This is a relatively new series, focusing on creepy or mysterious stories. However, although written by the same author, the first two books in the series are very different.
In the first title, Area 51, Steve Foxe teams up with Fran Bueno to present a slightly creepy but generally informational explanation of the theories, legends, and facts around “Area 51.” The framing story is a young boy attending his unknown uncle’s funeral. TJ, uncomfortable in a black suit with slicked-back red hair, sneaks off on his own and discovers a secret room in his uncle’s house with CIA classified documents. Bueno illustrates this portion like a, as TJ says, “history textbook.” There are images of Eisenhower, a history of the CIA, an explanation of the popular understanding of the events after nuclear testing, and up through the formation of, and public knowledge, of what came to be known as Area 51.
Throughout this section, the colors vary between dull, sandy browns with a few bright reds showing imagined images of mutants and aliens. The story leads up to the development of aircraft meant for intelligence missions and these planes are shown in sleek blacks with secret night-time scenes in dark blue. As TJ continues reading the files, he is interrupted by men in black suits and his mother and he hastily finishes the tales up through the current day, from humorous denials from public figures like Bill Clinton to a thoughtful look at how conspiracies form and current speculations about Area 51. The story ends with an anticlimactic confrontation with the suited men and TJ returns home with his parents, a single bright disc shooting across the night sky.
The second title, Unwanted Guests, features a different illustrator, Naomi Franquiz, and blends several “true” ghost stories into the framing story. Franquiz’ art in the opening story is colorful and includes lots of folds and lines in clothing as well as the background. Foxe sets the framing story by introducing a biracial family moving to a new neighborhood. Minnie, the younger sister, has thick black eyebrows, an exuberant bush of brown curls, a missing tooth, and freckles. She’s dressed in blue overalls and a pink striped shirt. She’s followed by her older brother Jackson. His curls are shaved on the sides with a pompadour style on top and he wears khaki pants and a bright checked orange and yellow sweater. The two siblings bicker over mysterious stains and noises until their dad, with darker skin and a chinstrap beard, sends them off to the park to play. At the park they meet “Theo” a spookily pale kid who presents Asian. Franquiz continues the bright colors with a reddish playscape surface and bright autumn colors in the leaves.
Theo drops hints about their house and then tells them two scary stories. In the first story, a ghost tale from the 1920s, Franquiz switches to a more subdued palette with sepia tones that contrast with the brightly colored contemporary neighborhood. Minnie and Jackson interrupt for explanations of terms like spiritualism and poltergeists and Theo ends the story on an ambiguous, creepy note. After a very nervous night, the siblings approach Theo again and he tells them a second story about yet another Minnie – Minnie Clyde Winston and her bleeding house. This story, which is from the late 1980s, has brighter, more contemporary colors. Minnie is shown as a Black woman with light skin and curly hair and the pools of inexplicable blood are a viscous red. There are a few gruesome images of blood-drenched monsters but the story fades away as Minnie gradually denies the events to reporters to get some peace. As the story ends, readers return to the bright autumn park and Theo hints at a third story, about a young boy named Theodore who disappears in an attic… echoes of the earlier stories he told are revisited in the siblings’ experiences that night and the book ends with a final, ghostly shiver.
Both titles include sources for the unsolved mysteries, but the first book has a more straightforward, historical approach which is mirrored in the simpler, more basic tones of Bueno’s art. The second book, with the lengthier and creepier framing story, has a more gruesome tinge which pairs well with Franquiz’ colorful art and heavily emphasized lines. While both books will appeal to young readers, the first is more likely to interest those who already have an interest in aliens, unsolved mysteries, and history while the second will appeal more to fans of ghost stories and scary tales.
Archives of the Unexplained By Steve Foxe Art by Fran Bueno, and Naomi Franquiz Macmillan First Second, 2025
Volume
ISBN
1 Area 51
9781250850287
2 Unwanted guests
9781250850263
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11), Tween (10-13)
There is a city, divided by civil war. The name of the city is unimportant, as is the name of the country. It could be any city or nation, at any time. It may be the past. It may be the future. It could be right now.
