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Hello Darkness #1-4
Hello Darkness Vol. 1
Today’s top horror storytellers invite you deep into the gloomiest recesses of your nightmares, never letting you forget that… the darkness will always define us! From the trenches and tunnels of World War I to cushy Brooklyn apartments to lonely lighthouses, the darkness comes for us all. Modern fears of a collapsing society come for privileged Millennial yuppies in “The War” by Garth Ennis (Preacher, The Boys) and Becky Cloonan (Wonder Woman, Somna), while Erica Slaughter stars in an exclusive brand-new adventure of the Eisner award-winning Something is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera. Be very afraid as even more new horror tales are unveiled by Wes Craig (Deadly Class), Sarah Andersen (Fangs), Andy Lanning (Guardians of the Galaxy), Trevor Hairsine (DCeased), and more! Collects Hello Darkness #1-4.
176 pages, Paperback
Published April 1, 2025
8 people are currently reading
78 people want to read
About the author
Garth Ennis
2,630 books3,183 followersEnnis began his comic-writing career in 1989 with the series Troubled Souls. Appearing in the short-lived but critically-acclaimed British anthology Crisis and illustrated by McCrea, it told the story of a young, apolitical Protestant man caught up by fate in the violence of the Irish 'Troubles'. It spawned a sequel, For a Few Troubles More, a broad Belfast-based comedy featuring two supporting characters from Troubled Souls, Dougie and Ivor, who would later get their own American comics series, Dicks, from Caliber in 1997, and several follow-ups from Avatar.
Another series for Crisis was True Faith, a religious satire inspired by his schooldays, this time drawn by Warren Pleece. Ennis shortly after began to write for Crisis' parent publication, 2000 AD. He quickly graduated on to the title's flagship character, Judge Dredd, taking over from original creator John Wagner for a period of several years.
Ennis' first work on an American comic came in 1991 when he took over DC Comics's horror title Hellblazer, which he wrote until 1994, and for which he currently holds the title for most issues written. Steve Dillon became the regular artist during the second half of Ennis's run.
Ennis' landmark work to date is the 66-issue epic Preacher, which he co-created with artist Steve Dillon. Running from 1995 to 2000, it was a tale of a preacher with supernatural powers, searching (literally) for God who has abandoned his creation.
While Preacher was running, Ennis began a series set in the DC universe called Hitman. Despite being lower profile than Preacher, Hitman ran for 60 issues (plus specials) from 1996 to 2001, veering wildly from violent action to humour to an examination of male friendship under fire.
Other comic projects Ennis wrote during this time period include Goddess, Bloody Mary, Unknown Soldier, and Pride & Joy, all for DC/Vertigo, as well as origin stories for The Darkness for Image Comics and Shadowman for Valiant Comics.
After the end of Hitman, Ennis was lured to Marvel Comics with the promise from Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada that he could write The Punisher as long as he cared to. Instead of largely comical tone of these issues, he decided to make a much more serious series, re-launched under Marvel's MAX imprint.
In 2001 he briefly returned to UK comics to write the epic Helter Skelter for Judge Dredd.
Other comics Ennis has written include War Story (with various artists) for DC; The Pro for Image Comics; The Authority for Wildstorm; Just a Pilgrim for Black Bull Press, and 303, Chronicles of Wormwood (a six issue mini-series about the Antichrist), and a western comic book, Streets of Glory for Avatar Press.
In 2008 Ennis ended his five-year run on Punisher MAX to debut a new Marvel title, War Is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle.
In June 2008, at Wizard World, Philadelphia, Ennis announced several new projects, including a metaseries of war comics called Battlefields from Dynamite made up of mini-series including Night Witches, Dear Billy and Tankies, another Chronicles of Wormwood mini-series and Crossed both at Avatar, a six-issue miniseries about Butcher (from The Boys) and a Punisher project reuniting him with artist Steve Dillon (subsequently specified to be a weekly mini-series entitled Punisher: War Zone, to be released concurrently with the film of the same name).
Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garth_Ennis
Another series for Crisis was True Faith, a religious satire inspired by his schooldays, this time drawn by Warren Pleece. Ennis shortly after began to write for Crisis' parent publication, 2000 AD. He quickly graduated on to the title's flagship character, Judge Dredd, taking over from original creator John Wagner for a period of several years.
