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Burried Long, Long Ago #1-5
Buried Long, Long Ago
For fans of historical fiction focusing on a woman, Belle Gunness, with a murderous vendetta...a nice amount of mayhem and the supernatural thrown in for good measure. For fans of the film The Witch and the comic adaptation of The Dunwich Horror.
Based on true events, from 1901-1908 Belle Gunness lured dozens of lonely men to her Indiana farm and savagely murdered them for their money. Because Belle managed to avoid capture and face trial, much of this story remains untold. Until now. This is a fairy-tale retelling of her brutal crimes from the perspective of her three young children...who soon discover there is something far worse, and far more evil, than their mother on the farm. Something Buried Long, Long Ago.
Based on true events, from 1901-1908 Belle Gunness lured dozens of lonely men to her Indiana farm and savagely murdered them for their money. Because Belle managed to avoid capture and face trial, much of this story remains untold. Until now. This is a fairy-tale retelling of her brutal crimes from the perspective of her three young children...who soon discover there is something far worse, and far more evil, than their mother on the farm. Something Buried Long, Long Ago.
120 pages, Paperback
Published November 25, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 8, 2026
I enjoyed this
November 28, 2025
I enjoyed this and loved the artwork. It will definitely appeal to fans of Harrow County.
Read
July 2, 2026The story is inspired by a true case of a female serial killer in the last decade of the 19th Century (1884-1908). However, it’s not necessary to be familiar with the history of Belle Gunness to read this story, based on those murders. It’s a fictional re-telling of the dark history of Belle Gunness, who, if she killed as many suitors/potential husbands as depicted in this story - then I’m surprised that her name doesn’t come up more often in true crime documentaries, podcasts, etc.
The opening of Issue #1, which relates a fairy tale as told by the oldest daughter to her two younger sisters during a train trip to their new home in Indiana, is a brilliant set-up for the horror to follow. It foreshadows the establishment of a mindset of dread among the three former town girls (Chicago) who are disturbed by the differences of country life on a rural farm in La Pointe, Indiana. Pigs, chickens, a bloody slaughterhouse where the animals are butchered and sold, and a strange lurking pair of eyes seen in the dark and through the windows. What is happening outside the farmhouse is as traumatizing as what is happening inside.
That fairy tale told on the train detailed an ogre witch who disguised herself and lured victims into a hollow. It ends with a knight being devoured, only bones remaining, and the witch never captured despite a manhunt. It haunts the younger sisters and makes them nervous in their new setting on the property owned by their new stepfather. The opening issue ends with a brutal murder (deemed an accident) and a cover-up by a domineering mother (coincidentally named Belle Gunness) and backed-up by a fearful older daughter.
There are two things that make this stand out and demand to be noticed:
One:rather than focus on the dreadful and evil Belle, writer Cleveland tells the story from the perspective of her three daughters. What they have to witness, endure, and obey the sinister whims of their cruel mother are traumatizing and have a profound effect on each of them as the story progresses.
Two:In addition to some truly wicked embellishments that Cleveland and Cormack add to spice the story - - Cleveland introduces a supernatural element and ties it into the main story. In earlier days, the farmhouse was a brothel and the land around it became the domineering matron’s burial ground for unwanted babies. Now, the presence of an equally demonic and aggressive woman who also buries victims in the ground revives the sleeping creature that is comprised of the ghosts of buried victims.
In the final issues, things really get out of control in a fiery climax. I’m sure that Cleveland took many liberties with the actual history of Belle Gunness and the story is better for it.
Cormack’s art is simply great, so good at creating nervous images, revealing scenes, and fearful body language that I would gladly read this without text boxes or dialogue - - just for the art.. However, the script is taut and succinctly effective. You can tell that writer Anthony Delaware is into the story, and it shows. I’ve followed the work of artist Alex Cormack for some time, and this ranks with his best efforts.
This series maintained the excellence and promise of the debut issue throughout the five-issue run, and deserves a FIVE-STAR rating.