Regardless, in this city, there is a quiet drama student named Nadia. Her mother was a great stage actress. Her father was a playwright and director, whose book on how to capture the essence of a character and become someone else is still used by theatre teachers all over the world. They were both active in politics, until an attack by the Opposition killed her father and horribly burned her mother.
Nadia has not thought much about this, beyond navigating the checkpoints and random violence in her hometown. Instead, she has focused on her studies and her crush on a fellow actor. However, after her performance in Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, she is approached by man with The Party. A man who knew her father, who has an opportunity for her to serve the cause with her unique talents.
It seems that Nadia looks a lot like a waitress named Miriam, who lives in the part of the city controlled by the Opposition. Miriam is something of a recluse, with no friends or family. She is only of interest to the Party because an Opposition leader named O’Brien spends several hours a day at her café. The Party will take care of making Mariam disappear and, for seven days, Nadia will take her place. She will place a bug that will record O’Brien’s conversations. She will then hide it in a trash can on the way to work the next morning.
Nadia is assured it will be an easy mission. She is assured that there is no real risk to her. She agrees it will be the ultimate test of her talents. However, things suddenly change, requiring an alteration to the plan. And suddenly the only thing Nadia is certain of is that this mission will be far from easy…
The Shadower is unlike any espionage thriller I’ve ever read. Indeed, I’m not sure it can properly be called an espionage thriller, despite that being the main thrust of the story. The actual plot, however, is a Kafkaesque psychodrama built around issues of identity. The ambiguity of the setting reflects this, as it is uncertain precisely when or where the story takes place. It is reminiscent of 1984 in that respect. (Indeed, the villain using the alias O’Brien is an in-universe shout out to the story, as he ironically chose his alias in reference to Orwell.)
The artwork by Marie and Peter Hoey flows along with the script. The overall style reminds me of various Daniel Clowes works. The general vibe is more surreal, with a bit of body horror as Nadia gets more and more in tune with her role. The colors are muted, adding to the dull and drab feeling of the mundane world. Even the moments of excitement are rendered with a certain sense of ennui that suits the story.
Top Shelf Productions voluntarily rated The Shadower as a book for Mature Readers. I think that’s a fair assessment, though there is little in the way of offensive content. There is no sex, as such, and only a brief bit of bared buttock as Nadia gets dressed in the morning. There is a threat of violence, but little of it takes place on the page. The consequences are shown, but the actual scenes of violence are left up to the imagination. However, there is one tense scene involving a traitor who is executed by the Opposition in the street and their body is left to rot on the sidewalk. I think the Mature Readers rating is appropriate, however, given that younger audiences may not be able to appreciate the historical significance of the story or the existential horror that is the core of the book.
The Shadower By Maria Hoey, Peter Hoey Top Shelf, 2026 ISBN: 9781603095853
There are many tall tales about the highwayman Dick Turpin. The actual history, as is usually the case, is somewhat more muddled. Such is the way of legends.
Unlike the more internationally famous Robin Hood, we know for certain there was a Dick Turpin. He was born in 1706 and died by hanging in 1739. What he did in between and whom he associated with is somewhat more debatable. It is agreed, however, that he spent the last few years of his life as a horse thief and highwayman, after several years as a house-robber, poacher, and smuggler.
Dick Turpin and the Crimson Plague is more concerned with romantic fiction than solid fact. Nevertheless, this updated and expanded edition of the original 2011 graphic novel concludes with a decent overview of the real history. This is noteworthy, given how the stories contained within this volume are as unlikely as the account of Turpin riding 200 miles in a single night.
