Graphic Novel Review – Gideon Falls Vol 1: The Black Barn by Jeff Lemire, Andrea Sorrentino, Dave Stewart (5/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Horror/Graphic Novel
Length: 160 pages
Publisher: Image Comics
Release Date: October 23, 2018
ISBN-13 : 978-1534308527
Stand Alone or Series: 1st volume in the Gideon Falls graphic novel series.
Source: Birthday Gift
Rating: 5/5 stars
“The legend of the Black Barn—an otherworldly building alleged to have appeared and reappeared throughout history, bringing death and madness in its wake—ensnares and entwines the lives of two very different men.”
Series Info/Source: This is the first volume in the Gideon falls series. I believe there are six volumes in this series. I got this as a birthday gift.
Thoughts: I really enjoyed the first volume of this series. The illustration is done in a dark and sketchy style that fits the tone of the book perfectly. Some of the frames are laid out in a very creative way making this a truly artistic masterpiece of a graphic novel. You can tell a lot of thought went into how the illustrations and panels are presented and I really appreciated and enjoyed that aspect.
The story is dark and eerie and I love the strange psychological elements to it. Basically, you have two different men (and at the end other people too) who are drawn to this strange black barn in the town of Gideon Falls. The story explores madness, death, evil and is truly mind-bending and strangely compelling. I can’t help but get flashbacks to the Locke and Key series; they are very different stories but similar in tone.
Despite the different POVs and the jumping around, the story is cohesive and easy to follow. There is an eerie mystery here that really makes you think. The characters are all kind of disastrous people but still strangely engaging.
My Summary (5/5): Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this graphic novel and definitely plan on continuing the series. The artwork and story are so thoughtfully put together and the story is darkly compelling. I am dying to know what happens next and eager to see how far down this evil rabbit hole our characters end up falling. This is so creepy, but in a good mentally challenging way!
