Hello Darkness Vol. 1 review — BOOM! Studios’ modern horror anthology invites you to confront the darkness
Let me go ahead and get this out of the way now: I’m not a huge horror person. I don’t watch many scary movies, and beyond reading R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps as a kid, my experience with the genre has been largely limited to campy 80s slasher films I happened to catch parts of on TV or jump-scare films that leaned more into surprising the audience than delivering a truly compelling story. So, admittedly, I’m probably not the best person to be reviewing BOOM! Studios’ new horror anthology, Hello Darkness. But, y’know, life’s boring without trying new things every now and then, so here we are. With all of that said, let’s get into Hello Darkness Vol. 1.
*Mild spoilers ahead for Hello Darkness issues #1-4*
This is an anthology collection rather than a singular story. With one exception, there aren’t any returning characters (at least not in this volume, which collects issues #1-4), ongoing storylines, etc. Instead, we’re presented with numerous short stories written by a laundry list of horror writers, including Garth Ennis, Robert Hack, Jude Ellison S. Doyle, Dave Cook, and more, that take us from supernatural horrors to psychological scares, and paint disturbing pictures of the darkest parts of the human psyche.
The stories included in the collection were a mixed bag. While some presented interesting premises that left me disappointed that they ended too soon, others left me questioning what I had just read. One story in particular stuck out to me not because it captivated me, but rather simply because of how grotesque it was. I won’t provide details about it, as it’s quite short like most of the stories presented, but it left me feeling more revolted than anything. Which, given the underlying message I felt the story was trying to present, may have been the point.
The highlights of the book, by far, were the chapters included from a story titled “The War,” written by Garth Ennis and Becky Cloonan. Where other stories featured in Hello Darkness relied on either supernatural elements or shocking displays bordering on—or diving completely into—the grotesque, The War draws upon something much more terrifying: current real-world events and the horrifying turn they may take. It’s the only story included in the collection that features recurring characters and an ongoing story, so I may be a bit biased towards it compared to other stories that span only a few pages or leave me on a cliffhanger. Admittedly, this story also ends on a cliffhanger, as this book only collects issues #1-4. But the difference here is that its ending feels like an end to a chapter of a larger story, rather than an abrupt ending with no indication the story will be resolved in the future. Additionally, the longer format allowed me to follow the characters long enough to actually feel like I know them as characters rather than just fodder to be killed by—or kill for—some supernatural horror. This helped me to genuinely care about what might happen to these characters, compared to other stories in the anthology where the characters are largely just faceless beings meant to be nothing more than a vehicle for whatever horror the writer wished to depict. Not to mention the fact that in this case, the terror that’s presented is something that could all too easily go from fiction to reality, which is sure to trigger anxieties born from the last several years.
Another strong standout is “Something is Killing the Children,” by James Tynion IV. This story reads less like a horror story and more like something you might find in a monster hunter story (coincidentally, the installment included in this volume is called “A Monster Hunter Walks Into a Bar”). However, as promising as this story seems, it feels incomplete, even considering the anthology structure of Hello Darkness. While the table of contents at the beginning of the collection lists it as containing parts 1 and 2 of the story, that didn’t appear to be the case in the version I was provided, as the story ends abruptly in what feels like the middle of a scene with no indication that it was supposed to end there. It just jumps to the next story without any break. This could just be the case with the digital version I was provided, but the abrupt ending was a bit jarring when I first read it. However, since this particular story is part of an ongoing series separate from this anthology, readers that want to continue it can easily do so by picking up the standalone book.
In addition to featuring a large host of writers, Hello Darkness also showcases artwork from a variety of illustrators, including Becky Cloonan, Trevor Hairsine, Letizia Cadonici, Werther Dell’Edera, David Cousens, and more, who contribute their unique styles to help each story feel distinct. From the simpler cartoon style of Cadonici in the opening story “Contagious,” to the brutal fury of Cousens in the violence-packed “Stay in Your Lane,” to the gritty detail of Hairsine in the WWI eldritch horror “Kampfgeist,” each artist does a fantastic job of bringing each story to life. The covers drawn by Paolo Rivera that are interspersed throughout the book call back to old horror comics, adding a nice touch of nostalgia that meshes well with the modern stories being told.
Hello Darkness Vol. 1 is available now through BOOM! Studios.
Review Guidelines
Good
While Hello Darkness shows promise, it certainly isn’t for everyone. The anthology presentation—while interesting purely for its uniqueness in the modern day—might not appeal to people who prefer long-form stories that follow a core cast of characters While the horror aspects of it will certainly appeal to fans of the genre, those like myself who aren’t as big into horror might not find the stories quite as enjoyable. That being said, there are bright spots within it that even non-horror fans can enjoy, such as “The War,” and other stories, such as “Something is Killing the Children,” show promise should their storylines be continued in future installments.
Pros
- Standout stories like “The War” and “Something is Killing the Children” that can appeal even to non-horror fans
- Variety of tones owing to the numerous writers and illustrators involved
Cons
- Some stories rely too much on grotesque elements to be shocking, which can serve the purpose of the particular story, but at times felt like a crutch to support a weaker premise
- Certain stories feel like they were cut off too early
This review is based on a retail copy provided by the publisher.
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