The main story, The Crimson Plague, finds Dick Turpin and his fellow thief, Tom King, enjoying their ill-gotten gains in London. After watching another unfortunate’s execution, the two decide to have some fun at the local brothel. However, it becomes apparent that there is a dark secret within the bawdy house’s basement. Soon, the two thieves become monster-slayers, fighting to save London from a vampire invasion!
The new edition of Dick Turpin and the Crimson Plague colorizes what was originally a black-and-white comic. The color art by Gavin Ross is decent enough. However, there are many pages I think might have hit harder in monochrome. Indeed, there are some pages where the colors seem to obscure the original inks of Graeme Howard’s artwork.
This new edition also contains an original short comic. Subtitled “The Crawling Terror,” this tale finds Dick Turpin and Ton King making camp in a cave. Unfortunately, the depths of the cave contain monsters that seem more appropriate to a Conan comic than a Dick Turpin story. Still, the artwork for this chapter by Roland Bird and Brett Burbridge is stronger than the main event.
All in all, I found Dick Turpin and the Crimson Plague to be an amusing read. I enjoy a good story of supernatural horror and stories about reluctant heroes. This is both. I also enjoyed the history provided at the end, which adds some context to what came before.
Time Bomb Comics does not offer a rating for Dick Turpin and the Crimson Plague. I would suggest that any librarian interested in this place it in the adult collection. First, because there is considerable bloodshed and Steven Tanner’s scripts do not skimp on adult language and sexual content. The only nudity in the book is a corset that slips to reveal one sex worker’s nipples at one point.
Another note for librarians: the only place I believe this new edition hardcover is available is the Time Bomb Comics website. The edition currently listed on Amazon and GoodReads under the provided ISBN is for the 2011 original.
Dick Turpin and the Crimson Plague By Steve Tanner Art by Roland Bird Time Bomb Comics, 2025 ISBN: 9780956182241
Anima. Lisa Storm. Vera Vicious. Morgaine La Fey. Gaia.
Five different women, both friends and rivals. Five women among the hottest and wildest girls to be found cruising the Sunset Strip. They make the scene. They go backstage. They enjoy the drugs and the bands just passing through. Every night is a new party. Every party is a new adventure.
That changed with the arrival of The Moon Show—a band on the verge of becoming the next big thing. The girls are there when a major label signs them. They go on the road with the band as they go on-tour. And for a while they are living the dream in style.
However, the girls start noticing something is wrong. Other women the band picks up go missing. And some of the girls start seeing strange things while they’re high. Visions of some darkness behind The Moon Show. Something that calls for blood!
Groupies is a hard comic to quantify. It is horror, but it is a slow-boiling horror story where the terrors are more existential than gory and largely left to the imagination. There is a mystery, but the big secret of the story is telegraphed early and somewhat predictable given stories about musicians selling their souls are common enough. (The label that signs The Moon Show is called Asmodeus Records, for crying out loud!)
Thankfully, that’s not really what Groupies is about. The mystery and horror are just background dressing to the true focus of the comic. Namely, the stories of five different women trying to find meaning in their lives amid the sex, drugs, and rock and roll culture. And their vastly different reactions to everything around them.
Lisa Storm, for instance, enjoys the scene, but still dreams of finding true love with The Moon Show’s front-man, Si, despite knowing deep down he’s a dog. Gaia and Morgaine work together to bring rock stars into bed, yet both would rather spend time with alone with one another. The irony is they are both fearful of saying anything for fear of ending what they have. And then there’s Vera Vicious, who for all her blunt talk and complaints about other women trying to steal her man of choice, is the first to realize there’s something strange about the people from “the label” and something sinister going on. All in all, Helen Mullane does a fantastic job of developing these characters and putting the reader inside their heads.
Similarly, Tula Lotay turns every chapter into a different sort of visual journey. It does the artwork a disservice to describe it as merely psychedelic. Oh, there are shifts in the artwork as the characters get high, but there are different alterations to the style and colors depending on the drug. The dark visions Gaia has after taking datura, for instance, are different than the shared hallucination the women enjoy as they drop acid before going for a walk in the woods and start imagining themselves as dryads.
