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And Then Emily Was Gone #1-3
And Then Emily Was Gone #1
Greg Hellinger is a man who sees monsters. A former detective driven to the brink of madness by terrifying apparitions, he is tasked with finding a missing girl named Emily. Hellinger's search takes him to a remote community in the Scottish Orkney Islands, where strange and terrifying things are happening.
25 pages, Unknown Binding
First published July 30, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
July 28, 2022
And Then Emily Was Gone is a horror comic by John Lees & Iain Laurie that tells the story of Greg Hellinger, a former police officer plagued with visions of monsters, and how he uses that curse to help a young girl named Fiona find her friend, Emily. But before everything is said and done, Greg and Fiona will unearth a terrible secret on the island of Merksay that will change everyone involved...
John Lees continues to be one of my favorite comic writers currently, as he crafts another incredible series that is by far one of the most surreal horror experiences you can get from reading a comic. He is joined by artists Iain Laurie, colorist Megan Wilson, and letterer Colin Bell, who are the same creative team that worked on Quilte, another Lees horror book set in the same universe as this. Just like in Quilte, Lees’ writing in here is bold, with tons of subplots being introduced as the main story slowly begins to reveal the true extent of its horror.
I can see some having a problem with the fact that not all of said subplots coalesce with the main story by the end, but I have to admit it kinda works in the book’s favor. Lees doesn’t wrap everything in a neat bow and instead decides to leave horrors unexplained, mysteries unanswered, and our characters in a genuinely horrible place. And, as I just said, it works for the story. It may not work for some readers, but now that I’ve thought about it, I can’t see any other way this book could’ve ended.
It is an ambiguous ending too, but it thankfully isn’t unsatisfying like the one in Get Joker was, since it actually ends up scaring you even more than if Lees had just told you directly what happened. It had me guessing at what were all of the possibilities that could come out of this ending, and no matter which way it goes, it’s horribly hopeless. And not in a bad way either, it makes sense given how Quilte wrapped too.
Iain Laurie’s art is also worth talking about, since he was the only artist who could’ve possibly drawn this story. It’s not only his horrors that are grotesque, but the people and places they live in. It’s definitely not for everyone and I can see many people being turned off by his art style, but I also don’t know if any other artist would’ve been pulled off a book like this. In the back there’s even a BTS section where you see Lees script for the one splash page in the book and the pencils Laurie came up with for said page, and it just seals the deal on the fact no one other than Laurie could’ve drawn this. It wouldn’t have worked without him, and I hope he works with Lees more.
And Then Emily Was Gone is one of the best horror comics you can get off the shelf nowadays, mainly due to the nearly flawless collaboration between the creative team at hand. This was an amazing experience from start to finish and I would recommended it to any and all horror fans. Lees also has other amazing horror titles like Crimson Cage and Hotell that I would also recommend to everyone. Dude is one of the most underappreciated and underrated writers working in the business at the moment.
John Lees continues to be one of my favorite comic writers currently, as he crafts another incredible series that is by far one of the most surreal horror experiences you can get from reading a comic. He is joined by artists Iain Laurie, colorist Megan Wilson, and letterer Colin Bell, who are the same creative team that worked on Quilte, another Lees horror book set in the same universe as this. Just like in Quilte, Lees’ writing in here is bold, with tons of subplots being introduced as the main story slowly begins to reveal the true extent of its horror.
I can see some having a problem with the fact that not all of said subplots coalesce with the main story by the end, but I have to admit it kinda works in the book’s favor. Lees doesn’t wrap everything in a neat bow and instead decides to leave horrors unexplained, mysteries unanswered, and our characters in a genuinely horrible place. And, as I just said, it works for the story. It may not work for some readers, but now that I’ve thought about it, I can’t see any other way this book could’ve ended.
It is an ambiguous ending too, but it thankfully isn’t unsatisfying like the one in Get Joker was, since it actually ends up scaring you even more than if Lees had just told you directly what happened. It had me guessing at what were all of the possibilities that could come out of this ending, and no matter which way it goes, it’s horribly hopeless. And not in a bad way either, it makes sense given how Quilte wrapped too.
Iain Laurie’s art is also worth talking about, since he was the only artist who could’ve possibly drawn this story. It’s not only his horrors that are grotesque, but the people and places they live in. It’s definitely not for everyone and I can see many people being turned off by his art style, but I also don’t know if any other artist would’ve been pulled off a book like this. In the back there’s even a BTS section where you see Lees script for the one splash page in the book and the pencils Laurie came up with for said page, and it just seals the deal on the fact no one other than Laurie could’ve drawn this. It wouldn’t have worked without him, and I hope he works with Lees more.
