“Halloween Girl, Book One: Promises to Keep” by Richard T. Wilson is released from Mad Shelley Comics and features art by Stephen Mullan, Pietro Vaughan, Wanderer Luna, Charaf Mezioud, and Eleonora Garofolo. Art is divvied up by chapter, each retaining its own unique feel to the characters at play.
‘Death is a lot of damned work’, thinks 18-year-old ghost, Charlotte Williams, as she braves the unsettled world of the In-Between. It’s here the rebellious teen finds the clues she so desperately needs in her battle against the diabolic, secret society, The Hollow (who took her life and just happen to be trying to end the world!). With wise-cracking, Goth ghost, Poe at her side, the duo work to decipher the latest clues to thwart the evil sect at every turn. However, things get hairy when The Hollow kidnaps Charlotte’s young son, Luke in retaliation. A devastated Charlotte then suffers from the guilt of screwing up his young life ‘even in death’, before forming a plan with Poe to get him back – and make The Hollow pay.
“Halloween Girl” wastes no time getting started, throwing us into one of her missions in the middle of the story. Charlotte has already been dead for dead years and has adapted to this style of existing, but is still uncovering secrets. Heavily character-based with witty banter, demonic children, and plenty of twists, it serves up Buffy-style nostalgia.
Charlotte’s motherhood-driven character and deep friendship with Poe keep her grounded and relatable despite being dead and surrounded by supernatural goings on. The way the characters balance human drama and dynamics with larger storylines and demonic forces resembles shows like Lucifer, Charmed, and The Sandman.
Like film anthologies, the art styles varied in quality, but there is something for everyone here— after a few pages, each style tended to grow on me. Each artist emphasized feminine aspects, but they didn’t feel as forced or over the top as many comics tend to. For volume one, the emphasis was on lips and hair, with realistic curves and attitude, t-shirts, jackets, and expressions.
A few of the backgrounds relied on heavier shading, with the earlier chapters being lighter and using more negative space. Yet that works well with the themes being addressed, as the plot darkens, so too do the panels themselves.
Emmy® Award Winner, Richard T. Wilson serves as the President/Writer-Filmmaker of RTW Productions, Inc., home to nationally recognized educational film company, Outreach Arts, Inc., and its award-winning, sister company, Mad Shelley Films/Comics (‘Under the Flowers’, ‘The Halloween Girl’ film & graphic novel series). To date, he has had over 70 of his plays and films produced and seen some of this same work featured on ABC World News Tonight, National Public Radio, PBS, and The Independent Film Channel. However, Wilson is probably best known for creating both the critically acclaimed, multi-award-winning TV/DVD series, ‘Maple Ave’ and the hit, supernatural web series, ‘Under the Flowers’.
While the current arc gets tied up nicely, there are still plenty of questions readers will surely want answers to, so be sure to pick up this and future volumes from here or a bookstore of your choice. Great for whenever you’d like a spooky read with human charm, depth of character, and smart heroines.
More Comic Book Reviews
Now that we have watched all four seasons of Call My Agent, some of us several times, we need something fresh from Netfilx or anywhere else to keep lockdown boredom… Gaia is a strikingly gorgeous and demented release from new mangaka Asagi Yaenaga, who is transitioning from their expressive and violent art pieces into the realm of narrative storytelling. The… Ken Niimura is a Spanish-Japanese artist who employs a simplified, endearing style to share three stories in this volume of the taboo. Taking inspiration from the Japanese tales he heard… The name of Howard Phillips Lovecraft invokes various emotions among people today; adoration, disgust, interest, offense, suspense, and horror, to name a few. In my opinion, any talented author should… When I found the EC Archives Shock Suspenstories published by Dark Horse Books, I had the most vivid memory return to me in my local comic book shop. I was… Maria Llovet has been creating comics since 2011. As a Spanish-American author, illustrator, and animator, she is best known for Heartbeat and Eros/Psyche. Here at the Grimoire of Horror, we…
Evil From Italy, Sin From Spain – A Crash Course To the Underground
Gaia (2022) Manga Review – A Deviously Dark Debut Horror Manga
Never Open It: The Taboo Trilogy Manga Review – Japanese Folklore Re-Envisioned
HP Lovecraft’s The Call of Cthulhu and Dagon Illustrated by Dave Shephard – Graphic Novel Review
Comic Collection Review: EC Archives Shock Suspenstories Volume 1 by Bill Gains and Al Feldstein
Interview With Maria Llovet – Return to Oz, Psychology, and Sexuality
Hello, I’m Quinn. Saying I’m deeply into fashion and Japanese culture is an understatement. We’ve renovated entire rooms of our house to dedicate to my collections of lolita and other Japanese fashions. I enjoy balancing the cute with the macabre, and the more disturbing it is, the more I’ll enjoy it. Thus, my love for Asian horror and manga was born. Thank you for taking the time to read my writings. I look forward to discussing films and aesthethics with you!