Groupies is rightly recommended for Mature readers. There is cursing. There is nudity. There is everything one would expect in a story devoted to exploring the dark side of sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll. And that’s before you bring in all the murder, assault and demons. In short, this is one to put in the adult collection of the public library and one to keep away from the kids and teens.
Groupies By Helen Mullane Art by Tula Lotay Mad Cave Studios, 2026 ISBN: 9781545821268
Company Age Rating: 18+
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+) Creator Representation: British, Character Representation: Bisexual,
Superheroes might seem like they’re everywhere, from movies to underwear, but imagine living in a world where men and women with superpowers actually exist and save the world on a regular basis. Comics like Kurt Busiek’s Astro City have discussed what it’s like for mostly regular people to live in a world populated by people with powers, but Athanasia written by Daniel Kraus and illustrated by Dani, takes a much darker look at this concept. It not only explores what happens to superheroes who have lost their lives but what their remains mean for those with more earthbound problems.
Kraus’s tale takes us to Venture City, a town known for its superheroes, and follows young Forrest Molson. Forrest is a recovering addict who is looking for direction after graduating high school, so she goes into the family business. Like her father and grandfather, Forrest helps maintain the grounds at Athanasia, a cemetery housing the fallen members of Venture City’s greatest superhero team, the Dynamic Guild. Frustrated with her life and prospects, Forrest soon makes an astounding discovery: a chemical oozes from Athanasia’s soil that gives Forrest different superpowers. This new drug of choice (and the power that comes with it) soon takes over Forrest’s life. As friends and family try to pull Forrest back from the brink, her brush with superpowers soon becomes her villain arch.
Kraus is an author who’s better known for horror novels like Whalefall and Angel Down, but Athanasia is a horror story that touches upon many modern anxieties. The superheroes of this world mainly appear through their memorials, meaning they are not there when the Molson family, who have a deep respect for their positions as Athanasia’s caretakers, actually need them, illustrating how some heroes fly so high that they miss seeing the people who need their help. However, the truly harrowing moments in this book are when Forrest’s addiction spirals out of control, and she commits acts that both shock and appall readers.
Enhancing this story’s dark tones is Dani’s artwork, which eschews the dynamic colors in most superhero epics in favor of black and white ink drawing. This contrast shows readers that this story takes place far below the eyes of heroes, but the black and white also lets the book’s main villain shine. When the ooze makes its appearance and begins corrupting Forrest in earnest, the ooze (and the energy Dani manipulates when on the ooze) is colored a radioactive green, signifying its toxic nature and the frightening power now at Forrest’s fingertips.
There are many superhero stories that have cemented their status in our pop culture, but there are a multitude of stories, like Alan Moore’s Watchmen, that show the shadowy underbelly of these stories. This book will draw fans of both “Watchmen” and “Astro City” because it walks a thin tightrope of hope, like the kind in superhero narratives, and despair, like when readers take too long a glimpse beneath the capes.
Athanasia By Daniel Kraus Art by Dani Vault, 2025 ISBN: 9781638492818
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18)
Little Moon’s mother reads to her every night out of Grandma’s story book. Little Moon’s favorite story is about the scary monster the Shenk. Is it real? Then something horrible happens to her parents—luckily, some witches in hiding find her and help her understand the real purpose of Grandma’s book. But then, a spooky fairie librarian steals her book! Why? This opens the door to Little Moon learning about magic of all kinds—dark, light, helpful and tricky. Magic that is no longer allowed. She must get her Grandma’s book back! Thus starts Little Moon’s adventures, which take the form of spooky fairie stories. Think “fae” as in the old Gaelic tales, not the sanitized Disney version. It’s kind of Alice in Wonderland, with a gothic edge. Librarians and professors are portrayed as dark eyeless authoritarians and “keepers of the accredited institutions.” The first story explains how the Shenk came to be. Think of an origin story, somewhat like Thor and Loki, but as sisters.
