Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Fear Case

Rate this book
Una historia de detectives sobrenatural. Dos agentes del Servicio Secreto, uno muy sensato y otro con métodos más modernos, investigan una caja misteriosa conocida como «caja del miedo» y que ha aparecido a lo largo de la historia en diferentes desastres y tragedias. Aquel que consiga esta caja ha de pasársela a otro en cuestión de tres días o sufrirá unas consecuencias… letales. Los agentes tendrán que dar con esta «caja del miedo» al tiempo que se mantienen un paso por delante de una secta psicótica y de las fuerzas sobrenaturales que hay detrás de ella. «El escritor Matt Kindt ha encontrado la gallina de los huevos de oro con este concepto». // Major Spoilers «Fear Case es una historia de detectives sobrenatural con personajes bien dibujados y un misterio que tiene capas y más capas…». // The Brazen Bull «La obra de Matt Kindt y Tyler Jenkins es un ejemplo de libro de lo que significa "de obligada lectura"». // Big Comic Page Editorial Dark Horse.

128 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 10, 2023

29 people want to read

About the author

Matt Kindt

922 books685 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
12 (7%)
4 stars
48 (31%)
3 stars
63 (41%)
2 stars
24 (15%)
1 star
4 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
Profile Image for Chad.
10.3k reviews1,061 followers
October 29, 2021
Matt Kindt and the Jenkins adapt the idea of the chain letter to comics. Two federal agents are investigating a case that is passed around. One you receive it, you have a few days to pass it onto your worst enemy or it will be given to your most precious loved one. If you open it or miss the deadline, you die. My problem with the book is that it doesn't really bring anything new to this story. It's the same story we've seen in The Ring or It Follows and the same urban myth of the chain letter that's been around longer than I've been alive.
Profile Image for Alexander Peterhans.
Author 2 books297 followers
October 3, 2024
There's a case, a fear case, that has supposedly existed throughout human history, but has only really appeared on the CIA's radar in the 1940s. The CIA has been trying to find and acquire the case since then.



Nobody knows what's inside the case. People tend to die around the case. Here's the thing: when you get the case, you have a couple of days to give it to your worst enemy - if you don't, it'll go to the person you love the most. They then have to give it to their worst enemy etc.

You should NEVER look inside the case - if you do, you'll die horribly and/or murder others horribly. If you die, the case still moves to the person you love most.



That's a lot of rules - and I think that's a problem. If you tell a story about a 'doom object' like this, the rules have to be concise and almost instantly understandable. All while reading the book, I kept thinking over the rules, where we were in the cycle with the person who had the case at that moment. It just distracts from the fear the case should be instilling. It's a bit of a faff.



It doesn't help that nothing really surprising or interesting happens storywise, it all just sort of ambles along, to a predictable end.



Tyler Jenkins is on art duty, and I quite like his work - it's messy and I'm not a big fan of the water colour colouring, but he has a way of capturing atmosphere and movement.

2.5 stars

(Thanks to Dark Horse Books for providing me with an ARC through Edelweiss)
Profile Image for James.
2,586 reviews79 followers
September 22, 2021
3.75 stars. This was pretty cool. So there this case. If it’s given to you, you have 3 days to give to the person you hate the most. If you don’t, it will automatically go to the person you love the most. And whatever you do, don’t open it. The story follows 2 secret service agents who are on the case of finding the case. The artwork was up and down. Some panels were cool and others were kind of squiggly looking making it sometimes hard to tell who was who. The story however is as pretty solid. Had some intrigue, some suspense and a bit of an eerie vibe. Enjoyed this one.
Profile Image for A.J..
603 reviews84 followers
March 4, 2022
I usually like Matt Kindt alot, but man oh man this was a dull and forgettable read. I read this before class and now writing this after, had to double take to actually remember what went down. The art’s also SUPER rough with the only bearable scenes ironically being all the gnarly, gruesome kills. I also liked the ending quite a bit, but there just isn’t anything to grab onto here, and I probably will never touch this again. I want to give this two stars, but I just wouldn’t recommend this to anyone. Super bland.
Profile Image for Dakota Morgan.
3,390 reviews53 followers
April 1, 2022
Fear Case feels like a one-note spin-off of Matt Kindt's Mind MGMT series. There's a briefcase, see, and if you get it, you're told to pass it on to your worst enemy, otherwise it automatically goes to your greatest love. And like, whoever gets it dies.

