It's not Halloween yet; we're just practicing! Haunted tapes, mysterious powers, ogres and myths, and an apartment haunted by three little girls, don't turn your back on this list! Who knows what lurks in the shadows or around the corner of every page. For today's Fresh Friday Features you might want to leave the light on and have some salt handy.
This week, Ben from Comic Book Squares and ArtCrumbs have picked out four titles that they feel deserve more reads! In our line-up this week, we've got one comic from each category to give you a varied list of must-reads for your weekend!
- Comic - Black Tape: After Jack dies on stage, his widow, Cindy, grapples with grief and struggles to protect his legacy, unaware that she is being surrounded by dark forces that covet the master tapes to Jack’s final, unreleased album.
- Graphic Novel - Nightmare in Savannah: From tormenting cheerleaders to dreamy football players, Alexa can’t keep up, especially when Fae, Skye, and Chloe take her into their group of outsiders. But after a night in the woods, a power has awakened within them.
- Manga - Curse of the Three Sisters: Have you heard about the infamous Three Sisters? Rumor has it they were murdered together and are still searching for their "Mom" even now. What happens when some trouble-making girls step into their haunted apartment?
- Webcomic - Bite-sized Beastiary: bite-sized pieces of information about amazing creatures from myths, legends, and folklore all around the world.
Now that we've met our four fresh picks, let's dig into each of them!
Black Tape, 57 pages - Published by AWA Studios, (cc/ @WillGraves)
Jack King was a rock’n’roll god who projected a stage persona on par with the devil. After Jack dies on stage, his widow, Cindy, grapples with grief and struggles to protect his legacy, unaware that she is being surrounded by dark forces that covet the master tapes to Jack’s final, unreleased album – a heavy metal masterpiece that just might open a doorway to hell.
Story and Art by AWA Studios
Comments from Ben @comicbooksquares: What if a rock star’s Satanic stage persona was much more than it seemed? When rock god Jack King dies suddenly on stage, his wife Cindy discovers just that in AWA Studio’s “Black Tape.”
Writer Dan Panosian takes us back to 1973 Los Angeles, when the Sunset Strip was crowded with rockers and groupies, drugs were in every pocket, and the Manson murders were a recent event. Dalibor Talajić’s artwork and Ive Svorcina’s colors are our portal to this time, capturing the excess and esthetic of the era while sprinkling in Heavy Metal vibes. I felt like I was getting a peek into the rock and roll lifestyle of the time even as a sinister plot began to rear its ugly, horned head.
Panosian impressed me with this ability to quickly introduce multiple characters without leaving me feeling lost trying to figure who was who later. Even more impressive is that in just two issues, I found myself going back and rereading to see if there were clues I’ve missed as to who truly wants to help Cindy after her husband’s death and who is part of this plan to unleash Satan on the world.
If you enjoy gritty mysteries, slow-burn horror, and rock and roll, check out “Black Tape”!
Nightmare in Savannah, 189 pages - Published by Mad Cave Studios, (cc/ @chrisfernandez)
High school student Alexa Bowman moved to Savannah, Georgia to get away from her old life. Too bad her past is a Google search away and her family’s criminal past quickly made her an outcast. From tormenting cheerleaders to dreamy football players, Alexa can’t keep up, especially when Fae, Skye, and Chloe take her into their group of outsiders. But after a night in the woods, a power has awakened within them, a power that’s equal parts magical and terrifying. But there are no coincidences in Savannah, and once they find out how to control their powers the town is in for a rude awakening.
Story and Art by Lela Gwenn, Micah Myers, Rowan MacColl
Comments from Ben @comicbooksquares: If you liked the movie “The Craft,” then you’ll love “Nightmare in Savannah.”
In this coming-of-age fantasy horror tale, writer Lela Gwenn introduces us to Alexa, a high school student forced to move back to her hometown of Savannah, Georgia, after her parents are imprisoned. Alexa is immediately bullied by some of the students, but is thankful to befriend three other outcast girls. However, not all is as it seems, as Alexa and her friends discover they have hidden powers and begin to use it on those who have harmed them.
Lela digs deep into fairy folklore for this story, not only establishing the rules of this hybrid world but slyly foreshadowing events to come. I appreciated how she expertly weaved several story threads together, leaving me feeling like I’d watched a Hollywood movie full of romance, family drama, and horror all in one.
Rowan McColl’s art and Micah Myer’s lettering tied everything together. Like any good film, they took moments to focus in a character or two, lines sharpening and the lettering static. But when things get chaotic in the story, the art and lettering follow, enhancing the tension.
A romantic storyline that actually pays off, a horrific take on fae, and journey of self discovery - “Nightmare in Savannah” has it all.
Curse of the Three Sisters, 72 pages - Published by MediBang Inc., (cc/ @MediBang)
Have you heard about the infamous Three Sisters? Rumor has it they were murdered together and are still searching for their "Mom" even now... Nobody is brave enough to step into their cursed apartment...are you? Warning: Graphic violence
Story and Art by MediBang Inc.
Comments from @ArtCrumbs:
This is one of those ghost stories that I had to finish in one sitting! I just couldn't put it down! It's in three parts, one for each sister with a sinister twist at the end. I personally didn't see that coming in the last few pages, but it was a very satisfying end! Why?
Well, these three sisters were sadly murdered, and a gang of children thought it was a good idea to steal from this haunted apartment. One by one, they are confronted by these ghosts and it doesn't end well for those kids. As the story grows more intense with each theft atoned for, you have to wonder what will happen to the last girl? Can the ghosts be stopped? No, not at all, and that is what made this story so satisfying.
It's brutal, it's scary, it's haunting. It's satisfying. Wonderful manga and highly recommended.
Bite-Sized Bestiary, 93 pages - Published by HungryMoth Comics, (cc/ @HungryMoth)
Learn bite-sized pieces of information about amazing creatures from myths, legends, and folklore all around the world. We talk about magical creatures that everyone knows and loves and some you could never even dream of! Series thumbnail created by GioHwang
Story and Art by HungryMoth Comics
Comments from @ArtCrumbs:
Ghosts, spirits, and spooks from all over the globe in smaller bite-sized chunks. Adorable drawings, good humor, bizzare facts and colorful art all make this a fun comic to read in your downtime or if looking for neat creatures to write about! It's a fun little beastiary, and I'm curious what creatures it'll talk about next!
I really appreciate it looking at creatures from all over the world so that I can learn about things I've never heard of before. As a spirit and ghost story-lover, I'd never heard of the ramidreju before! So it was a really nice treat to see. If that's what I can get out of these series, I'm looking forward to what else I can learn about!
That's all for now, but we'll have another set of Fresh Friday reading recommendations next week. If you're looking for more recommendations, make sure to opt-in for our weekly reading list email! You can find that in your User Profile Notification settings. You can also browse through our Featured Comics news section!
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