Harrower

by Justin Jordan, Brahm Revel (Artist)

There’s nothing to fear in the quaint town of Harrow, New York–except, that is, for the Harrower.

The children wish this boogeyman was just an urban legend, but this purveyor of puritanical vengeance is very real, and there's no escape. The Harrower seems unkillable, and spans generations, always returning…

Alice Young is a teenage girl obsessed with this menacing figure. Will she be able to escape the pull of her morbid fixation? What gruesome secrets will she uncover in the process? Especially as The Harrower begins to stalk her and her friends…

This deconstruction of the slasher genre from writer Justin Jordan (The Strange Talent of Luther Strode) and artist Brahm Revel (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) is the fresh and terrifyingly grounded take on the slasher genre horror fans have been dying for!

Collects Harrower #1-4.

Genres: Comics, Horror, Graphic Novels, Fiction

130 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 31, 2023

About the author

Justin Jordan is an American comic book writer. He is known for writing and co-creating The Strange Talent of Luther Strode, Spread, Dead Body Road, Deep State, Dark Gods and Savage Things. He has also written Green Lantern: New Guardians, Superboy, Deathstroke and Team 7 for DC Comics and the relaunch of Shadowman for Valiant Entertainment.

In 2012, he was nominated for the Harvey Award for Most Promising New Talent.

Reviews

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A town sets up something dark and mysterious as a murderer basically begins to hunt down these teenagers.

It's a typical slasher set up but with a few nice surprises here or there. I think the first issue is fantastic and while the remaining 3 are solid they don't have the same tone and surprise that first issue did. However for a fun little horror story this isn't a bad one to check out, fast paced, and fun feel to it even if it feels a little fluffed out with the plotting and okayish art.

A 3 out of 5.

[Richard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jordan's dialogue is great, and there are some fun set pieces. It's too thinly sketched and over the top, though.

[Daryn Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Damn good teen slasher fun and I loved the Brahm Revel art.

I only knocked a star off for the abrupt ending and because I wanted maybe 2 more issues (at least) to really explore the whole origin & backstory behind The Harrower and also to give us some more time getting to know the teens and experiencing the town BEFORE it all goes bad, y'know?
Because too many comics feel rushed and unfortunately this is a perfect example.

[London Heady · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reminds me of something like Yuzna's Society. I love the look of the comic, I really like the dialogue between the characters. Justin Jordan should write up some great horror schlock movies that I would eat up.

Nothing super great here, but a fun read. Could totally see this as a great underappreciated 80's movie.

[˗ˏˋ maddie ˊˎ˗ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5.

[Jordan Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Spooktober 2023 Book 17

I had moderately high hopes for this one as it was horror comic with a unique twist on the whole “avenger/vengeance” kind of tropes and after reading nothing but prose the last month or 2 I was looking for something a bit different.

Thats not really the case here.

While I commend Justin Jordan for trying something not usually done in the comic/graphic novel sphere, I found the story very mediocre with little in the way of straight up originality. It was dark, mature, and bloody, yes, but just failed to really grab me or really keep me fully invested.

The artwork was also severely lacking, being Super simplistic. In this day and age of some truly fantastic art (despite some of it being far more CGI than straight up drawn), Harrower’s art felt lame and way to juvenile for this kind of story.

[Ondřej Halíř · Rating 4 out of 5]

Osmdesátkové béčko se vším všudy. Velká porce góru a trochu toho feelu z filmu The Society. Je to rychlý, krátký a krvavý, na to co to je ideálka.

Jediná výtka tak může být že bych ocenil kdyby se to bralo méně vážně a jeden sešit se věnoval více historii městečka a Harrowera.

[Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed the story, art was fine. It was a fun horror read.
Worth reading, but I wouldn't buy it.

[crypt · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a very watered down take on the slasher genre. While all slasher movies are formulaic, this graphic novel simply skips over all the elements that makes that formula work. Essentially, there's a beginning and an end but no middle.

The first issue was pretty solid, giving a first glimpse at the killer, the main cast of characters and their dynamic, and a bit of lore about the Harrower. The very next issue puts the Harrower in the middle of a house party and the bloodshed immediately starts (a scene that would be more fitting of the final scene of a horror movie, not the second issue of a series). There's no buildup, no getting to know the characters, no transformation in the final girl, no red herrings or tropes that you've come to expect in a slasher. Things that probably should have stayed a secret for the sake of a final twist were revealed way too early (such as Reed being involved with the Harrower cult; notably he's not drawn with blood on him as the Harrower goes on his spree, a clever choice to clue the reader into his involvement, but ultimately obvious as we knew from the first issue that he wasn't a good guy). This book skips a lot of set up to get to the gore, and that choice doesn't do it any favors.

[Roman · Rating 2 out of 5]

​​Я читав досить мало горрор коміксів, а з слешерів так і взагалі тільки "Фредді проти Джейсона проти Еша" та "Маніяк із Нью-Йорка". Тому лімітка "Harrower" мене і зацікавила своїм жанром та тим, що автора я знаю по досить непоганому "Dead Body Road: Bad Blood".

Зав'язка у серії полягає в тому, що  група школярів вирушає на вечірку поки батьки відвідують якийсь захід. Однак чи зможуть усі герої пережити цю ніч коли з'явиться міська легенда Гаровер?

Як бачите досить типова зав'язка зі своїми кліше для такого жанру, але як на мене воно йде тільки на користь йому. Нехай і по синопсису його подавали як деконструкцію жанру, але тут нею і не пахне.

І от був би у нас досить простуватий, але непоганий слешер, з маніяком чий дизайн мені нагадував монстрів тижня із "Скубі-Ду", але місцевий фінальний акт просто вбив для мене цей комікс. В результаті все звелося до банального "все контролюється громадою міста" та експозиції з розкриттям того звідки взявся вбивця, плюс твіст з його особистістю мені теж взагалі не сподобався.

Загалом "Harrower" нехай і інтригує на початку та тримає непогану планку в середині, але фінал і відповіді на запитання залишають розчарування після себе.

[one9eighty · Rating 2 out of 5]

A small town with secrets.
An urban legend about a local serial slasher.
Teenagers and young adults who want to party.

Justin Jordan's "Harrower" has all the ingredients you'd expect to make a great read but I wasn't blown away though, it was all very predictable.

The art work is OK, and this graphic novel flows OK too, but it didn't blow me away and make me want to tell all my friends about it. Sure it was dark and bloody, it was definitely a mature comic that I won't be leaving around for kids to find - but it you've seen or read any slasher/horror content then this won't set your world on fire. Pity.

2/5

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too short and not fleshed out enough to be good. It's like watching a 'B' level horror flick. Brahm Revel's art wasn't very good either. The art was sketchy and the colors too monochromatic. There were times that I couldn't even tell who was who.

[Bandit · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very clichéd sort of slasher with small town secrets, dumb teens, and brainwashed adults. Mediocre art to go along with the mediocre plot. But then it’s a quick read. So it isn’t a terrible way to spend 40 minutes, provides your expectations are adjusted accordingly. Works but basic.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a lot of fun with this. The art and colors are great and the story feels like a contemporary, exciting, and fresh take on some of the more interesting ideas in one of the latter Halloween movies (saying which one would be a spoiler)

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

At it's core this has an interesting idea about the twisting and reshaping of religion to control a population, but it doesn't really want to explore that, just using it as a jumping off point to have chopping and slashing with lots of gore; it's humourless too. Disappointing.

[Niche · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not for me

I feel like I should stop reading anything that claims to deconstruct or subvert a genre. It's pretty much "what if Shirley Jackson's The Lottery used horror movie slashers instead of rocks"

[Alberto · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Kat Trent · Rating 1 out of 5]

dark tense slow-paced
1.75

The pacing was off and the story felt clunky. Even the ending was disappointing. I loved the concept, but the execution was not there

[Nicolas Curcio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome

[Kelson Steele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was not expecting the turn this story would take. A really interesting twist on the slasher genre! The ending left a little to be desired though.

[Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

Batman's 'Court of Owls' x Wes Craven's 'Scream' franchise...

Prove me wrong?

[Justin Soderberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in the quaint town of Barlowe, New York, this deconstruction of the slasher genre gives horror fans a fresh and terrifyingly grounded take on the horror sub-genre that has been dying for in The Harrower. Created by writer Justin Jordan and artist Brahm Revel.

The Harrower centers around a teenage girl named Jessica Brink and her group of equally skeptical friends on one Halloween night. Their night takes a turn for the worst when they find themselves being stalked by the Harrower, who no one seems to have ever caught before. The Harrower is a purveyor of puritanical vengeance, his target always being those who he feels have strayed from traditional values. What gritty and gruesome secrets will Jessica unfold as she tries to survive the night?

The series feels like a well made 1980s slasher film in a comic book form. The story is both unapologetic and unrelenting, a rollercoaster ride that keeps you on the edge of your seat, eagerly turning each page. The artwork adds to the suspense, with a simple color scheme that allows the story to take center stage. You can feel the grit and grime of the town as you move through each page. The artists manage to capture the feeling of dread, and the sense of utter hopelessness that the characters experience.

The Harrower is not for the faint-hearted. The creators do not shy away from the violence, gore, and brutality that you would expect from a slasher story. The difference is, however, the reality factor that is thrown in the mix. The characters are relatable with real-world problems that make you feel for them. You can never predict what's going to happen next; the story is full of twists and turns that keep you guessing.

We love this series and would love to see it adapted into a film in the future. It has all the hallmarks of being a great horror movie and would make the perfect addition to the slasher genre. It has something for both horror fans and non-horror fans alike. It's not a cookie-cutter story with a predictable ending, but a unique and refreshing take on the genre that really keeps the reader hooked.

The Harrower is perfect for those who enjoy a scary movie, but prefer to read comic books instead. The comic book is fresh, exciting and the potential of what it could become makes it one to watch. The Harrower is an excellent work of horror that deserves an audience.

[Andrei · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Read in single issues.

What I liked: The action starts very quickly, and the story creates the impression that no one is safe from the Harrower. It's brutal but due to the sketchy art style, it doesn't feel overly gory.

What I didn't like: When revealed, the purpose of the Harrower seemed rather non-sensical to me. Maybe an extra issue to flesh things out a bit more would have helped.

Overall conclusion: This reads like a fast-paced slasher movie, so it makes a fun read if you're into the genre (which is why I'm rounding it up to 4 stars). And although it's only 4 issues long, it manages to wrap up everything to a relatively satisfying conclusion.