REVIEW: ‘Ghostlore,’ Issue #1

A family with a rocky past is headed home from church one night when tragedy strikes, and their car goes off the road. What young Harmony and her father experience afterward is a ghostly tale that delivers some surprises in Ghostlore #1, published by BOOM! Studios, written by Cullen Bunn, art by Leomacs and Brian Hurtt, colors by Jason Wordie and Bill Crabtree, and letters by Ed Dukeshire.

On its surface, horror is a simple genre. It exists to scare, startle, or spook the audience with its narratives about ghostly specters or other terrifying creatures. But while giving us chills is part of the genre’s appeal, the delivery falls flat if the audience is left with the lingering question of what was the point. The mysteries and monsters lose much of the impact if they lose out to a feeling of confusion about the meaning of a tale. This was my experience with Ghostlore #1.

The family at the center of this book’s story is made up of the father, Reverand, of the local church; his wife, Em—their children, Chris, who doesn’t speak; and their daughter Harmony. The family is going through some rocky times, and their interactions are noticeably strained. Bunn does a great capturing the family’s squabbles with each other with an authentic voice that many readers will probably be able to hear their own family through.

But as Harmony drives the family home from church one night, she sees something that causes her to go off the road and strike a tree. As she and her father struggle to escape the wreck, Chris talks for the first time in months. Though what he has to recount to his family is troubling.

The core of Ghostlore #1‘s spookiness is where the story falls off a bit. While the events in the present and Chris’ story stylistically fit a book titled Ghostlore, they both just kind of stop. Neither narrative goes anywhere and left me with a “that’s it?” feeling as I finished the book. While Chris’ tale informs some of the things going on in their sleepy little town in the present, it doesn’t feel complete.

While the narratives in the book fell flat, the art does a great job of presenting the reader with the ghosts and monsters of the story. Leomac captures the family drama and the ghostly presence within the present tale wonderfully. At the same time, Wordie complements the eerie side of the present in the book’s art with wonderfully chosen colors. In Chris’s tale, Hurtt delivers big time on the elaborate design for the creature that features in this side of the story. At the same time, Crabtree complements it wonderfully with some truly vivid moments of color that drive the creature into the forefront of every panel.

Rounding out the book’s visual presentation is a solid lettering job by Dukeshire. The dialogue is always expertly placed, and Dukeshire gives a bit of extra personality to the voices of the less human dialogue.

Ghostlore #1 manages to stick to its visual presentation, even as its narrative falls a bit short. However, if you are looking for a solid, spooky story with some well-delivered family drama and great visuals, this book could still hold value for you.

Ghostlore #1 is available now as part of Free Comic Book Day.