The Reaper of St. George Street

Adventures of Flagler's Few #1

by Andre R. Frattino

A graphic novel about ghosts and young ghost hunters in St. Augustine, Florida, America’s oldest city. A young man, resistant to any belief in ghosts, arrives in a town permeated with ghost legends and tours exploiting them. He is soon caught up in encounters with the town’s ghostly denizens, including the Reaper, the most hostile and dangerous of them all. The young man and a cohort of other ghost hunters set out to rid the town of the Reaper. First in a paranormal graphic novel series.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Paranormal, Fantasy, Comics

256 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2012

Reviews

[Stacey Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unlikely friends end up on a hunt for ghosts in St. Augustine, Florida. Professor Merryweather (teacher of world history or actually the myths and legends surrounding St. Augustine), Will (a skeptic), Franklin (a comic book nerd), Roger (a modern day pirate) and Raven (the medium) try to stop the ghost from hurting Claire. Somehow it's all connected to the necklace Claire wears because when Will is wearing it the ghosts are after him. For a skeptic Will soon starts to believe as he sees with his own eyes the shadow forms and eerie ghostly visions attacking their small group.
Drawn in black and white with hash looking lines the illustrations lend themselves to a dark yet funny book about hauntings.

[Brenda Lower · Rating 3 out of 5]

In St. Augustine, Florida, the ghosts abound. They lurk around every corner, invade the houses, and hunt the humans. Locals know to be careful of them, but new comers aren't always safe.

Meet William, here for college and definitely NOT a believer in ghosts. His wallet is stolen the first day, he has to put up with a super nerdy roommate, and meets a super cute girl. Typical week for a freshman. But one of his classes isn't exactly what he signed up for: instead of a freshman literature class, he ends up with the local paranormal expert. They make a deal: if William can still say he doesn't believe in ghosts at the end of the semester, then the professor will give him an A+. Determined to earn that A, he dives headlong into the studies. But everything is not what it seems.

These were really interesting books! The artwork is just black and white, but seems detailed and active! Great artwork, great details that helps tell the story, instead of hindering it.

I also liked that there was notes and references in the back. The author, Frattino, actually did the research and used tales local to those specific locations to create his books. That is awesome! I love authors that take the time to do research for things like this, and that share their findings. Brownie points for Frattino!

I read the second book before I read the first book, but that didn't hinder me or feel awkward. It was actually interesting as I read the first book to see the connections and characters that carry over to the second. I did like the second more than the first, mostly because the first seemed to drag just a little. I wanted to go faster than the story was letting me. But the first was pretty good.

Overall, really enjoyed both of these. They will appeal to both boys and girls, anyone that likes the slightly creepy ghost story. I liked it, and will recommend it to people!

[Ang · Rating 3 out of 5]

Flagler's Few and the Reaper of Saint George Street is about a young guy named Will Garrings and his first experiences in St. Augustine, FL. The book also introduces you to a short history lesson into the city and the ghosts of St. Augustine. We are first introduced to the supernatural element of St. Augustine through Claire's initial dream and through Will's encounter with the Reaper. This is also a graphic novel. The illustrations are simple, in that they are in black and white, not to say that Frattino's skill is simple. Frattino's illustrations are really good and I appreciate even more the fact that he's basing his story in a real place, a place that I have been and is local to Florida. That's pretty neat. I also like how he uses the page in different ways, where he utilizes both regular comic panels, but also isn't afraid to have his characters or their bubbles extend past the borders of the panels. I really like his line-work and how he uses the range of lines to show depth on each page. I also appreciate how detailed and abstract his illustrations get.

I normally don't go for works that delve in the realm of the supernatural (fantasy, sure), but not really ghosts. I'm actually intrigued to see where this story goes and what's up with Claire and the Reaper. It might even inspire me to actually go on a ghost tour through St. Augustine this Halloween.

[Roxy Rosen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Reaper of St George Street tells the story of a ragtag group of misfits thrown together to investigate a supernatural crime, and if that feels like a familiar trope, it’s because it is, nothing wrong with formula though, as long as it’s done well, but this one had some major flaws in my opinion. I didn’t feel any connection to the characters, nor did I feel they had sufficient cause to feel as deeply as they did or battle the frankly not very terrifying menace they battled. When I finished the story, I didn’t know if the final reveal was ridiculous or kind of cool and I still don’t. I know this is the first in a series and other reviewers have said the series does get better, but I’ll have to take their word for it, I don’t think I’ll be coming back. I really did like the art though, it may have been a bit inconsistent at times, and it irked me that Frattino didn’t always erase his rough pencils during clean up, but meh, that could’ve been a stylistic choice, overall the art and sequential storytelling gelled, but in the end, they can only be as good as the story, and that’s what fell flat for me.

[Yaritza · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable book with ghost hunters. I loved that each character were different and fun in there own way but they make a great team when fighting the paranormal. I enjoyed the illustrations. Andre did a great job in creating the story, illustration and making the story interesting and mysterious.

[Diantha Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this graphic novel! It was fun to read and some of the dialog was really hilarious! Frattino has a great sense of humor and makes a lot of low key jokes that most people would probably miss. The illustrations were awesome and the variety of characters made the story. Loved it! Looking forward to the sequel!

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

Full review on HorrorTalk: http://www.horrortalk.com/comic-revie...

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a bad comic, but not a great one either. Meh...

[Alison DeGrave · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a cute book with a fun fast paced story. I'll probably read more in the series, not necessarily a must read.