The art is surrealistic (sometimes with no gutter or border, and sometimes with the gutters elaborately decorated with background actions) in grayscale, which is a shame, because the pencils are lush and textured and swirl every which way – it must have taken forever to layer them. This is an advance copy, though, and the back says, “vibrantly rendered in watercolors”. Colors would add to the fantastic weirdness. EVERY corner of every frame is crammed with swirling action and spooky visions. It’s a little hard with so much layered texture to determine what’s happening. The eye goes every which way and the story pacing suffers. It’s a challenging read. But the story is supposed to be creepy and disorienting—I get it. The lettering looks hand done. The book is marked for 14 and up, which I don’t think really fits. I might say 16 and up, because the parent’s disembodied heads are portrayed in the first few pages. Hiding who you are and refusing to listen to authority are also recurrent themes, better suited to older teens. The Book of Murmurs started as a web comic titled The Shenk. Webcomics are more of an older teen thing, I think. There are no adult themes, but there are lots of teeth, empty eyes, and skulls. Older teens should love it, difficult as it is.
The Book of Murmurs By Candice Purwin Fantagraphics, 2026 ISBN: 9798875001765
Company Age Rating: 14 and up
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18)
Michael Regina’s debut in 2021, The Sleepover, established him as a creator of thoughtful horror stories for a middle grade audience. His sophomore effort, Deepwater Creek, repeats this theme but with a new group of kids.
It’s the last fishing trip of summer and brothers Wade and Andrew and their friends Camilla and Tommy are determined to enjoy themselves with the brothers’ dad, despite the recent destruction of a hurricane and the resultant rumors that… something… is causing problems in the river. The dynamic of the brothers – Andrew, hesitant and cautious, Wade, constantly pushing him past his boundaries – is established during the trip while Camilla and Tommy are more background characters. Then disaster strikes. A strange fog rolls in, the fish start looking strange, and Andrew and their dad go overboard. Wade manages to help them escape, but there’s… something… in the water, seen only dimly as a blacker shape with three gleaming red eyes and a sharp horn against a cloud of shadows.
In the aftermath of the accident, Andrew withdraws into himself but Wade refuses to leave him alone and eventually convinces him, and their friends, to make another trip up the river and face their fears. Their journey will lead them into a terrifying world of strange underwater creatures and dark secrets from the past, forcing them to confront not only the monsters hiding in the fog but also their own fears.
Regina’s art has a distinctive, swirling look, due to the watercolors used to paint it. Regina’s medium is perfect for the story, with dirty grey fog drifting throughout the images and terrifying shadows lurking under the dark, murky water. Even the sunny day at the very beginning has ominous yellowish clouds in the sky and the story grows darker and darker as it progresses, with monstrous shapes only partially glimpsed through the clouds until they are briefly but fully revealed, evil red “eyes” blazing against churning teeth and whipping tentacles. When the group flees the monster, pushing through the fog to find the deserted wreck left from the monster’s last incursion, the art shifts to sepia tones. They encounter a “survivor” who tells the story and its disastrous results. After this sequence builds to a terrifying revelation, the small group plunges back into the fog, desperately trying to survive, the increasing darkness pierced only by strange sparks of light. The story ends in the dark water, now cleansed of the monster, as the two brothers together swim towards the bright light of the day and future.
This is classic horror, the monsters shown as both a very real menace and a dark, terrifying mystery with a deeper layer to the story reflecting on the hidden layers of the characters involved in the story. Both Wade and Andrew have layers of feelings they are hiding, especially Wade, who covers his anxieties over future change with his pushy insistence on Andrew “getting over it” and sticking with the group of friends. Andrew and Wade’s mom speaks Spanish, Tommy is Black, and Camilla is white with blonde hair. Although secondary characters, both Tommy and Camilla are fully realized people; Camilla has her own scientific agenda and can take over leadership when needed and Tommy has a dry sense of humor, firm loyalty, and a determined, practical streak that keeps the group going through their adventure.
Readers who ventured into Regina’s previous book will be excited and nervous about stepping into another one of his strange worlds, where a new group of intrepid kids overcome their fears and venture forward to face both the monsters that lurk in the shadows and their own insecurities. The story will remain in readers’ imaginations long after they finish it, not just for the delicious thrill of what might be hiding in the shadows, but also for the hope of seeing the light beyond the darkness of fear, change, and grief.
Deepwater Creek By Michael Regina Penguin Random House, 2025 ISBN: 9780593117378
NFNT Age Recommendation: Middle Grade (7-11), Tween (10-13)
Gruesome. Dramatic. Utterly wild. And just the beginning. I need more.
James Tynion IV is among the most exciting writers working in comics today. For Exquisite Corpses from Image Comics, he partners with Michael Walsh along with other artists and writers to deliver the first volume in a blood soaked battle royale conducted by the thirteen richest families in America who wield unchecked power from the shadows. To keep the peace between their factions, every five years these families select champions and unleash them within an unsuspecting small town on Halloween night. The last killer standing will claim a reward and another five years of unquestioned power for the family who sponsored them. The other killers will be dead. As for the town—well, it doesn’t look promising. This time, the killers have landed in Oak Valley.
Tynion has already built a reputation for layered, unflinching horror. What helps set his work apart is the thematic depth and character development that emerges amidst the carnage and action and intriguing stories he continues to build. As quickly as the body count starts to rise at the hands of mercenaries and flashy murders alike—we also meet the inhabitants of Oak Valley. A young couple. A young boy and his mother. A gas station attendant. Two EMTs unaware of the horrors that await them in the night. Tynion and the other writers (including Walsh and the acclaimed Pornsak Pichetshote), build a tapestry of character on all sides—townsfolk, ruling families, and the killers themselves. Even among the families and the killers, the story doesn’t shape the characters with only broad strokes. We get glimpses into rivalries, old resentments, and heartfelt loyalty among the shadowy rulers. Among the killers themselves—some are out for blood alone, but others have more complex reasons for stepping onto the killing floor. No side is entirely villainous. No side is only sympathetic. Some of these folks are larger than life while others are just trying to get by. It is these few, the desperate and the hopeful, that take the story beyond an action set-piece and into something that is crafted with flair—but also perhaps more relevant to today than some of us might care to notice.
Walsh’s art also maintains a gritty feel across each issue, blending shadowed realism with flashes of vibrant color. Along with Marianna Ignazzi and Valentine De Landro, the creative team build a small town that feels lived in and real, tucked in some quiet corner of the northeast where—unfortunately for them—help will likely not be arriving in time. This stylized realism balances well with the neons and blood spatter that explode across the page, especially in the presence of the eccentric killers. The visuals create a world of real places and people, telling story through costumes and expressions as much as the written narrative. Visually, the book is a delight—and as the chaos begins to unfurl, this unsuspecting town is only just starting to take notice.
Exquisite Corpses earns a solid mature rating with somewhat graphic violence and some language. It’s a story aimed at adults, though not out of reach of older teens who can handle the content. My only notable complaint about the book is that, at 3 issues, it was over far too quickly. There’s plenty more story to come, and this volume would sit happily in any collection with a focus on horror and crime-thrillers. Fans of titles like The Hunger Games, Battle Royale, and Alice in Borderland as well as Tynion’s other horror titles are sure to find plenty to enjoy within these pages. I highly recommend this one for anyone willing to take a step into the dark, and I look forward to the next installment.
Exquisite Corpses Vol. 01 By James Tynion IV Art by Michael Walsh Image, 2025 ISBN: 9781534331044
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18) Creator Representation: Canadian, Gay, Character Representation: Black, Gay,
When last we left Lenore, the Cute Little Dead Girl, she and her friends were in dire circumstances. Well, as dire as they can be when you’re already dead and Hell has pretty much given up on reclaiming you.
Regardless, Pooty Applewater (the bucket-headed bounty hunter demon) accidentally awakened, killed, and resurrected a pickle hat, which turned into a murderous monster. Unfortunately, despite it wanting to kill Lenore, Pooty and their doll-friend Ragamuffin, Lenore forbid Pooty to kill the pickle hat. Again. Even though this left them trapped in their house and slowly starving to death. Or undeath. Or whatever.
Salvation seemed to arrive in the form of the Time Goats – a group of advanced goats from the future, who mastered the science of time travel. They came to stop Pooty from killing the pickle hat and bringing about the end of all reality. Or making sure he killed it, so the pickle hat didn’t destroy all reality. Instead, they became a meal for Lenore and her friends, which wound up scattering them across time.
Yeah. Eating cooked Time Goat makes you time travel. Who knew?!
Now Lenore and her friends are scattered across time and trying to make their way home. And this is where things start to get weird…
Those who are familiar with Lenore, the Cute Little Dead Girl and the comics of Roman Dirge will find more of the same wacky weirdness and oddball artwork in Lenore: The Time War. Those who are not familiar with Lenore, the Cute Little Dead Girl will soon grasp the core concept.
Despite picking up where the previous series ended, this book is fairly friendly to new readers thanks to Dirge satirizing comic book continuity with the character of Flashback Squirrel. This strange being happily explains everything at the start of each chapter, even as he fakes his own death to escape his secret families to indulge in sick, twisted activities. Yes, even more sick and twisted than the events of Lenore: The Time War.
Regardless, while Roman Dirge’s work is sure to appeal to those who like Tim Burton movies and other cute, Gothic and twisted things, there is another angle to be appreciated here. The time-travel based storyline offers a lot of humor for sci-fi fans. I can particularly see the quirky humor appealing to Doctor Who fans, particularly when Lenore starts dealing with various gods and a frenemy who hasn’t met them yet, but they know all too well.
Titan Comics rated this volume as appropriate for readers 15 and up. This made me quirk my head a bit, because the last Lenore volume I looked at was rated 18+. I would put this one in the Adult Graphic Novels collection for consistency. Beyond several jokes about cannibalism, there are also references to Thai sex tourism, marital infidelity, murder, mayhem, child abuse, child neglect, animal abuse, butt-wiping, and repeated violations of the space-time continuum.
It’s all in the name of good fun, however, for a given value of good fun. Just be forewarned that it is not appropriate for children and sensitive souls.
Lenore: The Time War By Roman Dirge Titan, 2025 ISBN: 9781787745421
Company Age Rating: 15+
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18)
What happens when the leader of a major political superpower is compromised? What if a supernatural evil possesses someone who has control of our nation’s military or its nuclear weapons? In a world that’s already fraught with political tension, such a story might be considered either utterly taboo or absolutely necessary to discuss, but The Exorcism at 1600 Penn doesn’t wade too deeply into our current political morass; rather, writer Hanna Rose May and illustrator Vanesa Del Rey chose not to reinvent the demonic wheel in this straight-up story of possession that happens to take place at one of the most famous and powerful addresses in our country.
The story opens with Kelly Doyle finding her feet as the first female elected as President of the United States, which means her husband and children, teenage siblings Mara and Kevin, must also adjust Soon, Mara begins displaying some odd behaviors that can initially be chalked up to adjusting to a new school but soon become not only a source of concern for the family but a political concern for Kelly. Soon, Kevin and the rest of the family discover the truth; a demon has gotten into Mara and it sees destroying Kelly’s family as its mission until it realizes that Kelly’s office means it can spread human misery (and even violent destruction) on a much larger scale.