And Then Emily Was Gone is one of the best horror comics you can get off the shelf nowadays, mainly due to the nearly flawless collaboration between the creative team at hand. This was an amazing experience from start to finish and I would recommended it to any and all horror fans. Lees also has other amazing horror titles like Crimson Cage and Hotell that I would also recommend to everyone. Dude is one of the most underappreciated and underrated writers working in the business at the moment.
August 22, 2017
The artwork isn't what you would normally label as pleasing. But it definitely works for this creepy horror tale. Storywise, on the other hand, I'm just confused. A lot of subplots. A lot of characters. But it's not clear how all is tied together. Worst of all, the ending doesn't answer anything.
In summary, it was a great experience but unsatisfying.
In summary, it was a great experience but unsatisfying.
January 7, 2017
Sought this out immediately after reading Lees' and Laurie's Halloween one shot "Quilte" and I wasn't disappointed. This is some of the best comics horror I've ever read (if not the best), and that it comes from a small press like ComixTribe and a relative newcomer like Lees is even more amazing. I've said it before, but it's really difficult to make horror comics scary. Maybe it's the static images, maybe it's the difficulty keeping surprises from the readers whose eyes are constantly and subconsciously flitting ahead of themselves in an attempt to lessen the degree of the shock they know is inevitably coming. Maybe it's because writers are trying to write a horror film into a comic and that never works because regardless of the similarities they have being visual media, the formats are very very different and many people, even long-time comics writers, can take that for granted. The best comics horror creates an inescapable dread that doesn't abate no matter how far the reader looks ahead. Grotesque imagery that gets more chilling the more you look at it doesn't hurt, but it's not necessary. The only way to escape the horror is to stop reading, and when it's good enough, you don't seem to be able to.
This, in a nutshell, is And Then Emily Was Gone. It's unsettling to the final page and Lees leaves so many doors open and so many things unresolved that it should affect the overarching story negatively, but somehow it doesn't. And the reason it doesn't is because he and Laurie have created an alternate reality that feels so real that it could possibly continue to exist even when we finish reading the story. Of course there are things unresolved, because life goes on in that terrifying world. And if we're lucky, Lees and Laurie will let us return. Even if it's not to the Orkney Islands, where as far as we know, Fiona and Vin are frozen in a standoff--eyes locked and muscles tense, waiting anxiously for Laurie to draw the next panel.
This, in a nutshell, is And Then Emily Was Gone. It's unsettling to the final page and Lees leaves so many doors open and so many things unresolved that it should affect the overarching story negatively, but somehow it doesn't. And the reason it doesn't is because he and Laurie have created an alternate reality that feels so real that it could possibly continue to exist even when we finish reading the story. Of course there are things unresolved, because life goes on in that terrifying world. And if we're lucky, Lees and Laurie will let us return. Even if it's not to the Orkney Islands, where as far as we know, Fiona and Vin are frozen in a standoff--eyes locked and muscles tense, waiting anxiously for Laurie to draw the next panel.
January 13, 2016
The star of this show is easily Iain Laurie, creator of a few of the coolest comic monsters in recent memory. The art sits rough sketching in between some absolutely Escherian paneling and simplistic, but appropriately dour dialogue about Bonnie Shaw, a Scottish child-napper and antagonist (though one of the few failures of this comic is to make Bonnie's entrance even a bit menacing; after the pantheon of near Lovecraftian design he has with some of the other monsters, it falls short). The island of Merksay is a funeralopolis of abstract monsters and menacingly quantized sub-stories that keep you turning each page in a pang of eager expectation that all come together beautifully in final issue #5 (i stupidly spent like $40 finding all the issues on ebay when there is a trade paperback—buyers be thankful, i'm looking out_ x.x). I loved the introductions to other Merksay residentz in the back of each issue, a world building technique I always admire in comics (and these few are particularly reminiscent of Jeff Lemire's stout prose). Get this and read it at night you fools! And plz tell me if you know of anything in the suspense comic world, other than Providence, that is even close to this dread....
October 21, 2015
I feel like I should like this more, given what rave reviews others have given it. The art was nifty, the story was intriguing but it didn't completely pull me in. Maybe I need to give it another read-through.
December 27, 2016
I wasn't expecting much and was still a little disappointed. It was weird for sure, but the ending left you with nothing.
July 25, 2021
The comic looks quite atrocious. It's somewhat similar to the Beavis and Butt-Head show of days long past. It's also confusing because of it and the convoluted story. One can't be sue what is real and what isn't in this wacky world where boogeymen are real. I think... See? I'm thoroughly confused.
Greg Hellinger is a disgraced former detective whose career ended when he started seeing monsters. It's for this curse that a girl named Fiona contacts him to look into her friend Emily's disappearance. She believes Emily was kidnapped by Bonnie Shaw, a boogeyman used by parents to threaten children.
Greg Hellinger is a disgraced former detective whose career ended when he started seeing monsters. It's for this curse that a girl named Fiona contacts him to look into her friend Emily's disappearance. She believes Emily was kidnapped by Bonnie Shaw, a boogeyman used by parents to threaten children.
September 18, 2017
A wonderfully creepy comic from a very dark imagination with brilliant monsters and an island with many secrets. If you love the twisted minds of Edward Gorey, Guillermo Tel Doro, Stephen King, HP Lovecraft, David Lynch... you'll love this.
October 14, 2018
ART - 10/10
STORY - 9/10
WRITING - 8/10
Overall - 9/10
STORY - 9/10
WRITING - 8/10
Overall - 9/10
November 13, 2018
I get it I guess... but super weird with absolutely no context🤔
September 2, 2025
Interesting story with really grotesque artwork. Definitely would be down to read a sequel or something else set in this world.
May 31, 2015
A friend picked me up issue 1 for my birthday so when in comic store yesterday I went looking for no 2 but instead found the graphic nobel.
I got through it all in one day as I wanted to know what was going to happen.
Bizarre with some disturbing moments, this has great artwork and tells a great story.
It is a one off and I am disappointed there is not more tale to be told but I definitely enjoyed this and will be checking out more of this guys work.
A unique style of drawing which may initially seem child like but it works really well for the tale being told.
I got through it all in one day as I wanted to know what was going to happen.
Bizarre with some disturbing moments, this has great artwork and tells a great story.
It is a one off and I am disappointed there is not more tale to be told but I definitely enjoyed this and will be checking out more of this guys work.
A unique style of drawing which may initially seem child like but it works really well for the tale being told.
July 14, 2015
this is by far one of the best graphic novels I've ever read, and I've read MANY. I can't remember reading anything that sent waves of shivers(?) up my spine like this. It isn't just the writing, which is phenomenal, but the whole package. The color, letters, inking, and THE ART. Oh my God. This is a work that transcends its medium. The Wicker Man (original), meets True Detective, meets American Horror Story. I am going to recommend this to everyone I meet.
June 2, 2015
It's rare that a horror comic have the same visceral punch as a great horror movie. This is that rare comic. The art adds to the bizarre nature of the story, and it features a genuine plot twist that you did not see coming. Although it is a mini-series, you will find yourself sucked in and wanting more.
August 19, 2022
An absolutely terrifying work of surreal folk horror. Drawing on such diverse influences as "The Wicker Man", "Twin Peaks", and "A Nightmare on Elm Street", this comic manages to do something totally different from all of those things. John Lees crafts a powerfully horrifying narrative, whilst Iain Laurie's art is incredibly disorienting. Buy it, buy it, buy it. A masterpiece.
August 11, 2015
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. And Then Emily Was Gone has me intrigued to read more. The art by Iain Laurie is beautiful and evocative. Even the Oxymoron story was well written, and the art and colors were well done. Much better than the previous Oxymoron FCBD story I'd read.
September 18, 2017
A wonderfully creepy comic from a very dark imagination with brilliant monsters and an island with many secrets. If you love the twisted minds of Edward Gorey, Guillermo Tel Doro, Stephen King, HP Lovecraft, David Lynch... you'll love this.
January 4, 2015
Odd but interesting. Actual Rating 3.5
January 24, 2015
Full review on HorrorTalk.com: http://www.horrortalk.com/comic-revie...
March 31, 2015
Brilliant, spooky with amazing art by Iain Laurie
April 14, 2016
Very different, and very well done. It's not often you pick up an independent comic and get something this obscure and subtly creepy. I hope to see more by this author, perhaps an offshoot of this.
August 19, 2015
Love the art, and it's an intriguing spooky story, even if there are some cliche parts.
April 14, 2016
Very different, and very well done. It's not often you pick up an independent comic and get something this obscure and subtly creepy.
August 19, 2022
A creepy-as-hell vignette from Merksay. This manages to pack all the punch of the full series into a few pages. Iain Laurie's art has never been more bone-chilling.
September 25, 2016
very good. comics arent my thing. i wanted more
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews