The Low Low Woods – Graphic Novel Review
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About The Low, Low Woods
The Low, Low Woods is written by Carmen Maria Machado, pencilled by Dani Strips and Dan McDaid, colored by Tamra Bonvillain and John Kalisz and with lettering by Steve Wands. It is published by DC Black Label and is part of Joe Hill’s Hill House Comics.
SYNOPSIS: When your memories are stolen, what would you give to remember? Follow El and Vee as they search for answers to the questions everyone else forgot. Shudder-to-Think, Pennsylvania, is plagued by a mysterious illness that eats away at the memories of those affected by it. El and Octavia are two best friends who find themselves the newest victims of this disease after waking up in a movie theater with no memory of the past few hours. As El and Vee dive deeper into the mystery behind their lost memories, they realize the stories of their town hold more dark truth than they could’ve imagined. It’s up to El and Vee to keep their town from falling apart…to keep the world safe from Shudder-to-Think’s monsters.
The Low, Low Woods will be available for purchase from September 29th, 2020. Pick them up from our Preferred Comic Shop.
The Low, Low Woods Review
The Low, Low Woods is a brilliant, intricately woven story about a small mining town with a massive, dark secret. Initially, everything feels a bit disconnected – but stick with it, because it quickly begins to give you one insane ride that you can’t look away from.
The plot is written so believably well. As someone that grew up in a small town mining area, a lot of the vibe is really spot on. But then there is also the jarring juxtaposition of the horrors of Shudder-to-Think, PA. Everything feels so real – the characters, the setting, their lives – that the horror elements genuinely cause unease.
Speaking of the characters, the two main characters – El and Vee – are two of the most authentic feeling characters I’ve read in anything in a while. Their friendship is perfectly depicted, in both good times and hardships. But individually, they’re each fantastic and likeable characters. They feel like modern teens stuck in a small town, dealing with an extraordinary and horrifying situation as best they can. As if all that isn’t enough, they’re struggling with things seniors deal with: classes, crushes, college applications, and the despair of feeling like you can’t get away from your hometown.
There is so much to love about the visuals of this books as well. The line work is so good, with incredible designs for creatures, realistic characters, and interesting settings. The colors are absolutely stunning and set up a magnificently ominous atmosphere. The lettering really adds a lot to the story as well – giving clarity between the narrators, adding interesting contrasts on the page, such as white text on the pitch black shadows. Every bit of it works together to create something incredible.
It should be mentioned that there may be a need for a trigger warning for some readers, considering there are some extremely dark subjects explored that are a fairly major part of the plot. It’s hard to really discuss them without spoilers, so just keep in mind that there could be something difficult for some readers to experience. If you’re really concerned, you can probably seek out the answer from someone that’s read it already.
All six issues of The Low, Low Woods are collected into trade format and set to release on September 29th, 2020. If you can handle some seriously dark subject matter, definitely grab this one.
Engage with the Creators
Carmen Maria Machado – Twitter
Dani Strips – Facebook
Dan McDaid – Twitter | Instagram
Tamra Bonvillain – Twitter
John Kalisz – DC Comics
Steve Wands – Twitter
Pick up Low, Low Woods and many other Horror Comics
Pick up The Low, Low Woods and many other Horror Comics from our Preferred Comic Shop: Things From Another World.