Ennis' first work on an American comic came in 1991 when he took over DC Comics's horror title Hellblazer, which he wrote until 1994, and for which he currently holds the title for most issues written. Steve Dillon became the regular artist during the second half of Ennis's run.
Ennis' landmark work to date is the 66-issue epic Preacher, which he co-created with artist Steve Dillon. Running from 1995 to 2000, it was a tale of a preacher with supernatural powers, searching (literally) for God who has abandoned his creation.
While Preacher was running, Ennis began a series set in the DC universe called Hitman. Despite being lower profile than Preacher, Hitman ran for 60 issues (plus specials) from 1996 to 2001, veering wildly from violent action to humour to an examination of male friendship under fire.
Other comic projects Ennis wrote during this time period include Goddess, Bloody Mary, Unknown Soldier, and Pride & Joy, all for DC/Vertigo, as well as origin stories for The Darkness for Image Comics and Shadowman for Valiant Comics.
After the end of Hitman, Ennis was lured to Marvel Comics with the promise from Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada that he could write The Punisher as long as he cared to. Instead of largely comical tone of these issues, he decided to make a much more serious series, re-launched under Marvel's MAX imprint.
In 2001 he briefly returned to UK comics to write the epic Helter Skelter for Judge Dredd.
Other comics Ennis has written include War Story (with various artists) for DC; The Pro for Image Comics; The Authority for Wildstorm; Just a Pilgrim for Black Bull Press, and 303, Chronicles of Wormwood (a six issue mini-series about the Antichrist), and a western comic book, Streets of Glory for Avatar Press.
In 2008 Ennis ended his five-year run on Punisher MAX to debut a new Marvel title, War Is Hell: The First Flight of the Phantom Eagle.
In June 2008, at Wizard World, Philadelphia, Ennis announced several new projects, including a metaseries of war comics called Battlefields from Dynamite made up of mini-series including Night Witches, Dear Billy and Tankies, another Chronicles of Wormwood mini-series and Crossed both at Avatar, a six-issue miniseries about Butcher (from The Boys) and a Punisher project reuniting him with artist Steve Dillon (subsequently specified to be a weekly mini-series entitled Punisher: War Zone, to be released concurrently with the film of the same name).
Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garth_Ennis
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
November 14, 2025
Some dark and disturbing short stories. 3.3 🌟
November 14, 2025
There are three stories in particular that had me going: woah!! One doesn’t fully end in this first volume and is intense… a reminder of how fleeting our own lives are and how a very small number of people hold the world’s fate in their hands. The second has a clown… and yeah, it delivers.
The third is just f—-up. Like legit f-ed up. You’ve been warned, the monster in this one is human and well… yeah…
The Something is Killing the Children story only has a small part in this volume (apparently it continues on in later issues…?). I definitely wanted a lot more of it; but I suppose I can look forward to it.
Overall this is an intense, gory, very bloody, intensely dark collection of short comics. It holds some punch and I see great potential for those stories that continue onto further volumes.
A must have for any horror comic collection
Yet, a warning should be added for those sensitive to true everyday horror. This is not just monsters unknown or unseen. There are some real straight-up human monsters here. So be prepared.
The third is just f—-up. Like legit f-ed up. You’ve been warned, the monster in this one is human and well… yeah…
The Something is Killing the Children story only has a small part in this volume (apparently it continues on in later issues…?). I definitely wanted a lot more of it; but I suppose I can look forward to it.
Overall this is an intense, gory, very bloody, intensely dark collection of short comics. It holds some punch and I see great potential for those stories that continue onto further volumes.
A must have for any horror comic collection
Yet, a warning should be added for those sensitive to true everyday horror. This is not just monsters unknown or unseen. There are some real straight-up human monsters here. So be prepared.
March 22, 2025
Ennis/Cloonan absolute hard carry. 5-star story on their end. Maybe a 2.5-3 star book without that one.
August 21, 2025
HELLO DARKNESS is a mixed bag of diversity of themes, twisty endings, series beginnings, and quality of writing and art. I absolutely love it. There is something here for every one and every taste, as long as you like horror comics anthologies and like it dark, which this certainly is. Along with the EC Comics revival from Oni Press (EPITAPHS FROM THE ABYSS, CRUEL UNIVERSE) and Image Comics’ CREEPSHOW, there is certainly room on comic shop shelves for another entry, and this deserves the space. Competition will upgrade the quality across the board.
