Written by Alex Child and Grant Morrison
Illustrated by Naomi Franquiz
Color by Tamra Bonvillain
Lettered by Jim Campbell

“Perfect for fans of Paper Girls and Die, visionary writer Grant Morrison (Klaus), Alex Child (BBC’s Holby City) and Naomi Franquiz (Tales from Harrow County) present a chilling new horror series about the mysterious monsters that haunt Proctor Valley Road – and the four misfit teenagers who must stop them.

August, Rylee, Cora & Jennie have organized a “Spook Tour” with their classmates on the most haunted, demon-infested stretch of road in America to fund attending the concert of their dreams.

When their visit turns deadly, these four friends race to rescue the missing students… before the town tears them limb from limb.

Now they must slay the evils roaming Proctor Valley Road… along with the monsters lurking in the hearts of 1970s America.”

I had no idea until looking up the info for this series that Proctor Valley Road is actually a place, with the story in this comic being based on stories since the 1970s – when the comic takes place.

It feels very much like an R rated Scooby-Doo episode meets Supernatural – 1970s vibe, kids on a spooky adventure, and then things go very, very wrong. And that “very wrong” is definitely horrifying. I’m still absolutely fascinated by the fact that these stories are based on other stories, and it makes me want to learn more.

The art holds that same sort of Scooby vibe that the story does. Diverse characters and intriguing creatures. Colors executed perfectly. Lettering that’s excellent. It all really fits so well.

But beyond just that paranormal horror, something else is festering: real world problems: War. Racism. Sexism. Very real topics of the time, and eerily relevant still today. Somehow, despite the looming paranormal threat, the real world problems feel like they cast a darker shadow over the entire book.

Proctor Valley Road #1 is definitely worth checking out. Grab it this Wednesday!

-Angel