Bestselling comic creators Scott Snyder and Francesco Francavilla reunite for a terrifying new horror comic – Night of The Ghoul. Horror film obsessive Forest Inman stumbles across a seemingly forgotten canister of old footage. Thinking he has found the legendary unreleased would-be classic 1936 film “Night of the Ghoul,” he sets off on a dark odyssey to the California desert, where he’s warned that the film’s ghoul is far more than a work of fiction: it’s a very real monster who plans to kill him.
Previously released as a ComiXology original and subsequently as printed single issues by Dark Horse, this paperback collection marks the latest in Scott Snyder’s Best Jackett line of titles. Snyder is unquestionably one of the biggest names in the comic industry. His bestselling Batman runs with artists Jock and Greg Capullo has been regarded as some of the best work to ever be done with the character. He has also had significant success with creator owned titles Wytches and The Wake just to name two. Another of his top collaborators is Francesco Francavilla who has wowed readers with not only his work on Batman but has won widespread acclaim for titles such as Black Panther, Hawkeye and Afterlife With Archie. He is particularly adept at horror and pulp style stories which makes him a perfect artist for this series.
As you’d expect with the extremely talented creators involved, Night of The Ghoul has a ton to offer. Snyder has honed his skills over the years when it comes to writing horror and suspense which comes through in spades. Both the story of the lost film and Forest’s journey to find said film are genuinely terrifying. This is a deeply layered horror story with tons of twists and turns.
Francavilla definitely carries the bulk of the load when it comes to establishing and maintaining the tone of the story. His art has always been suited to this style of storytelling with every page being a standout. His great use of colours and shadows is put to terrific use whilst masterfully building suspense across pages and panels. But it’s the pure horror moments when he really shines whether it be the withered director recounting his terrifying story, the terrifying monster that pursues Forest from the past or even a fox skulking through a graveyard at night.
Night of The Ghoul is everything someone could want out of a horror comic as Snyder and Francavilla continue to be on their A-Game. Any fans of the genre need this in their collection.
Night of The Ghoul is out now from Dark Horse (9781506728353, p/b, £18.99)
Or support your local bookstore.
Want regular updates and weekly reviews on the latest in graphic novels and manga? Follow us on Twitter @turnaroundcomix.