HELLO DARKNESS differs from EPITAPHS FROM THE ABYSS in three areas:
1) The covers are not stand-alone art but feature the same recurring character - a red-haired beauty, usually in alert mode, distress, or the cause of the distress.
2) There is no moderator/horror host for the stories.
3) There are two continued stories, which began in Issues #1and #2.
I read these in the single monthly issues and want to spotlight my favorite stories from each issue:
Issue #1
The opening story here is “Contagious” by Jude Ellison S. Doyle with simplistic art by Letizia Cadonici that helps get the shock value across as it lulls you into complacency.. But the story is far from simple, and pretty gruesome. Young kids in school begin passing on a “social contagion” to each other, a mass hysteria that sees them killing their parents.
Issue #2
The follow-up issue was not as strong as the debut issue (or Issue #3) but this still remains a showcase for quality story-telling.
The stand-out story (creepy as all get-out) is “The Clown” written and illustrated in black & white by Adam Raharjo. This made the Top 5 of my Favorite Creepy Clown Stories. (Stephen King’s IT, either movie or novel, sits atop at #1).
Issue #3
The stand-out story this issue, and it is very disturbing, is “Mukbang” by Michael W. Conrad and Martin Morazzo. It deals with social media influencers and competition for likes and followers. Two high school rivals take this to a horrifying level. A real gut-punch of a story.
Issue #4
The best entry this time around in terms of story, art, and colors is “Dying For Quiet” by Shawn Patrick Boyd, Elijah Henry and Jason Wordie. A young female executive assistant can’t stop saying “no” to anyone (work, family, friends) and burns out. She finally signs up for a country retreat with a verdant garden where her emotions can release.
HELLO DARKNESS differs from EPITAPHS FROM THE ABYSS in three areas:
1) The covers are not stand-alone art but feature the same recurring character - a red-haired beauty, usually in alert mode, distress, or the cause of the distress.
2) There is no moderator/horror host for the stories.
3) There are two continued stories, which began in Issues #1and #2.
I read these in the single monthly issues and want to spotlight my favorite stories from each issue:
Issue #1
The opening story here is “Contagious” by Jude Ellison S. Doyle with simplistic art by Letizia Cadonici that helps get the shock value across as it lulls you into complacency.. But the story is far from simple, and pretty gruesome. Young kids in school begin passing on a “social contagion” to each other, a mass hysteria that sees them killing their parents.
Issue #2
The follow-up issue was not as strong as the debut issue (or Issue #3) but this still remains a showcase for quality story-telling.
The stand-out story (creepy as all get-out) is “The Clown” written and illustrated in black & white by Adam Raharjo. This made the Top 5 of my Favorite Creepy Clown Stories. (Stephen King’s IT, either movie or novel, sits atop at #1).
Issue #3
The stand-out story this issue, and it is very disturbing, is “Mukbang” by Michael W. Conrad and Martin Morazzo. It deals with social media influencers and competition for likes and followers. Two high school rivals take this to a horrifying level. A real gut-punch of a story.
Issue #4
The best entry this time around in terms of story, art, and colors is “Dying For Quiet” by Shawn Patrick Boyd, Elijah Henry and Jason Wordie. A young female executive assistant can’t stop saying “no” to anyone (work, family, friends) and burns out. She finally signs up for a country retreat with a verdant garden where her emotions can release.
Read
November 7, 2024I realised I had the last of the issues that would make up the first volume, but decided I probably wasn't going to read it this week because that title – ill-omened, right? Well, it's a bit late to worry about that now. Of the current horror anthologies, this might be the most genuinely diverse, ranging from core Boom titles (there's a Something Is Killing The Children strip, which is interesting given I definitely saw Tynion say recently that Erica's whole story would be told in the pages of her own series, yet here she is) to stuff that doesn't even normally sit within the US comics 'mainstream'; it's the first time I recall seeing E.M. Carroll between floppy covers, and Robert Hack's queasy single-panel gag cartoons feel as if they come from another tradition and era altogether. Admittedly, this does also mean the editorial team are really chuffed with having created an overseeing presence who's spooky, but cute rather than horrific like the old horror hosts of EC &c – do you want to tell them about Misty, or shall I? – but even there the art is still good, so we can't complain too much. The main reason I was buying this straight off, though, was the presence of a Garth Ennis strip, which like his Creepshow contribution is illustrated by Becky Cloonan. It's called The War, which feels a little like having a le Carré called Spies, and even the first installment, which I read back when it seemed like at least this particular pitfall might conceivably work out alright, felt like a gut-punch. Now, given its theme is geopolitical clusterfucks happening apocalyptically despite all the clever people who insisted they surely couldn't...well, caveat lector.