It's a reality show set-up that's vaguely intriguing, but Matt Kindt's secret service men who act as the main characters spend too much of the story expounding on whether conspiracy theories are real or not. I can read Department of Truth for that kind of rumination. Some of the procedural elements (and gruesome deaths) in Fear Case are moderately fun, but it's all over so quickly and unclearly that it never really mattered in the first place.
Profile Image for Jammin Jenny.
1,532 reviews218 followers
March 29, 2022
Love another Dark Horse comic collection. I should buy stock!! Great stories and great illustrations.
Profile Image for Brendan.
1,277 reviews53 followers
September 13, 2021
3.5

Fear Case was an interesting idea but this 4 issue arc needed a more ambitious run. It's way too short and even though that finale is interesting, the core storyline is left unopened. Matt Kindt is normally an interesting writer and artist but some of his dark horse titles are uneven to say the least. Fear Case would be an ideal 12 issue horror run. This is a lost opportunity.
Profile Image for Adam Stone.
2,030 reviews33 followers
October 27, 2021
A solid mix of Twilight Zone and 100 Bullets, this is a compact story about two detectives and their search for a cursed briefcase that operates like a chain letter. You have three days to give the case to the person you hate the most in the world or else it will destroy the person you love the most.

There are some good character moments, and both the story and Tyler Jenkins's art fit right in with Kindt's MIND MGMT, Volume One: The Manager , Dept. H, Volume 1: Pressure, Black Badge Vol. 1, and Grass Kings, Vol. 1.

If you've enjoyed Kindts's other work, or you just like mild supernatural stories with a focus on character-driven narrative, you should enjoy this.
Profile Image for Shaun Stanley.
1,304 reviews
September 13, 2023
Fear Case collects issues 1-4 of the Dark Horse Comics series written by Matt Kindt with art by Tyler Jenkins.

Two new Secret Service agents are give a mission to track down a mysterious box known as the Fear Case in which whoever comes into possession of it must pass it along or face deadly consequences. Agents are never given more than a year to find the case before it transferring to a new team to prevent the agents from going insane. The latest partners have tracked the case to a deadly cult and are the closest ever to retrieve it, but they only have weeks left before it will go to the next set of agents.

The book uses a similar horror idea of chain letters for the central mysterious object. The story has been told many times, most famously by The Ring, but unfortunately doesn’t add much new to the story. I really thought with the story focusing on a government agency trying to track it down to get it off the streets, we would get a different take on the story. But we don’t. It treads the same ground.

Jenkins’ art also make it hard to tell the two protagonists apart. They look way too similar with the art not providing enough details to quickly and easily distinguish them. Some more detailed art, better character development, and a unique twist could have made this a really interesting read, but instead this is a book you will quickly forget.
Profile Image for Peter Derk.
Author 32 books403 followers
October 29, 2023
If HP Lovecraft did a 100 Bullets story, here we go.

Which sounds sort of awesome, and I thought it would be, but hey, life is full of minor disappointments.

But it is very minor. I'd rather have to read this every day for a month than have a major car repair that same month, know what I mean?
Profile Image for Craig.
2,880 reviews31 followers
August 8, 2022
Half-baked story idea from Kindt with some of the worst art I've ever seen from Tyler Jenkins...
37 reviews1 follower
July 28, 2024
I love a conspiracy/mystery comic book. With only 4 issues it does a good job hooking me in and wanting to get to the next issue. One of the major downsides for me was the artwork. Just wasn’t for me.
Profile Image for Román Sanz Mouta.
243 reviews7 followers
June 30, 2023
https://dentrodelmonolito.com/2023/06...