January 10, 2026
Anthony Cleveland’s Buried Long, Long Ago is one of the most gripping and unsettling horror comics I’ve read in recent years. Although I enjoy a wide range of horror—from the campy charm of Creepshow and classic EC titles to more grounded, real‑life‑inspired tales—this volume stands apart because it commits fully to a serious, eerie, and genuinely frightening tone. The art is drenched in atmosphere: heavy shadows, stark lighting, and rural landscapes that feel both abandoned and watched. It evokes the moodier side of 90s horror television, especially those X‑Files episodes where the monster isn’t just a creature but a demonic presence.
The story centers on a small, isolated town still haunted by disappearances across decades. Cleveland draws inspiration from a real unsolved incident from the turn of the 19th to 20th century, and that grounding in true‑crime folklore gives the narrative a chilling authenticity. The comic also hints at a forgotten ritual tied to the house that is the center of the narrative, suggesting that the evil at work is older and more deliberate than anyone wants to admit.
At the center of the horror is the profoundly evil mother and black widow who essentially feeds the “candle-eyed demon,” a figure glimpsed only in pieces—reflections, doorways, the edge of a dying flame, summoning from the bloody ground, etc. The series teases a deeper demonic mythology involving bargains, bloodlines, and a cycle of disappearances stretching back generations. With another five or six issues, the story could have explored these occult layers even further, perhaps introducing a counterforce—a scholar, hunter, or reluctant protector—to balance the escalating threat.
Even with those unanswered questions, Buried Long, Long Ago leaves a lasting impression. It’s dark, bloody, and unflinchingly serious, with a mystery that tightens its grip page by page. The emotional weight, the atmospheric art, and the sense of something ancient pressing in from the margins make it a standout in modern horror comics. I’m genuinely excited to see what this creative team does next.
The story centers on a small, isolated town still haunted by disappearances across decades. Cleveland draws inspiration from a real unsolved incident from the turn of the 19th to 20th century, and that grounding in true‑crime folklore gives the narrative a chilling authenticity. The comic also hints at a forgotten ritual tied to the house that is the center of the narrative, suggesting that the evil at work is older and more deliberate than anyone wants to admit.
At the center of the horror is the profoundly evil mother and black widow who essentially feeds the “candle-eyed demon,” a figure glimpsed only in pieces—reflections, doorways, the edge of a dying flame, summoning from the bloody ground, etc. The series teases a deeper demonic mythology involving bargains, bloodlines, and a cycle of disappearances stretching back generations. With another five or six issues, the story could have explored these occult layers even further, perhaps introducing a counterforce—a scholar, hunter, or reluctant protector—to balance the escalating threat.
Even with those unanswered questions, Buried Long, Long Ago leaves a lasting impression. It’s dark, bloody, and unflinchingly serious, with a mystery that tightens its grip page by page. The emotional weight, the atmospheric art, and the sense of something ancient pressing in from the margins make it a standout in modern horror comics. I’m genuinely excited to see what this creative team does next.
January 27, 2026
So, in 2021, I happened to pick up Camilla Bruce's In the Garden of Spite, a fictional account of Belle Gunness. I didn't even know until the author's note at the end of the book that it was based on a real person. What? How did I miss the story of this early twentieth century Midwest serial killer?
When I saw this graphic novel, I had to pick it up. If this graphic novel is your first encounter with Belle, I highly recommend Bruce's novel, too.
Cleveland takes a more supernatural approach to Belle's story, telling it through the eyes of her children who still believe in fairy tales, monsters, and that evil can be destroyed.
The art was great (and truly horrifying). I liked the fairy tale tie-ins, and I liked the ending change, too.
All in all, two thumbs up for this horror graphic novel based on real-life terror.
*graphic violence
When I saw this graphic novel, I had to pick it up. If this graphic novel is your first encounter with Belle, I highly recommend Bruce's novel, too.
Cleveland takes a more supernatural approach to Belle's story, telling it through the eyes of her children who still believe in fairy tales, monsters, and that evil can be destroyed.
The art was great (and truly horrifying). I liked the fairy tale tie-ins, and I liked the ending change, too.
All in all, two thumbs up for this horror graphic novel based on real-life terror.
*graphic violence
January 27, 2026
So, in 2021, I happened to pick up Camilla Bruce's In the Garden of Spite, a fictional account of Belle Gunness. I didn't even know until the author's note at the end of the book that it was based on a real person. What? How did I miss the story of this early twentieth century Midwest serial killer?