October 24, 2025
As with any anthology, some stories land stronger than others — but this collection really impressed me. The Something Is Killing the Children short was a highlight, and The War by Garth Ennis and Becky Cloonan was one of the most intense, harrowing pieces I’ve read in a long time. Horrific, human, and absolutely gut-wrenching.
The mix of tones and styles keeps it fresh — creepy, stylish, and full of atmosphere. A strong start for Boom Studios horror line, and a great Halloween read. Overall 4 stars but the two stories especially the War, were 5 stars individually
The mix of tones and styles keeps it fresh — creepy, stylish, and full of atmosphere. A strong start for Boom Studios horror line, and a great Halloween read. Overall 4 stars but the two stories especially the War, were 5 stars individually
December 10, 2024
Blah, this is just not great. There's a few stand out shorts, one in particular I loved about a werewolf and vampire, but overall the MAIN stories are just...dull. Garth usually grit and edge is completely replaced by slow build that....doesn't add to much. Overall a big disappointment.
June 18, 2025
A typical anthology. Nothing particularly bad. Nothing particularly good either. Tinyon's story is well told but inconclusive as it is ongoing, and Ennis's story, with his whiny characters who do nothing but talk during a series of nuclear attacks, is rather boring- and still ongoing too.
Overall, disappointing.
Overall, disappointing.
September 10, 2025
La brutalidad de Ennis en The War es suficiente para la excusa de la antología pero la verdad es que guarda muchas sorpresas lindas. se sabe que las antologías son una ciencia inexacta pero hay cosas interesantes en esta colección de relatos oscuros.
October 20, 2025
As a huge fan of anthology horror, I absolutely loved the majority of the stories in this volume.
I think I'm in the minority but my least favourite was The War, simply because it's not my taste. I'm much more into spooky, silly and outrageous horror, rather than something based on events that could be much too real 🫠
Looking forward to reading the other Volumes 🥰
I think I'm in the minority but my least favourite was The War, simply because it's not my taste. I'm much more into spooky, silly and outrageous horror, rather than something based on events that could be much too real 🫠
Looking forward to reading the other Volumes 🥰
Read
October 15, 2025Interesting to read this so shortly after Razorblades Volume 1 as it's doing the same thing (minus full text stories) and the quality is at least two steps above that offering - a good editor does make a difference after all! Ennis's story here is chilling, especially since I'm still thinking about A House of Dynamite...nuclear winter autumn I suppose.
May 3, 2025
### **Book Review: *Hello Darkness, Vol. 1***
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/4)
#### **A Mixed Bag of Nightmares, but the Best Ones Shine**
*Hello Darkness, Vol. 1* delivers exactly what its title promises—an anthology of eerie, unsettling, and downright chilling tales from some of the biggest names in modern horror and comics. The collection spans a variety of themes, settings, and approaches to terror, making for an engaging, if uneven, reading experience.
#### **Highlights & Standouts**
At its best, this anthology delivers some truly unforgettable horror storytelling. Garth Ennis and Becky Cloonan’s *The War* presents a brutal, deeply unnerving vision of societal decay and privilege, blending satire with psychological horror in a way that sticks with you long after you turn the page. James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera’s *Something is Killing the Children* story is another standout, offering fans a gripping new chapter in the acclaimed series.
Other contributors bring strong storytelling and evocative visuals as well—Wes Craig (*Deadly Class*), Sarah Andersen (*Fangs*), Andy Lanning (*Guardians of the Galaxy*), and Trevor Hairsine (*DCeased*) all inject their own distinct flavor into the mix, ensuring that readers experience a wide range of horror styles.