Tengo que reconocer, con toda mi humildad lectora, que este cómic me ha ganado, y que necesité hacer una segunda lectura inmediata tras la primera para atar los cabos, para sumergirme de nuevo en la experiencia conociendo adónde lleva. No se trata de un asunto menor, y habla muy bien del guion y de la ilustración (pese a trabas que os comentaré a posteriori) de la novela gráfica.

Adelante.

Hay que comenzar hablando del argumento; esta vez sí, y carente de dicha etiqueta, asistimos a un texto de horror cósmico que sería un relato digno heredero de la labor de Lovecraft y acólitos. Una trama tremenda y terrible que ostenta galas de otredad devastadora, buscando atacar la psique del lector (tú), igual que devora la cordura de los protagonistas. Y la premisa no puede ser más intrigante; los agentes del servicio secreto deben cumplir, a modo de iniciación, un caso trampa, algo irresoluble hasta ahora. Un asunto relacionado con una maleta que pervive a lo largo del tiempo (moradora de antiguos rituales que remontan en pretéritos e insondables) dejando un rastro de cadáveres entre sus poseedoras y aquellos que la anhelan. En ese rastro de feneceres cruentos y asesinatos de toda índole se adentran los dos compañeros, el joven pupilo y el viejo veterano, cada cual en su rol. Y, como marcan las normas de tan peculiar encargo, no se puede alargar la investigación más de X tiempo, para preservar la cordura de los detectives. Pero… Exactamente. La involucración en el caso consigue una obsesión que se convierte en descenso continuo a la locura, mostrándose como realmente son estos personajes, para consigo y entre ellos dos, con pinceladas maestras de trama. Con giros. Con revelaciones. Con ataques a nuestro sentido común para hacernos comprender que no tratamos con una novela normal y que, de tener la posibilidad, también caeríamos en dicho descenso.

Tras todo ello, y bien al final, entenderemos qué es la maleta, cuál fuere su función, y de dónde vino. Prometido. ¿Una suerte de caja de pandora incompresible para el razonamiento humano?

El final, buf, maestro.

El dibujo. Refleja de forma atroz en cada ilustración esas muertes, al igual que los rostros de sorpresa, desolación o locura, los descubrimientos y aquello que sobrevuela todo el argumento, lo nocivo que habita en la caja. Y saldrá, vaya si saldrá. Pero, siempre existe un pero y se trata de impresiones puramente personales en este caso; el dibujo, de inicio, y para quienes no estén familiarizados, puede resultar borroso, sucio, indeterminado, sin dejar que se distingan las caras de entre los dos protagonistas, y dejando esquivos esos gestos torvos, esas expresiones que son parte del avance de la novela. No dura. Una vez te sumerges, la oscuridad del dibujo, absolutamente concorde con la trama, te invita a continuar, a seguir su estela de terror delirante para dejarte la cabeza hueca. Muy adecuado, pese a que cuesta entrar en el mismo (repito, opinión personal). Acabó por encantarme la combinación de autores, sin duda. Tonos oscuros, curvas y ángulos euclidianos o no. Fijaos bien en las fauces de terror y en las gotas de sudor helado de protagonistas y secundarios. Alejarse adictos al amerimanga.

Debo reconocer que el cómic deviene en subyugante, adictivo, corto, breve, contundente, conciso, aterrador. Provocando esa misma perturbación inquieta que obliga a mirar al mundo de forma ligeramente diferente al concluirlo. De los pocos cómics que se pueden definir como de auténtico terror. Esta vez sí, lovecraftiano, con lo duros que solemos ser con las obras que homenajean o se figuran como tal, y aquí, que no se menciona en absoluto, la esencia del de Providence ocupa por completo cada página de temible truculencia. Todos sus valores lo transformarán, a no mucho pasar del tiempo que no existe, en una obra maestra de culto.