When I saw this graphic novel, I had to pick it up. If this graphic novel is your first encounter with Belle, I highly recommend Bruce's novel, too.
Cleveland takes a more supernatural approach to Belle's story, telling it through the eyes of her children who still believe in fairy tales, monsters, and that evil can be destroyed.
The art was great (and truly horrifying). I liked the fairy tale tie-ins, and I liked the ending change, too.
All in all, two thumbs up for this horror graphic novel based on real-life terror.
*graphic violence
When I saw this graphic novel, I had to pick it up. If this graphic novel is your first encounter with Belle, I highly recommend Bruce's novel, too.
Cleveland takes a more supernatural approach to Belle's story, telling it through the eyes of her children who still believe in fairy tales, monsters, and that evil can be destroyed.
The art was great (and truly horrifying). I liked the fairy tale tie-ins, and I liked the ending change, too.
All in all, two thumbs up for this horror graphic novel based on real-life terror.
*graphic violence
January 27, 2026
So, in 2021, I happened to pick up Camilla Bruce's In the Garden of Spite, a fictional account of Belle Gunness. I didn't even know until the author's note at the end of the book that it was based on a real person. What? How did I miss the story of this early twentieth century Midwest serial killer?
When I saw this graphic novel, I had to pick it up. If this graphic novel is your first encounter with Belle, I highly recommend Bruce's novel, too.
Cleveland takes a more supernatural approach to Belle's story, telling it through the eyes of her children who still believe in fairy tales, monsters, and that evil can be destroyed.
The art was great (and truly horrifying). I liked the fairy tale tie-ins, and I liked the ending change, too.
All in all, two thumbs up for this horror graphic novel based on real-life terror.
*graphic violence
When I saw this graphic novel, I had to pick it up. If this graphic novel is your first encounter with Belle, I highly recommend Bruce's novel, too.
Cleveland takes a more supernatural approach to Belle's story, telling it through the eyes of her children who still believe in fairy tales, monsters, and that evil can be destroyed.
The art was great (and truly horrifying). I liked the fairy tale tie-ins, and I liked the ending change, too.
All in all, two thumbs up for this horror graphic novel based on real-life terror.
*graphic violence
February 25, 2026
This is not a spectacular story; it is a bit disjointed and feels rushed needing more explanation about what is going on. However, it wonderfully creates an atmosphere of dread and despair.
The art fits the story nicely creating a feeling of foreboding danger and fear.
The art fits the story nicely creating a feeling of foreboding danger and fear.
September 26, 2025
Based on true events. (Read as single issues.)
December 3, 2025
I loved the girls in this. One of the best comics I've read this year.
January 10, 2026
Unputdownable supernatural take on true story of Belle Gunness, black widow serial killer.
March 30, 2026
A creepy story with believable children and a horrible monster. I won't say what kind, that would ruin it for the reader.
January 27, 2026
So, in 2021, I happened to pick up Camilla Bruce's In the Garden of Spite, a fictional account of Belle Gunness. I didn't even know until the author's note at the end of the book that it was based on a real person. What? How did I miss the story of this early twentieth century Midwest serial killer?
When I saw this graphic novel, I had to pick it up. If this graphic novel is your first encounter with Belle, I highly recommend Bruce's novel, too.
Cleveland takes a more supernatural approach to Belle's story, telling it through the eyes of her children who still believe in fairy tales, monsters, and that evil can be destroyed.
The art was great (and truly horrifying). I liked the fairy tale tie-ins, and I liked the ending change, too.
All in all, two thumbs up for this horror graphic novel based on real-life terror.
*graphic violence
When I saw this graphic novel, I had to pick it up. If this graphic novel is your first encounter with Belle, I highly recommend Bruce's novel, too.
Cleveland takes a more supernatural approach to Belle's story, telling it through the eyes of her children who still believe in fairy tales, monsters, and that evil can be destroyed.
The art was great (and truly horrifying). I liked the fairy tale tie-ins, and I liked the ending change, too.
All in all, two thumbs up for this horror graphic novel based on real-life terror.
*graphic violence
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews