Scan barcode
A review by tonyaf
MrBallen Presents: Strange, Dark & Mysterious: The Graphic Stories by MrBallen
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
I'm a big fan of MrBallen's Youtube Channel. I've loved all things creepy since I was a kid and I love the thoughtful way he presents his tales of the "strange, dark, and mysterious." I was excited to learn about his graphic novel that is releasing later this year (in October, naturally) and I was even more thrilled to get a digital copy of it thanks to NetGalley!
Both long-time and new fans of MrBallen fans will really appreciate the stories chosen for the novel. There are fan favorites ("The Valley of the Headless Men" and "Bells Canyon"), some lesser-known but still fantastic tales (such as "Thorns"), and four brand-new ones (which were omitted from advanced digital copies so that they remain exclusive). There's wide variety in the stories selected: there's paranormal stories, stories of creepy locations and horrifying camping trips, and even a possible cryptid or two. I think anyone who loves scary stories should find plenty to love in this collection.
The stories are told in the same vein as his storytelling style on Youtube. Each tale is fast-paced and narrated simply. As a bonus, the stories come with stunning illustrations in this new format!
The art by comic book artist Andrea Mutti is vivid and adds greatly to each story and to the book's atmosphere. The colors are muted and the illustrations are clear, haunting, and occasionally a little gruesome!
MrBallen Presents: Strange, Dark & Mysterious is a successful addition to MrBallen's growing storytelling empire. As a long-time fan, I found his stories in this format to be really entertaining and I hope this is not the only graphic novel he releases. I'd love to see this become a series!
I will 100% be reading this again when it officially releases and I think it may become a yearly reread for me around Halloween. I highly recommend it for all fans of the strange, dark, and mysterious!
Both long-time and new fans of MrBallen fans will really appreciate the stories chosen for the novel. There are fan favorites ("The Valley of the Headless Men" and "Bells Canyon"), some lesser-known but still fantastic tales (such as "Thorns"), and four brand-new ones (which were omitted from advanced digital copies so that they remain exclusive). There's wide variety in the stories selected: there's paranormal stories, stories of creepy locations and horrifying camping trips, and even a possible cryptid or two. I think anyone who loves scary stories should find plenty to love in this collection.
The stories are told in the same vein as his storytelling style on Youtube. Each tale is fast-paced and narrated simply. As a bonus, the stories come with stunning illustrations in this new format!
The art by comic book artist Andrea Mutti is vivid and adds greatly to each story and to the book's atmosphere. The colors are muted and the illustrations are clear, haunting, and occasionally a little gruesome!
MrBallen Presents: Strange, Dark & Mysterious is a successful addition to MrBallen's growing storytelling empire. As a long-time fan, I found his stories in this format to be really entertaining and I hope this is not the only graphic novel he releases. I'd love to see this become a series!
I will 100% be reading this again when it officially releases and I think it may become a yearly reread for me around Halloween. I highly recommend it for all fans of the strange, dark, and mysterious!