Fans of possession tales will be very familiar with the plot structure here: a person who seems well-adjusted starts behaving strangely, then that behavior escalates until the harried family, seemingly at their wits end, must accept that something supernaturally evil has entered that person. May’s story, however, adds an interesting wrinkle by adding the pressure of occupying the White House. For daughter Mara, it means dealing with the pressure of being a member of the First Family, and the bullying it engenders, which creates the right mindset for something demonic to enter. For mother Kelly, it means watching her daughter’s condition worsen while trying to handle an international crisis and her falling approval ratings. Having this situation happen to the first family also raises the stakes when said demon begins plotting to possess Kelly who, once again, controls the nation’s nuclear weapons.
Possession films like The Exorcist and Paranormal Activity aren’t known for their bright colors and Del Rey’s illustrations set the proper tone for this slow burn horror story. Apart from the characters looking like they stepped from a 14th century woodcutting page before dressing in modern clothes, the colors are very muted, save for angrier colors like red. The result is, while not necessarily looking realistic, a palette and overall appearance that doesn’t disturb the brooding atmosphere of the overall story. This art style also allows the demon, when it finally reveals itself, to be both unreal and real enough to appear threatening. Even the Capitol Building, which usually appears in illustrations and photographs a pristine white, is an ashy gray, which in itself might be a political statement.
Overall, the book is less politically charged and more demonically charged. It shows some element of political intrigue, but at its heart, it’s a story about well-meaning good people battling demonic forces. Adult readers who want a richly done demonic possession tale should check this book out, but they shouldn’t expect anything close to political satire.
The Exorcism at 1600 Penn By Hannah Rose May Art by Vanesa Del Rey IDW, 2025 ISBN: 9798887243177
NFNT Age Recommendation: Adult (18+), Older Teen (16-18) Creator Representation: Irish,
books in the series are very different.
any time. It may be the past. It may be the future. It could be right now.
Such is the way of legends.
They make the scene. They go backstage. They enjoy the drugs and the bands just passing through. Every night is a new party. Every party is a new adventure.
with superpowers actually exist and save the world on a regular basis. Comics like Kurt Busiek’s Astro City have discussed what it’s like for mostly regular people to live in a world populated by people with powers, but Athanasia written by Daniel Kraus and illustrated by Dani, takes a much darker look at this concept. It not only explores what happens to superheroes who have lost their lives but what their remains mean for those with more earthbound problems.
Shenk. Is it real? Then something horrible happens to her parents—luckily, some witches in hiding find her and help her understand the real purpose of Grandma’s book. But then, a spooky fairie librarian steals her book! Why? This opens the door to Little Moon learning about magic of all kinds—dark, light, helpful and tricky. Magic that is no longer allowed. She must get her Grandma’s book back! Thus starts Little Moon’s adventures, which take the form of spooky fairie stories. Think “fae” as in the old Gaelic tales, not the sanitized Disney version. It’s kind of Alice in Wonderland, with a gothic edge. Librarians and professors are portrayed as dark eyeless authoritarians and “keepers of the accredited institutions.” The first story explains how the Shenk came to be. Think of an origin story, somewhat like Thor and Loki, but as sisters.
Michael Regina’s debut in 2021, The Sleepover, established him as a creator of thoughtful horror stories for a middle grade audience. His sophomore effort, Deepwater Creek, repeats this theme but with a new group of kids.
you’re already dead and Hell has pretty much given up on reclaiming you.
the leader of a major political superpower is compromised? What if a supernatural evil possesses someone who has control of our nation’s military or its nuclear weapons? In a world that’s already fraught with political tension, such a story might be considered either utterly taboo or absolutely necessary to discuss, but The Exorcism at 1600 Penn doesn’t wade too deeply into our current political morass; rather, writer Hanna Rose May and illustrator Vanesa Del Rey chose not to reinvent the demonic wheel in this straight-up story of possession that happens to take place at one of the most famous and powerful addresses in our country.