Sin más. Aficionados al terror de todo tipo, ¡leed! Welcome to Fear Case.



Pd: hay una gran película o una gran serie esperando salir de este formato.
Profile Image for RubiGiráldez RubiGiráldez.
Author 8 books33 followers
December 26, 2024
Desde que el Servicio Secreto existe, hay un caso en concreto que nunca se ha podido cerrar. Un sinfín de perturbadores asesinatos ocurridos a lo largo de las décadas para lo que solo tienen un elemento común mentado por los supervivientes o únicos sospechosos de los asesinatos: un misterioso maletín negro que parece influir en las personas. Y que exige que se de una eterna cadena por la cual hacerlo llegar a quien más odies a riesgo de ver morir a tus seres queridos. Lo que parece ser una broma pesada para los novatos del Servicio Secreto, a quien se les encomienda todo un año de tratar de cerrar este caso bastante irreal, podría revelar por fin la inconcebible naturaleza terrible del maletín.

Matt Kindt establece los elementos básicos para un interesante thriller de tintes sobrenaturales. Tenemos incluso la pareja de detectives compuesta por uno más racional a esta historia de terror y conspiranoia y al otro predispuesto al misterio y temiendo la llegada de la fecha límite anual. Lapso de tiempo estipulado por el Servicio Secreto previendo ya casos constatados de agentes que se vieron afectados psicológicamente por el caso. En este ambiente de incertidumbre y entorno pesadillesco sí que empezarán a acontecer muertes para los que solo se habla de ese esquivo maletín. FEAR CASE juega mejor sus cartas en cuanto todo se presenta de esa forma de misterio constante que cuando Kindt empieza a dilucidar un trasfondo más claro del objeto terrible asociándolo a los Males de la humanidad () más allá de crímenes domésticos. Sobre todo, porque realmente con el último número se descubre el cómo vamos a atestiguar como el maletín afecta a un personaje que conocemos desde el inicio. Algo para lo que no ayuda que el meridiano de la trama de vueltas en conspiranoia hueca y diálogo hiper expositivo del cisma personal de los protagonistas, ya bien definidos en sus páginas de presentación.


Tyler Jenkins y Hilary Jenkins tienen un estilo gráfico que habría merecido más la pena dar más rienda suelta a las fugas más imposibles de las aguadas y los trazos difusos. Imponiendo más esa oscura realidad tras el maletín.

Al final, FEAR CASE no es una lectura que epate tanto, pues cae bastante en unos tropos y desenlaces más convencionales de los que Matt Kindt parece siempre que quiere jugar desde sus premisas originales. Pero la extensión de 4 entregas aunque haga acelerar todo, también impide que puedas dudar en terminar la lectura.
Profile Image for DrCrower.
57 reviews15 followers
September 4, 2023
Dos policías investigan el misterio en torno a un maletín que provoca una maldición a todo aquel que lo tiene en sus manos. Al estilo de "The Ring", quién lo reciba tiene que entregárselo antes de 3 días a la persona que más odie o la persona que más ame morirá de manera horrible.
Matt Kindt (del que tengo eternamente pendiente "Mind MGMT", de la que solo he oído maravillas) desarrolla una buena historia en cuatro partes aunque se queda un pelín corto en cuanto a desarrollar más mitología en torno al maletín y su contenido -aunque deja intuir que tiene un pasado que lo vincula con muchos de los grandes males de la historia-. Pertenece a esta nueva hornada de cómics de terror en la línea de "The Empty Man" o "El Departamento de la Verdad" que combinan los miedos del pasado con los del presente, el relato mítico con el creepypasta, y en ese sentido es un título interesante, aunque muy inferior a los anteriormente mencionados. El dibujo de Tyler y Hilary Jenkins no ha terminado de gustarme, es un estilo de aquellos muy personales faltos de definición que, aunque uno no tenga mucha idea de dibujo, le termina por parecer perezoso, un poco dejado.
Profile Image for Susannah.
573 reviews6 followers
June 30, 2022
This is a stand-alone story based around a mysterious box that Secret Service agents having been trying to trace for decades. The premise bears a strong resemblance to an episode of The Twilight Zone, which was subsequently made into a film called "The Box." Essentially the box acts like a chain letter: you have 3 days to give it to the person that you hate the most; if you don't, it goes to the one you love the most. Also, if you look in the box, you die.

