Dark Horse Comics 2015
written by Cullen Bunn
Illustrated & Lettered by Tyler Crook
Tales of Harrow County art by Owen Gieni
Before we get into the story I have to tell you that Tyler’s interiors are simply amazing. He has his own style of art that conveys so much emotion and feeling that while it may be just as well suited to illustrating children’s books as it is for comics it adds this huge element to how we enjoy Cullen’s story. Right off the bat in the woods in the dark we see these haints that look like skeletons on fire surrounding the girls and instantly you are transported into this world where it’s deadly and hauntingly beautiful looking all at once and you don’t want to leave.
Emmy’s swirling emotions affect the fiery ghosts and they listen to her and on some level fear her. It’s her burgeoning powers and birthright coming to the forefront that they fear most of all, at least that’s what i’m guessing considering that if I’ve paid attention correctly she was born from the tree where the witch was hanged and burned. Plus her father and the others were ready to kill her now because they too fear her which is why she’s been running away it’s just surprising that Bernice came to seek her out and is privileged to be witness to what’s happening now.
So while the girls are running through the woods it’s easy to forget that Emmy has the skin of that boy with her still and when it decides it’s time to help well yeah that’s when it gets even more interesting. As Emmy’s Pa finds the girls and it’s here we learn the truth to her story and why this is happening now. Wow talk about some of of the most intense story revelations and characterization to be seen in so few pages it’s amazing what comes out of this man’s mind. Cullen has gone and created something that a new standard could be set by. The characterization is insane here and as we see Emmy go through all this and come out of it a completely different person.
I love how the backup story ties into what we see in the main one here. As Emmy travels the woods alone she passes something not of this world and what it is we don’t know but apparently it’s been in these parts for a long time as on All Hallows Eve the town had a tradition of making a feast and leaving it at it’s door in hopes of appeasing it. This one page back story from Cullen with illustrations by Owen really are a perfect compliment to fleshing out this world.
With so many unanswered questions still on the table I anxiously await next issue to keep seeing this story unfold.
Bold, brazen and haunting this story keeps reaching new heights with each chapter.