I found issue #1 at my local comic store for $1 and thought I would give it a shot. I am very glad I did. So glad, in fact, that I had to check out the rest of it in this volume immediately after I finished reading. This is a very compelling story, keeps you on the edge of your seat and itching to turn the page, and is, most importantly for anything horror related, straight nightmare fuel. And I should know, I’ve had chronic night terrors since the age of 4. The dialogue feels natural, the illustrations are wonderfully adept at giving you that mildly queasy feeling you get when you look at something and its Just Not Quite Right, and the pacing, conversely, is very much Just Right. If you enjoy the sensation of growing unease, being anxious for what has yet to come, and the ever-present feeling of certain dread, you’re in good company with this book, as I have been while reading it.

I struggled with this review because while it is easily five star - in the sense that the artwork in so unique and incredibly well done ... and the story is interesting and unique... I just don't yet know if I am going to continue with the series. It's dark and labyrinthian in scope. The magnificent artwork on every page pulls you deep into the storyline. It's got everything I normally like. Maybe it's the timing (late in this never ending pandemic), but I just don't know if I want to stay inside the world created in this admittedly masterful graphic novel. Still giving it my highest rating.

Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino reunite for a supernatural suspense comic. Lemire's gifts and his vices are intertwined here: his love of character development and world-building runs into his problems with pacing. His twin narrative, however, doesn't seem to entirely work yet. While it is intriguing: the urban Dr. Xu and the seemingly insane man doesn't seem as developed as rural conspiracy mongering of new Priest. Both involve the black barn, but the rural story line is more developed and the characters feel more real. Returning to the pacing: this is a slow burn, but it is a suspense comic. One either loves Lemire's pacing here or hates it, and there is almost no in-between.

Sorrentino's artwork is appropriately stylized for the material, but will remind one of lots of other horror comics. Furthermore, Sorrentino often uses to color and expressionistic line art but the faces aren't always clearly expressive.

This story is a a story of the macabre. Laramie is Poe meets David Lynch with his story of a search for peace amongst the quiet horrors of perpetual chaos the stories characters reside. The dark and violent brush strokes provide the perfect visual companion to this tale of self discovery into darkness. The illustrations help the reader to jump out of the shadows and enter the doors of our imaginations. All for the sole purpose of asking the reader to solve the mystery of the Black Barn piece by piece and nail by nail .

Best graphic novel since Locke and Key. Slow read but i love the building mystery and suspense. Can't wait for the next chapter.

Though, it’s a page turner and I love the suspense in these chapters and the art is vivid and grim yet alive with well-crafted pacing. Worth the read!

I'm reading this book monthly and still bought the trades so I could share them with friends and evangelize about the mind bending story. The storytelling reminds me of the best of Steven King. There are aspects of horror, mental illness, time travel and other supernatural aspects.

One of my all-time favorite comic book series is Lemire’s and Sorrentino’s Green Arrow run. When I saw these two were back at it, I had to pick this book up. As a horror fanatic, I was very excited to read this story. Unfortunately for me, this first volume did not live up to my expectations. I found it pretty slow and half of the main characters underdeveloped. I can understand not fully disclosing the plot and the mysteries behind the black barn so soon. However, they could have had better character development in the 140+ pages of this first volume.

I also believe they emphasized strangeness too much. It’s filled with strange panels and not much dialogue, adding to an already confusing story ark. I’m going to keep reading just because Lemire is my favorite author and I have faith that this series will pick up the pace. If vol 2 has not convinced yet though, I’m giving up on.

The positive side for me was the story ark with the Father Fred. I think it has a lot of potential. Norton I could care less about right now.

Racconto avvincente e ancora più affascinante in lingua originale

Muy bueno

É uma ótima narrativa, pequena que é tão cara.

Voy en el volumen 3 al momento de escribir esta reseña. Y es una historia que me tiene hipnotizado junto con el arte de Andrea Sorrentino que es un “woooow” para mi. Recomiendo que compren por lo menos los volúmenes 1, 2 y 3 al mismo tiempo, por que se leen muy rápido.

Ich kann nicht anders, muss Jeff Lemire loben. Begegnet ist er mit mit Essex County, s/w, Text und Bilder von ihm. Seine Sachen aus dem Mainstream-Superhelden-Universum kenne ich nicht so, aber die anderen (Descender, Sweet Tooth, Black Hammer ) sind, Verzeihung, der Hammer, was, wenn er nicht auch die Zeichnungen macht, auch an seinen Kollaborateuren mit Strich und Farbe liegt. Das hochgelobte Gideon Falls...ich war skeptisch und dachte nach drei, vier Seiten, Au Backe, da steige ich nicht ducrh. Und dann..., dann hat er mich wieder am Haken. Ganz, gamz großer Stoff, ich kann die nächste Sammlung der Einzelhefte kaum abwarten, die Qualität auch der anderen genannten Werke ist irre. Jeff Lemire macht mich noch arm.