The beginning is a bit confusing as everyone who receives this box seems to die right away, and only later in the story does it act like a chain letter. Furthermore, the main characters, the agents investigating the box, are drawn to be almost identical. You can only tell them apart from their clothes! The illustration style itself is quite loose and fluid, but it is still clear what action is taking place. The story is pretty good once it settles in, with a few twists and turns along the way. Recommended for people who enjoy Black Mirror and The Twilight Zone.
Profile Image for Fernando.
Author 25 books15 followers
June 22, 2023
Compré esta novela gráfica sin tenerlo previsto. No la conocía ni había oído hablar de ella aunque me llamó la atención y no deseaba irme de vacío. Me he encontrado con una historia policíaca con tintes sobrenaturales muy en la línea de la serie "True Detective". Un cuento demasiado breve, es cierto, pero repleto de matices, sugerencias veladas y polifonía de interpretaciones. La ilustración no de mi gusto: estilo boceto en color pastel de línea nerviosa; en ocasiones, los rostros son demasiado parecidos entre sí y me ha llevado a confusiones entre los dos personajes principales. Creo que hubiera dado para muchísimo más pero ha sido una grata sorpresa y me alegra tenerlo en la estantería. Muy bien editado en tapa dura por Planeta Cómic.
Profile Image for Katy Daly.
19 reviews
November 10, 2023
The artwork was phenomenal. It isn’t a particularly new story but I loved it visually and thought the framing of it within the relationship of the secret service agents was very fun.

The last page didn’t do it for me but I liked it a lot as a self-contained story. Would read anything involving the artist again too.
Profile Image for Ronald Esporlas.
169 reviews6 followers
December 27, 2021
Interesting mystery-thriller but theres nothing new and the story is the same like some of the horror movies like passing the curse to one to another. But still good and hard to put down. I also love the art because it is perfect to the tone of the story.
Profile Image for Erica.
412 reviews11 followers
December 29, 2021
This short miniseries is a lot like The Ring, but despite its obvious similarities I still thought it was creepy and well done. Some of the artwork is really horrifying (as it should be!) and it was pretty strong overall.
433 reviews1 follower
January 6, 2023
I like the premise and think a few beats are great, but if most graphics novel sized things are a novella in comic format, this is a padded out short story and winds up a little unsatisfactory.

Maybe I like Kindt's ideas more than the execution he brings to them.
Profile Image for Michael Malloy.
106 reviews1 follower
January 6, 2022
This GN was good but not great. Story felt rushed and I didn't care that much for the art style.
Profile Image for GNmanganerd.
33 reviews1 follower
March 3, 2023
Starts off very strong..but doesn't hold up by the end..
Profile Image for Sonic.
2,378 reviews67 followers
March 20, 2023
An excellent concept carried by a brilliant creative team!
76 reviews
August 9, 2023
A take on The Ring’s and It Follows’ idea where this “thing” gets passed along from person to person. Flew through it.
Profile Image for David Sanz.
Author 4 books61 followers
August 11, 2023
Buena mezcla de terror, suspense e incluso Mitos de Lovecraft.
Profile Image for Felipe Sarmiento.
37 reviews1 follower
September 20, 2023
A intriguing mystery that keeps growing as the comic progresses. I think they let the ending open for a continuation.
Profile Image for Mee Too.
1,032 reviews4 followers
November 16, 2024
A look at the evils of humanity. You would think we wouldn’t need to be reminded however we can’t seem to stop.
Profile Image for Mateo Sanboval.
51 reviews
January 28, 2025
Super fun read. This could make for an equally gripping film/short film. I'm sure to reread this down the line.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.