#### **The Weaker Moments**
Not every story lands as effectively, though. Some tales feel rushed, lacking the emotional depth or unnerving atmosphere that makes horror truly impactful. A few entries struggle to stand out against the heavy hitters, making certain sections of the book feel forgettable in comparison to its strongest offerings.
#### **Art & Atmosphere**
Becky Cloonan’s illustration work shines, particularly in *The War*, where the gritty, shadow-heavy aesthetic amplifies the creeping dread. Tamra Bonvillain’s color work is exceptional throughout, ensuring that each story gets a distinct mood—whether it’s stark realism or surreal horror. The visual storytelling elevates even the weaker narratives, making the entire collection a feast for the eyes.
#### **Final Verdict**
If you’re a horror fan, *Hello Darkness, Vol. 1* is well worth picking up. While some stories might miss the mark, the strongest entries—especially those from Ennis, Cloonan, and Tynion IV—make this anthology a must-read for those who appreciate horror in all its twisted, unpredictable forms. The variety ensures there’s something here for everyone, even if not every nightmare is equally memorable.
Happy reading 💀📚
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/4)
#### **A Mixed Bag of Nightmares, but the Best Ones Shine**
*Hello Darkness, Vol. 1* delivers exactly what its title promises—an anthology of eerie, unsettling, and downright chilling tales from some of the biggest names in modern horror and comics. The collection spans a variety of themes, settings, and approaches to terror, making for an engaging, if uneven, reading experience.
#### **Highlights & Standouts**
At its best, this anthology delivers some truly unforgettable horror storytelling. Garth Ennis and Becky Cloonan’s *The War* presents a brutal, deeply unnerving vision of societal decay and privilege, blending satire with psychological horror in a way that sticks with you long after you turn the page. James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera’s *Something is Killing the Children* story is another standout, offering fans a gripping new chapter in the acclaimed series.
Other contributors bring strong storytelling and evocative visuals as well—Wes Craig (*Deadly Class*), Sarah Andersen (*Fangs*), Andy Lanning (*Guardians of the Galaxy*), and Trevor Hairsine (*DCeased*) all inject their own distinct flavor into the mix, ensuring that readers experience a wide range of horror styles.
#### **The Weaker Moments**
Not every story lands as effectively, though. Some tales feel rushed, lacking the emotional depth or unnerving atmosphere that makes horror truly impactful. A few entries struggle to stand out against the heavy hitters, making certain sections of the book feel forgettable in comparison to its strongest offerings.
#### **Art & Atmosphere**
Becky Cloonan’s illustration work shines, particularly in *The War*, where the gritty, shadow-heavy aesthetic amplifies the creeping dread. Tamra Bonvillain’s color work is exceptional throughout, ensuring that each story gets a distinct mood—whether it’s stark realism or surreal horror. The visual storytelling elevates even the weaker narratives, making the entire collection a feast for the eyes.
#### **Final Verdict**
If you’re a horror fan, *Hello Darkness, Vol. 1* is well worth picking up. While some stories might miss the mark, the strongest entries—especially those from Ennis, Cloonan, and Tynion IV—make this anthology a must-read for those who appreciate horror in all its twisted, unpredictable forms. The variety ensures there’s something here for everyone, even if not every nightmare is equally memorable.
Happy reading 💀📚
January 16, 2025
I feel like I've been lied to.
They were marketing this by saying that the first six issues would have the exclusive SIKTC story. Well, the first issue had it. The second didn't. The third also did. The fourth didn't. After five, I lowkey expected six would have it too since they promised the first 6 issues would have it. But no. You gotta wait for issue 7. I normally wouldn't be so salty about this, but unfortunately, I only picked this up because of SIKTC. And the fact that the majority of these stories failed to interest me didn't help either.
Some stories were fine. The writers truly have potential and the art was gorgeous in some of them. But those little "I can't take you anywhere" interludes had more entertainment than most of these stories.
"The War" could be interesting, but maybe using the war in Ukraine as a base for the plot is falling into the "too soon" category. Also, the main character is annoying as hell. I assume that was the intention of the writer though, so good job I guess.
The SIKTC story. I don't know what I expected, but this wasn't it. I don't even know what to write about it, because literally nothing happens in it.
