null

 Hello Darkness Vol. 5 by Various Artists

Hello Darkness Vol. 5 cover

Big thanks to BOOM! Studios and NetGalley for sharing an advanced copy of this excellent horror anthology comic Hello Darkness Vol. 5. I was excited to find this edition because I loved horror anthologies nearly any way they arrive—comics, films, shows; I enjoy some short, dark tales that often end in some kind of ironic cosmic justice. I’ve really been enjoying comic anthologies for the unique artwork and brisk storytelling that gets right down to business. Hello Darkness Vol. 5 features all of these great elements with some awesome writers and artists, including Tate Brombal and Tini Howard, whose works I just encountered in other recent publications. Plus, I got to discover some great new writers and artists, including Rocky OBK’s mesmerizing “Sauna 24” and Paulina Ganucheau’s bloody tale “Freshly Maid.” I also really liked “Last Christmas” by Torunn Grønbekk and illustrated by Isaac Goodheart. The story hearkened back to those great Tales from the Crypt EC comics, even down to the dark artwork. There are these other short one-page pieces that have 3-4 comics per page called “I Can’t Take You Anywhere” by Hack, and these were hilarious—a great way to break up some of the disturbing horror stories with some more dark humor that was reminiscent of The Far Side, but only darker and more ironic. What stood out to me most, though, was the incredible artwork of Jenny Frison throughout this book. There were just some of the darkest, most surreal horror images I’ve seen with amazing color. There were other images by Jeehyung Lee, Michael Dialynas, Rebeca Puebla, Emma Rios, Becky Cloonan, and Riley Rossmo that were equally captivating and really made me pause. While all of the artists brought their own vision and style, I loved that there was a kind of carnival like theme that also stressed this kind of dark side behind the play and fun of childhood. In fact, there were plenty of stories that featured that kind of dark side hidden behind the mask of propriety—whether it was whatever dark force is driving the murderous “Pothole” or the doppelgänger who is too good to be true in Brombal’s “Imposter Syndrome,” or the hidden passage that the main character from “Sauna 24” discovers after needing to escape from the stresses of everyday life. Each of these characters slips into the darkness, whether by choice, through exploration, or be accident… they are all pulled from the world of comfort and light into a darker, more violent or unknown world. I especially liked “One of Us” by Joe Pruett with stark black and white art by Stevan Subic, where two hikers out looking for a friend encounter a strange individual who offers them some warm meat roasting on the fire. “The Thread” by Lauren Knight was not only the most disturbing story, but it was also the grossest, and I mean that in the best possible way. It was the equivalent of watching a kind of splatter horror movie crossed with some Lovecraftian-inner menace. I was cringing while reading it, but in the most enjoyable way. “Away Message” by Jorge Corona and “Gunmetal Ghost” by Fell Hound also felt timely and appropriate as both dealt with different kinds of apocalyptic outcomes, with “Gunmetal Ghost” being particularly disturbing and bloody. “Inner D-Man” by Jeffrey Brown was also a fun sports and Satan story with fun comic imagery to match this humorous but dark story. Hello Darkness Vol. 5 has a lot to offer for fans of horror, horror anthologies, and comics. I especially loved the great artwork throughout this volume, and not just the artwork from the stories, but the interstitial artwork that added to whole dark and fun themes that seem somewhat incongruous but are largely highlighted by these stories. I can’t wait to find other work by these great artists, and also check out the previous volumes of Hello Darkness. Highly recommended!