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Crownsville
Not yet published
Expected 11 Aug 26160 pages, Paperback
Expected publication August 11, 2026
About the author
Rodney Barnes
149 books33 followersRodney L Barnes has had the privilege to accomplish so much in a short time on Earth. At the age of forty-two and surviving a major traumatic brain injury, writing and publishing the book, My Miracle outlines and talks about experiences he had undergone that might contribute to the events in your life. From past to present, he had learned how to accept what life has to offer, not struggle with life. He was raised on the principles of ordinary life, take nothing for granted! Rodney now clearly understands those principles of living because of his development. Through events of his life, the accident, coma, and relearning life at twenty-one years of age, he has to give all these accomplishments to the Lord Jesus Christ. Rodney is praying for his book to get into the hands of people who need a source of comfort, strength, or knowledge to learn more how strong and powerful Jesus Christ is and can be. Visit him at Facebook.com/mymiraclethemovie and together, we all can help each other understand the meaning of life.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
My thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for an advance copy of this graphic novel that is a mix of true crime, true conspiracy and horror, as the past is never really the past, events can linger past death, and even those who want the truth can find themselves ill-prepared for what they find.
I came to horror late, something I still don't understand as I loved to read books about ghostly encounters, haunted houses and other urban legends. Even in comics I was more a capes and people punching each other, rather than Vampirella, Tomb of Dracula kind of person. Science fiction, fantasy, mystery, men's adventure and "real" ghost stories were my bag. I don't know when I started reading and enjoying horror, was it comics, movies possibly or books. Though even now I am not much for slashers. I love horror that has a basis in fact, that certain places where bad things happen have auras. Feelings. Places where evil soaks in to every crack and pane of glass. Places like the one featured in this graphic novel. Crownsville is a horror true crime and study of the past written by Rodney Barnes and Illustrated by Elia Bonetti that tells the story of a building, the segregated past, our crumbling future, and the evil that we allow to pass, out of believes, our own economic advantage, and just pure hate.
The book begins with Paul Blairare at the hospital bedside of his mother. Paul's mother is dying and as she starts to fade tells her son of the foul things she saw and took part in at a place that is legendary for its reputation and cruelty Crownsville Hospital. Crownsville was an all-black institution, run by whites who would lock up members of the black community for any reason, and treat them in horrific ways. Paul's mother talks about the horrible things she saw and did, dying in fear and remorse. Paul is a journalist in a town that hates the media, and dealing with an option to cash out of the job he loves. Paul is given one final assignment, a few words about a security guard who killed himself at Crownsville, something that Paul is eager to investigate. Paul approaches Mike Simms a homicide detective for assistance, and soon they discovering things that people don't want known. Including toys that seem to move of their own volition, and voices that seem to be coming from the basement.
A creepy tale that covers a lot, a mix of eldritch horror, haunted house and HBO's the Wire. Barnes tells a story about racism, something that few like to discuss. Racism effects everything. Especially health and how one is treated. And when one is thought of as less than human, well it becomes easier to test new things on that group of people. The story moves fast, though the ending is more a set-up of future plots. The art is quite good a mix of late 80's New Mutants with current Department of Truth kind of look. This works well with the story, and the atmosphere of the book, which is dark, corrupt and decaying. The murders the cop sees daily, the broken world the journalist is being told not to cover, and the institution itself.
A dark story but one I would like read more about. The art really kept me flipping pages and in some places made me uncomfortable, in a good reader kind of way. A dark tale, but one that is pretty topical and of today.
I came to horror late, something I still don't understand as I loved to read books about ghostly encounters, haunted houses and other urban legends. Even in comics I was more a capes and people punching each other, rather than Vampirella, Tomb of Dracula kind of person. Science fiction, fantasy, mystery, men's adventure and "real" ghost stories were my bag. I don't know when I started reading and enjoying horror, was it comics, movies possibly or books. Though even now I am not much for slashers. I love horror that has a basis in fact, that certain places where bad things happen have auras. Feelings. Places where evil soaks in to every crack and pane of glass. Places like the one featured in this graphic novel. Crownsville is a horror true crime and study of the past written by Rodney Barnes and Illustrated by Elia Bonetti that tells the story of a building, the segregated past, our crumbling future, and the evil that we allow to pass, out of believes, our own economic advantage, and just pure hate.
The book begins with Paul Blairare at the hospital bedside of his mother. Paul's mother is dying and as she starts to fade tells her son of the foul things she saw and took part in at a place that is legendary for its reputation and cruelty Crownsville Hospital. Crownsville was an all-black institution, run by whites who would lock up members of the black community for any reason, and treat them in horrific ways. Paul's mother talks about the horrible things she saw and did, dying in fear and remorse. Paul is a journalist in a town that hates the media, and dealing with an option to cash out of the job he loves. Paul is given one final assignment, a few words about a security guard who killed himself at Crownsville, something that Paul is eager to investigate. Paul approaches Mike Simms a homicide detective for assistance, and soon they discovering things that people don't want known. Including toys that seem to move of their own volition, and voices that seem to be coming from the basement.
