there today. The “roughness” in the look really is something so welcome. This includes the design of the spirits who surround the car after it wrecks. Similarly, when Chris confesses, the creature/spirit that screams at Harmony and Lucas has such a scary look. It looks like some sort of demon from the pits of hell screaming at them. That small moment speaks such volumes about the artwork here and when considered along with the other examples noted here and with the rest of the book’s artwork, the whole makes clear just how much the issue’s artwork does for its presentation. When the artwork is considered along with the issue’s story and dialogue, the whole makes Ghostlore’s debut issue a positive start for Boom! Studios’ newest entry.
Ghostlore, the new limited series from Boom! Studios, gets off to a good start in its forthcoming debut issue. That is due in part to its story. The story is, for all intents and purposes, relatively familiar yet original in its own right. According to the story, a self-righteous pastor and his rebellious teen daughter are the only survivors of a car crash caused by the young lady, Harmony. In surviving the crash, the pair starts seeing the spirits of the dead. Some want help, others want to cause problems. What happens as the spirits surround the wrecked car is left hanging for the story’s second issue, but the buildup to that point does well to set the stage for what is to come in terms of the father and daughter’s personal relationship and what the duo has to face. The dialogue used throughout the story does well to help the story advance. That is because of its believability. The artwork displayed throughout the issue is a welcome presentation in its own right. That is because of its raw, pure look and design. Each item examined here is important in its own right to the whole of this debut issue of Ghostlore. All things considered they make Ghostlore Issue #1 a welcome read for any fan of horror and the paranormal in general.
Ghostlore Issue #1 is scheduled for release Wednesday. More information on this and other titles from Boom! Studios is available at:
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