Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    EA Sports Madden NFL 26 Head Coach But Why Tho 5

    Dear EA Sports, Why Can’t I Make A Hot Coach?

    08/14/2025
    Blade in Marvel Rivals Season 3.5

    Blade Can Shut Down The Other Team In Marvel Rivals Season 3.5 If You Know How

    08/08/2025
    John Cena and Cody Rhodes during Summerslam 2025

    The SummerSlam 2025 Main Event Was A Fever Dream We All Needed

    08/08/2025
    Street Fighter 6 Sagat

    Sagat Brings Depth And Approachability To ‘Street Fighter 6’

    08/07/2025
    Battlefield 6 Classes - Support trailer image

    Battlefield 6 Really Wants You To Play Support (But Knows You Won’t)

    07/31/2025
  • Indie Games
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Apple TV+
But Why Tho?
Home » Dark Horse Comics » REVIEW: ‘Stranger Things: Six,’ Issue #1

REVIEW: ‘Stranger Things: Six,’ Issue #1

Aaron PhillipsBy Aaron Phillips05/29/20194 Mins ReadUpdated:10/11/2021
Stranger Things Six 1 But Why Tho
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

Stranger Things: Six #1

With a little over a month away until season three of Stranger Things premieres on Netflix and if you just can’t wait to be transported back to the town of Hawkins, then Dark Horse has you covered. Stranger Things: Six #1 one is published by Dark Horse Comics, written by Jodi Houser, penciled by Edgar Salazar, inked by Keith Champagne, colored by Marissa Louise,  with letters by Nate Piekos of BLAMBOT.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

The prequel series opens up in 1970 with a mother and her daughter Francine driving down a dark, country road in a heavily wooded area. The young girl, who is absentmindedly playing with her doll freezes during a conversation and screams for the car to stop as if their life depended on it. The car comes to a screeching halt, but the road is clear, absolutely nothing happened.

Francine’s mother is obviously furious at her daughter for reacting like that since it could have caused an accident. Just as she’s about to unleash her verbal fury upon her daughter, a tree from the side of the road comes crashing down and lays right before them. It is around the point in the comic you’d expect to hear the infamous introduction of the Stranger Things logo and theme music.

Jumping ahead eight years later to 1978, some five years before the events of Eleven and the upside down, Francine finds herself in Hawkins, Indiana, in the lab that is a familiar location for fans. Not only are we at the epicenter of trouble, but Dr. Brenner himself is present and conducting his experiments to enhance gifted individuals. Here we learn that Francine has now been designated as number Six.

A lot of the tones in this issue should be familiar with anyone who’s seen the show. Six and Elevens’ mentally abusive relationship with Dr. Brenner being the primary one. One element we haven’t seen, however, is that the program that tests and measures these special individuals is apparently at the height of its life with many participants enrolled and living on site.

While Stranger Things: Six #1 is in the development stage of the story, the mixture of its slow pace, large panels, and lack of dialogue make it a quick read and leave readers with a sense of being underwhelmed. Having a franchise such as Stranger Things, I was hoping to be a lot more engaged, but as quickly as you get into the issue, it’s over. The artwork from Salazar and Champagne is well done and captures the essence of the location of Hawkins lab with the drab color palettes from Louise clearly capturing the feel of the seventies.

Sadly, reading a comic tied to a very successful streaming show means naturally we are bound to compare the two side by side. There are many variables for Stranger Things on Netflix that really elevate the show, there are levels and depth that are packed into each episode. What Stranger Things: Six #1 is lacking is that it never feels like it captures any of these major tones, namely the eighties era nostalgia via recollection of the memorabilia, with the nerdy band of young kids, with the synthy music playing throughout the show, and most importantly the well delivered moments of unexpected tension and horror. Issue one lulls forward and the moments of actual suspense are not built towards, but rather thrown at us, resulting in a mundane reaction.

Given Stranger Things: Six #1 spends so much time building the scene and introducing the characters, I’m hopeful issue two wastes no time in moving the story along, but as a stand-alone comic, this one fails to deliver anything of note.

Stranger Things: Six #1 is available now wherever comic books are sold.

Stranger Things: Six #1
2

TL;DR

Given Stranger Things: Six #1 spends so much time building the scene and introducing the characters, I’m hopeful issue two wastes no time in moving the story along, but as a stand-alone comic, this one fails to deliver anything of note.

  • Buy via ComiXology Affiliate Link

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleREVIEW: ‘Angel,’ Issue #1
Next Article REVIEW: ‘Catwoman Annual,’ Issue #1
Aaron Phillips
  • X (Twitter)
  • Instagram

Aaron is a contributing writer at But Why Tho, serving as a reviewer for TV and Film. Hailing originally from England, and after some lengthy questing, he's currently set up shop in Pennsylvania. He spends his days reading comics, podcasting, and being attacked by his small offspring.

Related Posts

Survival #1 — But Why Tho

ADVANCED REVIEW: ‘Survival,’ Issue #1

05/02/2023
Blue Book #1— But Why Tho

REVIEW: ‘Blue Book,’ Issue #1

02/23/2023
It's Only Teenage Wasteland #1

REVIEW: ‘It’s Only Teenage Wasteland,’ Issue #1

12/07/2022
Wiper Volume 1

ADVANCED REVIEW: ‘Wiper,’ Volume 1

10/01/2022
Maskerade #1 - But Why Tho

REVIEW: ‘Maskerade,’ Issue #1

09/14/2022
Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories #1

REVIEW: ‘Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories,’ Issue #1

08/24/2022

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
Still from Shin Godzilla
8.5
Film

REVIEW: ‘Shin Godzilla’ Is More Relevant Than Ever

By Sarah Musnicky08/16/2025Updated:08/17/2025

It is understandable how Shin Godzilla succeeded at the box office nearly a decade ago. The strength of its story still stands today.

Botanical Bliss Update Palia But Why Tho 5 News

Palia’s New Botanical Bliss Update Brings New Flora, Decorations, And Quest Mechanic

By Matt Donahue08/18/2025Updated:08/18/2025

The Botanical Bliss update adds new event, more plushes, and a host of quality-of-life improvements and more to celebrate 2 years of Palia.

BOOTS Netflix First Look promotional images News

First Look at Coming-of-Age Story BOOTS, Coming to Netflix This October

By But Why Tho?08/17/2025

Netflix is reporting for duty this fall with the new eight-episode series BOOTS, a comedic drama starring Miles Heizer and Vera Farmiga

Nuestra Magia Secret Lair Art Interviews

EXCLUSIVE: How The ‘Nuestra Magia’ Secret Lair Found Its Identity And Raised Over $1M

By Kate Sánchez08/15/2025Updated:08/15/2025

We spoke with Ovidio Cartagena about Magic: The Gathering’s Nuestra Magia Secret Lair drop, its impact, and the real treasure within.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here