A creepy tale that covers a lot, a mix of eldritch horror, haunted house and HBO's the Wire. Barnes tells a story about racism, something that few like to discuss. Racism effects everything. Especially health and how one is treated. And when one is thought of as less than human, well it becomes easier to test new things on that group of people. The story moves fast, though the ending is more a set-up of future plots. The art is quite good a mix of late 80's New Mutants with current Department of Truth kind of look. This works well with the story, and the atmosphere of the book, which is dark, corrupt and decaying. The murders the cop sees daily, the broken world the journalist is being told not to cover, and the institution itself.
A dark story but one I would like read more about. The art really kept me flipping pages and in some places made me uncomfortable, in a good reader kind of way. A dark tale, but one that is pretty topical and of today.
April 19, 2026
My Selling Pitch:
Racism and corruption courtesy of the US government? Quelle surprise! A generic sins of the past horror graphic novel.
Pre-reading:
I love horror graphics.
(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
The art in this is really interesting. It’s so stylized.
The white candy van is a little on the nose.
Oh, don’t push anti-vaccine rhetoric.
Well, that was anti-climactic.
Post-reading:
Horror graphics can absolutely be a great way to teach people about historical coverups, but they’ve gotta have stakes or they just feel empty. It’s also just not that unique of a storyline. There’s been countless books and movies, even scary video games about corruption in mental health facilities. Zombie eight-year-olds just don’t have the kick to make your hair stand on end.
A lot of the messaging was pretty heavy-handed and on the nose. Using a white candy van to kidnap children teeters into comical territory. The security guard’s storyline is kinda extraneous. He’s thrown in to illustrate how black men are unfairly targeted for drug misdemeanors, but it distracts from the rest of the story when there’s no follow-up with his character. It feels neglectful to essentially forget the character serving to remind people how “at risk” people are passed over. You can argue that’s pointed, but it felt lazy rather than deep. Similarly, the anti-vaccine rhetoric has got to go. We can’t fear monger conspiracy theories to people. Is there a lot of corruption in medical studies? Obviously, there’s money involved! But reinforcing medical mistrust without providing a guideline to evaluating sources is how we get people dosing ivermectin.
It’s a swing and a miss for me. I like the stylized artwork, but it’s not enough to push through the clunky storyline.
Who should read this:
Historical horror fans
Ideal reading time:
Anytime
Do I want to reread this:
No
Would I buy this:
No
Similar books:
* Death to Pachuco by Henry Barajas-graphic novel, historical, crime, thriller
* No Man’s Land by Szymom Kudranski-graphic novel, historical, crime, thriller
* Mama Came Callin’ by Ezra Clayton Daniels-graphic novel, historical, family drama, revenge thriller
* Plague House by Michael W. Conrad-graphic novel, paranormal horror, revenge thriller
* The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones-classic retelling, historical, paranormal horror, revenge thriller
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Racism and corruption courtesy of the US government? Quelle surprise! A generic sins of the past horror graphic novel.
Pre-reading:
I love horror graphics.
(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
The art in this is really interesting. It’s so stylized.
The white candy van is a little on the nose.
Oh, don’t push anti-vaccine rhetoric.
Well, that was anti-climactic.
Post-reading:
Horror graphics can absolutely be a great way to teach people about historical coverups, but they’ve gotta have stakes or they just feel empty. It’s also just not that unique of a storyline. There’s been countless books and movies, even scary video games about corruption in mental health facilities. Zombie eight-year-olds just don’t have the kick to make your hair stand on end.
A lot of the messaging was pretty heavy-handed and on the nose. Using a white candy van to kidnap children teeters into comical territory. The security guard’s storyline is kinda extraneous. He’s thrown in to illustrate how black men are unfairly targeted for drug misdemeanors, but it distracts from the rest of the story when there’s no follow-up with his character. It feels neglectful to essentially forget the character serving to remind people how “at risk” people are passed over. You can argue that’s pointed, but it felt lazy rather than deep. Similarly, the anti-vaccine rhetoric has got to go. We can’t fear monger conspiracy theories to people. Is there a lot of corruption in medical studies? Obviously, there’s money involved! But reinforcing medical mistrust without providing a guideline to evaluating sources is how we get people dosing ivermectin.
It’s a swing and a miss for me. I like the stylized artwork, but it’s not enough to push through the clunky storyline.