The Magic Clown story will give me nightmares for sure, but only because I'm already terrified of clowns. Besides that one, I doubt any of these stories will stick with me.
I'm a little disappointed by this volume, but I guess someone else would most definitely like it. It's me, not you, Boom! Studios. I still love y'all.
They were marketing this by saying that the first six issues would have the exclusive SIKTC story. Well, the first issue had it. The second didn't. The third also did. The fourth didn't. After five, I lowkey expected six would have it too since they promised the first 6 issues would have it. But no. You gotta wait for issue 7. I normally wouldn't be so salty about this, but unfortunately, I only picked this up because of SIKTC. And the fact that the majority of these stories failed to interest me didn't help either.
Some stories were fine. The writers truly have potential and the art was gorgeous in some of them. But those little "I can't take you anywhere" interludes had more entertainment than most of these stories.
"The War" could be interesting, but maybe using the war in Ukraine as a base for the plot is falling into the "too soon" category. Also, the main character is annoying as hell. I assume that was the intention of the writer though, so good job I guess.
The SIKTC story. I don't know what I expected, but this wasn't it. I don't even know what to write about it, because literally nothing happens in it.
The Magic Clown story will give me nightmares for sure, but only because I'm already terrified of clowns. Besides that one, I doubt any of these stories will stick with me.
I'm a little disappointed by this volume, but I guess someone else would most definitely like it. It's me, not you, Boom! Studios. I still love y'all.
September 17, 2025
Hello Darkness, Vol. 1 is a horror anthology and for the first time in a long time, I actually got scared in response to a story. The stories here are pretty good and varied. Personally, I liked the always reliably creepy clown urban legend in "The Clown" by Azam Raharjo and the twisted take on The Little Mermiad, "The Siren" by Sarah Andersen. But the best stories are the ones that bookend this anthology.
"Contagious" by Jude Ellison S. Doyle (words), Leticia Cadonici (pictures), Alessandra Santoro (colors), and Becca Carey (letters). This opener starts with a mystery. Why are the children of Glenbury, Ohio killing their parents? It spreads from one child to another until they're put under quarantine. I love the reason why; it's twisted and, while extreme, incredibly sympathetic.
"The War" (Parts 1-4) by Garth Ennis (words), Becky Cloonan (pictures), Tamra Bonvillain (colors), and Pat Brosseau (letters). This is the best story in this book. It takes a very real event (Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its threats of nuclear war) and imagines it escalating. It follows eight New Yorkers as they wait, plan, and cope with the world possibly ending.
If you're a horror fan, this book is worth reading.
"Contagious" by Jude Ellison S. Doyle (words), Leticia Cadonici (pictures), Alessandra Santoro (colors), and Becca Carey (letters). This opener starts with a mystery. Why are the children of Glenbury, Ohio killing their parents? It spreads from one child to another until they're put under quarantine. I love the reason why; it's twisted and, while extreme, incredibly sympathetic.
"The War" (Parts 1-4) by Garth Ennis (words), Becky Cloonan (pictures), Tamra Bonvillain (colors), and Pat Brosseau (letters). This is the best story in this book. It takes a very real event (Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its threats of nuclear war) and imagines it escalating. It follows eight New Yorkers as they wait, plan, and cope with the world possibly ending.
If you're a horror fan, this book is worth reading.
May 14, 2025
Hello Darkness Vol. 1 is an interesting collection—dark, moody, and packed with a variety of short graphic stories. Overall, I'd give it 3 stars. Some of the stories really landed, while others felt incomplete or like they were missing a final beat.
The clear highlight for me was Garth Ennis’s contributions: The War parts 1 through 4. I’ll admit I’m probably biased, since I’m already a fan of his work, but those stories were the most compelling, grounded, and emotionally resonant in the book. They balanced grit with humanity in a way that stuck with me.
The rest of the collection is a bit uneven. There are some striking visuals and strong concepts throughout, but a few stories ended so abruptly or felt so underdeveloped that I was left wondering what the point was.
If you're a fan of dark, experimental storytelling—and especially if you're into Garth Ennis—this volume is worth checking out. Just go in expecting a bit of an uneven ride.
