IDW Publishing 2018
Written by Jen Vaughn
Illustrated by Michelle Wong
Coloured by Triona Tree Farrell
Lettered by Christa Miesner
STORY SO FAR
When Mitra receives a mysterious (but totally loaded) phone in the mail, strange things start happening to her and her friends…including a slumber party gone VERY wrong!
I know I am not the target age range for this book and if I were I have to say this would creep me out a whole lot more than it does. I mean technology taking over is nothing new we’ve seen that for generations now but to have this magically enhanced evil mobile phone well that is something else entirely. However I think this what Goosebumps is all about really it is this all-ages horror series that takes something familiar flips the script and then runs with it.
Jen really understands girls as she was once was one so a woman’s perspective should not go unnoticed here. Which then makes me wonder if this is from personal experience or not? Regardless the way Jen has this book structured is fabulous to see. There is the whole idea of two best friends meeting someone who can fit into their group nicely and then jealousy rears it’s ugly head and with the help of a let’s call it demonic mobile phone that only gets worse. The idea seems simple enough right but it’s the finding the way to make it seem natural or the mobile as a trigger for the feelings well that’s harder to do.
Jen also is able to bring the girls to life through their actions and dialogue to fully flesh out their personalities. The characterisation is marvellous and I like seeing how Flips hair gets cut because of that weird dream last issue and the girls solution to how that should explained. I thought that the mother’s response was absolutely beautiful. Also I do like to see how the bonds of friendship forms and how they can be tested and what is happening here will definitely test them.
Michelle and Triona do some wonderful work on the interiors here. I love how the girls each has their own unique look and background that we can almost see in their appearances. Also that this is so cross-cultural is a wonderful thing to see. Visually it’s much more important than in words alone and the message behind that well it’s perfectly done. The utilisation of page layouts and how we see the angles and perspectives in the panels is done in a way that shows off a great eye for storytelling. Also I adore the fact that there are so many backgrounds being utilised as well as it does wonders in showing us the scope of the story and the setting of the different places they are.
Also while Slappy played such a big role in the last arc and we’ve seen him in glances here it makes him much more creepy. I love that too because he should be creepy as all get out and haunt but not be overt as being overt lessens the effect he has. Ever since Child’s Play we’ve never been able to look at a walking talking doll the same. I mean I grew up in an age where they were on television a large part of kids shows and they weren’t creepy then. Only over time as they’ve been used in horror feature films have they taken on this new visage and that’s me droppin some knowledge heh.
I didn’t realise that when I started reading the first arc that I would become hooked into reading all that followed. These may be all-ages but they are so extremely well done and the messages they bring children should be the same ones that adults relearn. Smart, sassy and sensationally written and illustrated this is why everyone needs all-ages books in their lives.