Who should read this:
Historical horror fans
Ideal reading time:
Anytime
Do I want to reread this:
No
Would I buy this:
No
Similar books:
* Death to Pachuco by Henry Barajas-graphic novel, historical, crime, thriller
* No Man’s Land by Szymom Kudranski-graphic novel, historical, crime, thriller
* Mama Came Callin’ by Ezra Clayton Daniels-graphic novel, historical, family drama, revenge thriller
* Plague House by Michael W. Conrad-graphic novel, paranormal horror, revenge thriller
* The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones-classic retelling, historical, paranormal horror, revenge thriller
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 27, 2026
Racism and corruption by the US Government lead to a mysterious death years later at Crownsville, a notoriously segregated hospital in Annapolis, forcing a journalist and police detective to work together to uncover the truth about what really happened there.
This was a great graphic novel, with a beautiful illustration style (the cover art is what initially caught my attention) and a good "sins of the past" storyline covering some pretty heavy topics (racism, medical experiments, social injustice, etc.) While I did love the art style, at times it was a challenge to figure out who was who. The storyline was really interesting - secret experiments on Black children during the Cold War lead to the undead rising in the modern day.
Overall I enjoyed the storyline, but did feel that the ending was somewhat lackluster, with no real explanation of how it happened, and it was a bit of a letdown. Still a great story, but I wish the ending had been a bit more climactic. 3.5 stars. Thank you NetGalley and Oni Press for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was a great graphic novel, with a beautiful illustration style (the cover art is what initially caught my attention) and a good "sins of the past" storyline covering some pretty heavy topics (racism, medical experiments, social injustice, etc.) While I did love the art style, at times it was a challenge to figure out who was who. The storyline was really interesting - secret experiments on Black children during the Cold War lead to the undead rising in the modern day.
Overall I enjoyed the storyline, but did feel that the ending was somewhat lackluster, with no real explanation of how it happened, and it was a bit of a letdown. Still a great story, but I wish the ending had been a bit more climactic. 3.5 stars. Thank you NetGalley and Oni Press for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is my second graphic novel read from Rodney Barnes and it seems that I really enjoy his concepts and stories, but both times I've felt the artwork has let the story down.
This volume collects 5 issues of Crownsville that follow two near-retirement men, a cop and a journalist, as they investigate past experiments done on Black children in a Maryland asylum. The imagery of the asylum and what they discover there is done well, but sadly the rest of the artwork alternated between hyper-realistic drawings of what appeared to be famous Black actors (not in any context), and muddied imagery to where you couldn't quite tell who was saying what or even who some of the characters were.
I would probably really enjoy reading a novel by Mr. Barnes, because I do think there is a good story here and one that is be interested in reading the next issues of. ⭐⭐⭐1/2 out of 5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and ONI Press for a loaned ebook in exchange for an honest review.
This volume collects 5 issues of Crownsville that follow two near-retirement men, a cop and a journalist, as they investigate past experiments done on Black children in a Maryland asylum. The imagery of the asylum and what they discover there is done well, but sadly the rest of the artwork alternated between hyper-realistic drawings of what appeared to be famous Black actors (not in any context), and muddied imagery to where you couldn't quite tell who was saying what or even who some of the characters were.
I would probably really enjoy reading a novel by Mr. Barnes, because I do think there is a good story here and one that is be interested in reading the next issues of. ⭐⭐⭐1/2 out of 5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and ONI Press for a loaned ebook in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Great read!!! The storyline is very interesting!! I love that it about the secret experiment during war. The story is very good!! I do tho wish the fight with the experimented children wasn’t so short. I feel like the story could be longer. I really love the ending!! Them wanted to work together to solve other secret of the town!!!
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Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for giving me the chance to read this book in advance~
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Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for giving me the chance to read this book in advance~
Review of advance copy
read in singles issues.
the first two issues were so great.
doctors experimenting on black people and children decades ago. a new guy gets a job as a security guard at the facility, supernatural stuff happens. a retiring cop and a younger journalist investigate a death abd the history of the facility.
art is pretty good and suits the mood. story does lose something as it goes on.
the first two issues were so great.
doctors experimenting on black people and children decades ago. a new guy gets a job as a security guard at the facility, supernatural stuff happens. a retiring cop and a younger journalist investigate a death abd the history of the facility.
art is pretty good and suits the mood. story does lose something as it goes on.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A strong start and an uninteresting ending. Bad art.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for a digital copy of this graphic novel in exchange for my review!
This graphic novel was like if Sinners was zombies. The art style wasn't my favorite, and it made it a little difficult for me to tell which characters were which especially with flashbacks I could not tell the characters apart for much of the first half of the book. However, I enjoyed the story about the mistreatment of the black community in scientific experiments and the effects on that community. The art of the ghosts/zombies was pretty unsettling and creepy, I think horror fans would enjoy.
This graphic novel was like if Sinners was zombies. The art style wasn't my favorite, and it made it a little difficult for me to tell which characters were which especially with flashbacks I could not tell the characters apart for much of the first half of the book. However, I enjoyed the story about the mistreatment of the black community in scientific experiments and the effects on that community. The art of the ghosts/zombies was pretty unsettling and creepy, I think horror fans would enjoy.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews