Cullen Bunn is one of the most prolific and consistent purveyors of horror comics in the industry today. For someone with such a large body of work, it’s amazing that his work is never less than good, often reaching greatness, and offering readers a wide variety of horrors. From Brian Hart’s bizarre westerns to Andrea Mutti’s serial killers, Sally Cantilino’s humorous monster hunts, Danny Ruckert’s tricky past-life cults, and the list goes on.
Tyler Crook burst onto the scene with an original graphic novel with Philip Gerratt that delved into the conspiracy surrounding Rasputin’s death, and quickly made a name for himself in the weird and wonderful world of Mike Mignola’s Hellboy universe. Most recently, he wowed the world with the incredible beauty and depth of his storytelling in his series, The Lonesome Hunters. One of the best books of the year with Christopher Cantwell. Horror, fantasy, mystery, crime, Crook brings them to life in a unique way.
Ten years ago, Bunn and Crook teamed up to create something magical.
“What do you know, you old monster?”
Harrow County: Countless Haints by Bunn and Crook is a masterpiece of Southern Gothic style. This film features Emmy Crawford, a woman who has just turned 18. Her world is turned upside down when her father and the town turn against her, believing her to be the reincarnation of the witch who killed her 18 years ago. It deals with fate, the horrors of the outback, and the choice to forge your own path.
There’s an interesting prose approach to Bunn’s writing here. Third-person omniscient narration that takes away from telling the story. It contrasts with the warm and inviting nature of Crook’s artwork. Despite the witch’s burns, the skinless boy, the sick animals, and other things that happen at night, this artwork has a comforting feel to it. It gives you peace of mind even when the nightmare continues. I think that’s one of the real appeals of this whole series. This book is amazing.
The watercolors give the book an earthy tone and emphasize the period and place. A two-page title page that incorporates the book’s title, reminiscent of Will Eisner’s Spirit and some of the best Swamp Thing series. The dream sequence’s transition to a borderless page and the strange and unique word balloons of a mysterious voice coming from Skinless Boy’s skin all add to Crook’s impressive storytelling skills. It draws you in and refuses to let go.
“It was showing off that it was alive. But Emmy knew what she found. It was just a little bit.”
One of the charms of the opening scene of Bunn and Crook’s County Harrow story, “The Countless Haint,” is that it leaves no doubt about the supernatural. There are questions about Emmy’s relationship with the witch Hester Beck and her place in the world, but ghosts, goblins, and the evil that haunts the night are present from the beginning.
But the question is whether the townspeople are right about Emmy. There’s a creepiness to the artwork and Emmy’s actions that will give you a tingle in the back of your head and might make you turn. Perhaps she is destined to become Hester’s instrument of revenge, despite her protests and positioning herself as a force for good. And it is this question, this conflict, that becomes the driving force to continue reading the series. This is especially true when it comes to building the lore and characters of this world.
Harlow County: Countless Haints
Screenplay: Karen Bunn
Artist & Letterer: Tyler Crook
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Release date: May 13th to August 12th, 2015
Available in Harlow County – Volume 1: Countless Haints, Harlow County Library Edition – Volume 1, and Harlow County Omnibus – Volume 1.
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