“Harrow County” #1 is a rural tale of ancient horror brought to life by Cullen Bunn’s fearful narration and Tyler Crook’s incredible watercolors. The atmosphere of this book will creep down your spine and stay there, trapping you in the its embrace. There is no respite. This is one story that will be with you for a very long time.
WRITTEN BY: Cullen Bunn
ART BY: Tyler Crook
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: May 13, 2015
Cullen Bunn has a certain affinity for rural townsfolk. Quaint farmland is a reoccurring setting in his horror work, and it’s easy to see why. It’s a place of limited understanding, strong belief, and superstition. These elements play well in the world of horror. They also lend well to ancient evil. Heavy reliance on technology undercuts just about everything, but building an atmosphere outside of this reliance creates a nostalgic horror that proves irresistible.
Tyler Crook’s water colors command the very first page. There is a lot to love about the art. Crook pencils, inks, and colors everything. And, you can see the labor on the page. Outside of that technical achievement is a natural talent for storytelling. The visual pacing is sweeping and perfectly in sync with the writing.
There are a few particular panels in this first issue that will absolutely stop you dead. A few for the fear that they inspire, and a few more for the absolute beauty of their composition. Just take a moment and marvel at Crook’s creative process.
The main character, Emmy is a superstitious little child growing up on a farm. Cullen Bunn excellently places the reader in the scared child’s head with voice over narration. Instead of detracting from the story, he adds new angles to Crook’s art. Informing his terrified little girl as she glides through the pages. There is a moment of sheer terror that is combated in the most beautiful way possible: innocence.
Childhood is a time of naivety, and while that theme may seem tired for most readers, it doesn’t last long. The entire issue is filled with reversals that will test your foresight. If you thought you knew what was lurking on the next page, Bunn is one step ahead of you.
“Harrow County” is a masterful creation that lingers in the small moments of terror from our daily lives. It builds on this tension by adding a supernatural layer, and hits it home with a petrifying climax. It’s attractive and scary. You’ll be scared to turn the page, but dying to see what beautiful darkness comes next. This is a whole new level of southern gothic that cannot be missed.
That.Last.Page… damn.