The clear highlight for me was Garth Ennis’s contributions: The War parts 1 through 4. I’ll admit I’m probably biased, since I’m already a fan of his work, but those stories were the most compelling, grounded, and emotionally resonant in the book. They balanced grit with humanity in a way that stuck with me.
The rest of the collection is a bit uneven. There are some striking visuals and strong concepts throughout, but a few stories ended so abruptly or felt so underdeveloped that I was left wondering what the point was.
If you're a fan of dark, experimental storytelling—and especially if you're into Garth Ennis—this volume is worth checking out. Just go in expecting a bit of an uneven ride.
April 2, 2025
An absolutely killer anthology of stories full to brim with high-quality horror from varied artists and writers along with some that stay throughout the issues. Most have an exploration of a theme or topic which keeps them really enjoyable to me. The only real killer is the only long-form story in Garth Ennis’ apocalypse war survival story. It’s not bad but it’s not my vibe until the final fourth part which is extremely depressing, realistic, and harrowing. Somehow it will be continued but like… where do you continue from It just ends so nihilistically and uncomfortably gruesome and I don't want it to continue.
August 23, 2024
To be honest I had no idea what was going on with some of these continuous stories and want to reserve my judgement for the next volume. The one offs were a mix of gory and interesting to "what even is this?".
December 9, 2024
*3.5/5
Hope to see more SIKTC in these issues.
Hope to see more SIKTC in these issues.
November 28, 2025
This anthology consists of several short stories by a number of art teams, followed by a 4-part longer one by Garth Ennis. It only caught me attention due to the only writers I was familiar with in it, Ennis and James Tynion, IV. All the shorter tales were either just not very good and/or shockingly short, ending without any real ending. I was mostly looking forwards to Tynion's, as it featured his Something Is Killing the Children universe, but after the last panel I had to flip back and forth a couple times to confirm a page wasn't missing, as it was one of those without any real resolution. Probably the biggest disappointment for me since Tynion and SIKTHC are my favorites in current horror comics. I just didn't care for the rest, and was especially underwhelmed by Ennis' entry.
April 7, 2025
These stories are OK. The back half is by Garth Ennis and Becky Cloonan. It's their attempt to tell what would happen during a nuclear war. It's not very interesting to tell you the truth. The story everyone is probably wondering about is the 2 part Something Is Killing the Children short. It's fine. I'm sure it got people to buy this. It's nothing you haven't seem before though if you've been reading the monthly comic. The other random stories are really hit and miss. I almost rated this a 2 over a 3 if that tells you something. I think it's more a library read than a purchase.
May 24, 2025
Some surprising dips into other Boom series balance some forgettable generic horror. But the book is buoyed by Garth Ennis' The War, a continuing series that hits way too close to home for our times, but also feels all the more potent for it. It's too early in the storyline to really call it one of Ennis' better works, but what's here certainly has that potential.
June 19, 2025
Review is for the first two volumes read back to back
More miss than hit, so overall a disappointing read. to much amateur art, to many pointless tales, and an overly long tale by Garth Ennis that spans both volumes but is more self indulgent than entertaining, particularly since it doesn't fit thematically with the rest of the material.
More miss than hit, so overall a disappointing read. to much amateur art, to many pointless tales, and an overly long tale by Garth Ennis that spans both volumes but is more self indulgent than entertaining, particularly since it doesn't fit thematically with the rest of the material.
July 18, 2025
Most of this is just...not good. About the only things worth your while are a Something Is Killing The Children mini-story (which isn't concluded in this volume) and an extended look at the build up to WWIII by Garth Ennis (which also isn't concluded). Otherwise, there are a lot of short little stories that really don't amount to much.
November 11, 2025
I keep hearing about how anthologies are dead but then keep picking them up. I, for one, love these things. It introduces me to new folks and since they are limited with space, have stories that are super compressed to show off the writerly talent.
July 4, 2025
Short form horror stories...
Looks like it's just a dumping ground for new ideas by comic authors across the world
(It's not Tales From The Crypt, but similar...)
Looks like it's just a dumping ground for new ideas by comic authors across the world
(It's not Tales From The Crypt, but similar...)
August 30, 2025
Horror anthology with About a 60/40 split, the majority of the stories being unpalatable.
2.9✨✨
2.9✨✨
February 7, 2026
Some impressive dark stories, that I can only say "Hello" to...
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