Autumn, Fall, Halloween Season, whatever you wanna call it. That time of year when the Summer and its heat starts to go away and cooler temperatures start to roll in. Bringing along with it Pumpkin Spice recipes and Leaves turning different colors as they fall to the ground. Allowing one to rake them up into big piles for some to have fun with or to throw away for whatever reason. In addition to all that, there’s also the spooky fun of Halloween and as well as Thanksgiving. But we’re not about those two things in this review, no sir. No, instead, we’re all about this here latest offering from the Vault Comics crew known as The Autumnal. A story about a single mom, her daughter and her IED, some Horror vibes, parental loss, small towns and creepy childhood songs, AND! Some Stephen King influences here and there to boot!
Perfect for that fellow who loves Fall and all things Spookular. I’m gonna say this right off the bat, I love the relationship Kat and her daughter Sybil has. Sure, there’s some issues here and there but these two are very clearly making the best of things, even if its quite possibly at the expense of a certain Principal but oh well! To my knowledge this is the first time I’ve read anything by Daniel Kraus and I have to say I think this is a great way for me to get introduced to his writing. I love that he’s slowly taking his time with this first issue and not rushing anything. Allowing us to get familiar with Kat and Sybil and even the old hometown Kat once lived in until her mom sent her off to live with relatives. Why did mom do that? No one, not even Kat knows. But judging by the ending and a few of the oddball things this small town has to offer, its bound to be a good reason for why her mom did what she did.
I love that the art and colors looks like it was all done with paint supplies and when we get to Comfort Notch where Kat used to live back in the day, it all really comes to life in a really great way. Just about perfect for why this book is called Autumnal! Makes me look forward to more of Chris Shehan and Jason Wordie’s art and colors when the second issue comes out! This book will certainly leave you with quite a few questions by the time the final page has been turned! But those are questions I’ll leave for you to be discovered once you’ve grabbed up a copy for yourself once you hit your local store today! And do be sure to pre-order when the time comes for the second issue!
The Autumnal #1
Vault Comics
Writer: Daniel Kraus
Artist: Chris Shehan
Colorist: Jason Wordie
Letterer: Jim Campbell
Reviewer: Rob Wrecks
Summary: Following the death of her estranged mother, Kat Somerville and her daughter, Sybil, flee a difficult life in Chicago for the quaint–and possibly pernicious–town of Comfort Notch, New Hampshire. From NY Times best-selling author, Daniel Kraus (The Shape of Water, Trollhunters, The Living Dead), and rising star Chris Shehan, comes a haunting vision of America’s prettiest autumn.
