REVIEW

RECAP

The Harrower proves difficult to kill, but killing comes easy for him.

With the group split in two, no cell service, and the police being suspiciously useless-someone won't make it out alive.

After witnessing a shocking betrayal, Jessa unearths a massive secret, and it turns out the skeletons in the town's closet involve the last people she expected...

CREATIVE TEAM & INFO

Author: Justin Jordan
Artist: Brahm Revel
Colorist: Brahm Revel
Letterer: Pat Brosseau
Publisher: Boom! Studios
Genre: Horror
Published Date: 04/19/2023

After Creed rams the Harrower over with his car, the gang returns to the house. After seeing Creed shoot the Harrower at point blank with a shotgun, Jessa presumes that the brutal murderer is dead, given that no human could survive such a blow. But somehow, Creed knew that he was far from finished, and their fight led them to more gruesome violence, showing that the Harrower is a skilled fighter and not just a crazed killer. After getting his skin burned, Briony is trying to help Jax, and Jessa and Reed are trying to figure out what to do next. As the story unfolds, it’s clear that the Harrower isn’t done with his murderous rampage; Carter reveals a town secret, Reed is exposed, and Jessa finds how she’s deeply connected to the Harrower more than she realized.

In the last two issues, we see the foundation being built for the story, but issue three is where the story takes off, and the writing continues to encapsulate you. The most action-packed issue yet, this is vastly different than the previous ones, serving as almost an anchor to the entire story. Jordan creates a way to show so much violence and fighting while at the same time revealing more about the Harrower and the small town of Barlowe than we’ve seen before. Although the revelations from Carter felt crammed into a couple of pages, Jordan slows the pacing down a little bit by including a sentimental memory of Jessa with her brother Graham when she was younger to help balance this out. But the violence in this issue is cranked up by 10. If you enjoyed the previous issue’s slasher galore (which it was), you’d be saddened to know that there isn’t as much killing in this issue, but much bloodshed is happening.

The artwork by Revel and Brosseau continues to lean into the pastel colors that make this comic comfortable and enticing at the same time. Revel does a fantastic job of balancing the pastel colors of the background and characters with the scenes. The use of a different color palette to show Jessa’s memory was a great way to make it clear to the audience what was happening, and using the more dark and cold colors in the tunnels and control room gave off that sinister vibe while keeping the primary color palette for the characters is a great way to visually communicate these emotions and the severity of the situation for the reader.

The artwork is so mesmerizing and distinctive that it stands out independently, with a style unmatched in any other horror comic.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Jordan, Brevel, and Brosseau continue to deliver a horror comic filled with violence, mystery, and suspense that grabs onto you and won't let go. The writing is encapsulating, the artwork is mesmerizing, and the story is so sensational that you can't get it out of your head.