Harrower #1 is published by BOOM! Studios, written by Justin Jordan and illustrated by Brahm Revel.
Issue #1 is available 8th February 2023 either directly from BOOM! Studios online or from your local comic book store, digital copies will be available to download from the usual content providers.
Synopsis
There’s nothing to fear in the quaint town of Barlowe, New York–except, that is, for the Harrower. The children wish this boogeyman was just an urban legend, but this purveyor of puritanical vengeance against the unrighteous is very real, and there’s no escape, because the Harrower seems unkillable, and spans generations, always returning… What secrets will Jessa Brink, a teenage girl obsessed with the Harrower, uncover, and will she be able to escape the pull of her morbid fixation?
Review
In this debut issue of the special short run horror title Harrower, we are taken to a quaint town of Barlowe, New York where nothing of note ever happens and people just go about their business day to day with very little interruption and definitely no mention of an crazed mass murderer.
As the story begins to move forward we are introduced to a group of high school friends as they go about their daily life’s surviving their toils and troubles of high school life, the legend of the Harrower is something that is always talked about through the school halls with little bits thrown in for the sake of a bit of glamour. But what if the legend from yesteryear is true? What if the mysterious figure of the Harrower actually did appear? Well this particular night we might just find out if the legend is indeed the truth after all.
I haven’t come across the workings of Justin Jordan before but to have this as an introduction is definitely a way to be noticed, you know you are reading a good book as you find yourself adjusting your seating position to get more focused on the pages. The story is much like a teen horror films such as I Know What You Did Last Summer as the main part of the story is based around a mysterious evil figure which is definitely a big plus for me as I do enjoy those type of movies, as the story unfolded it becomes more and more intense with strong writing style that wouldn’t be out of place on the screen.
The illustration style of the book are about as chilling as the story itself, Brahm Revel expertly draws the pages with chilling detail that gives a dramatic depth to the story I genuinely couldn’t take my eyes off the pages, I was hooked in an instant.
Verdict
A fantastic new horror series that may well become one of my favourites of this year, a read that will have you glued to the pages with chilling expectation, I am hooked on this series and can’t wait for the next issue.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