The subtitle to this issue is “Boo Hag” which is weird because the story inside only talks about the “Boo Witch.” Obviously its referring to the same thing, but I wondered why there wasn’t a switch made on either the title or within the story just for the sake of consistency. It’s a small detail, but it instantly stood out to me. Otherwise this first issue of The Dark is a very enjoyable “ghost story.” It’s actually a witch story, but we just lump all horrorish tales like this under “ghost” because otherwise telling them at the campfire would annoy everyone.
“Don’t you mean monster story?”
“Shut up, Trevor, just let them tell the fucking story!”
I’m ranting a little because I can’t tell you much about this story. It’s about two men in the woods. One is there as a guide and the other is there as a skeptical reporter. They’re looking for a big foot, but as our guide explains, that’s not what’s haunting these woods.
The writing is decent. The dialogue at times is rough and not very natural flowing. It does give you the impression that these two people don’t know each other which is a nice touch to the story. With a story like this it is usually all about the build up to the ending and with that I will say that even for its dry moments, The Dark builds towards the ending quite well.
The art reminds me of something, but I can’t put my finger on it. It’s a great fit for the story as it sticks to black and white and some grey tones. The tones are on the darker side, which keeps with the vibe of the story. There’s a great use of the negative space as Kelly Williams switches between the trees being light and dark, it just depends on the scene. It’s very effective, though, and keeps the story from being covered in darkness.
If this first issue is any indication of what to expect from this series, then I will be back for more. I enjoyed the presentation and the storytelling. It felt like a camp fire ghost story and that’s no easy task to recreate in a comic book. The only thing I hope that will improve is the lettering because it was quite difficult to read at times, but otherwise a solid first outing for this series.
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The Dark #1 “Boo Hag” Creator: Kelly Williams Publisher: Alterna Comics Price: $0.99 Release Date: 6/22/16 Format: Digital
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