“Welcome to White Ash, a small smudge of a mining community in Western Pennsylvania, where the secrets are buried even deeper than the coal under the mountain. If you’re a fan of Supernatural, Twin Peaks or Lord of the Rings, you’re going to love getting to know our mysterious town.“

Written by Charlie Stickney

Illustration and letters: Conor Hughes

Colors: Fin Cramb

Originally, the first White Ash story arc was self-published as four oversized issues, but was reformatted into a 6 issue monthly mini series by Scout Comics. New covers and pages were added to accommodate the new format.

Combining elements of mythology, fantasy, horror, this team crafts an incredible story. I was sent the first two issues to read, and I’m already hooked.

The story is fantastic. The characters feel familiar in a sense: boy wants to escape his small town, a family feud reminiscent of the Capulets and the Montagues. But the characters also all feel very unique to me, not falling into generic tropes and usually being more than what they seem. For example, Lillian is more than just a rich, bratty daughter character – she’s actually pretty badass and I cannot wait to see more of her.

Conor Hughes both illustrates and does the lettering in White Ash, and excels at both. I actually grew up, and still live in, a small, mining town. My grandfather was a miner. While I don’t live in Pennsylvania, the look of the town in this book has a lot of familiar feels to me, and I really appreciate that. The art is fantastic, and just as each character is written uniquely, they’re drawn the same. Sometimes characters can resemble each other a little too closely in some comics, but White Ash does a phenomenal job keeping everyone separate and that little touch is very nice.

Along with the illustrations and letters Hughes provides, Fin Cramb does a beautiful job with the colors in White Ash. The tones really set the mood for each scene, and everything looks incredible.

According to writer Charles Stickney, the first two issues are now out, and the third issue should be coming out roughly the third week in March. The next six issue arc is due in 2021.

I loved the first two issues, and I cannot wait for issue three! Definitely check out White Ash if you haven’t already, and keep an eye out for the next issue, coming soon.

Check for White Ash through your local shops, or order through Scout Comics.

-Angel