Harrow County, Vol. 5: Abandoned

Harrow County

by Cullen Bunn, Tyler Crook (Illustrations), Carla Speed McNeil (Illustrations)

The Abandoned, a giant monster with haunting yellow eyes, rarely leaves his ramshackle cabin deep in the woods of Harrow County. But it wasn’t always so. And when hunters travel to Harrow County in search of big game, they get a lot more than they bargained for. As Emmy meets more visitors from the outside world, she discovers secrets of her own past and the very foundations of Harrow County. Collects issues #17–#20 of the award-winning horror comic.

Genres: Horror, Graphic Novels, Comics, Fiction, Fantasy, Graphic Novels Comics, Supernatural

136 pages, Paperback

First published May 24, 2017

About the author

Cullen grew up in rural North Carolina, but now lives in the St. Louis area with his wife Cindy and his son Jackson. His noir/horror comic (and first collaboration with Brian Hurtt), The Damned, was published in 2007 by Oni Press. The follow-up, The Damned: Prodigal Sons, was released in 2008. In addition to The Sixth Gun, his current projects include Crooked Hills, a middle reader horror prose series from Evileye Books; The Tooth, an original graphic novel from Oni Press; and various work for Marvel and DC. Somewhere along the way, Cullen founded Undaunted Press and edited the critically acclaimed small press horror magazine, Whispers from the Shattered Forum.

All writers must pay their dues, and Cullen has worked various odd jobs, including Alien Autopsy Specialist, Rodeo Clown, Professional Wrestler Manager, and Sasquatch Wrangler.

And, yes, he has fought for his life against mountain lions and he did perform on stage as the World's Youngest Hypnotist. Buy him a drink sometime, and he'll tell you all about it.

Visit his website at www.cullenbunn.com.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is The Abandoned?
Is it just a spooky monster who haunts the woods, or is there something more to its story?



This one packs a lot of crazy origin story into just one volume, and it's definitely not to be missed.
Where did Hester come from, who is Malachi, and who does Emmy really take after?
You'll find out.



This is one of those delicate issues that I really want to take care not to spoil for anyone, so...I've got nothing.
I think Cullen Bunn is at the top of his game in these issues.
Highly Recommended for fans of well done horror comics!

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t like the horse part rat bastards. I did like finding out about the beasts origin story.

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume 5 is all about The Abandoned, the minotaur-like haunt Emmy has dealt with in the past. We see a lot more of the Hestor / Amaryllis / Malachi story. This is followed up by a creepy story where some hunters from another county attempt to hunt down The Abandoned. I'll leave it at things don't exactly go as planned. Bunn and Crook pour on the horror in these 2 issues. They are some of my favorite so far.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harrow County: Still Harrowing.

Volume 5 of the horror comics series focused on Emmy, a girl with the power to shape the future of Harrow county, where haints and monsters abound. Featured in this volume is The Abandoned, a giant bull-like monster with four dark yellow eyes. And sharp teeth, as it turns out.

Carla Speed McNeil's substitute artwork in the first two issues is accomplished and powerful, though once you know Tyler Crooks’s work, well, you are glad to see him back. Things get darker, more. . . physical. The first two issues are useful and important back story, we learn about the history of the county and Emmy’s important role in it, but the last two issues, about what happens when some hunters—outsiders--go to the woods to hunt The Abandoned, well—shudder—well, I might have to sleep with the light on tonight. . . For sheer visceral impact, those last two issues really engage in a way the first two issues don’t.

This wasn’t my favorite volume so far, but it is still a very good one, and includes some really great art process background in the appendix.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another volume of Harrow County where the first half is illustrated by a guest artist... but, y'know, I didn't mind it as much this time. Carla Speed McNeil's artwork was pretty darned good on her two issues and the story didn't feel like filler this time; in fact it was pivotal.

Needless to say, with Tyler Crook back on painting duty, the second half of the book was excellent... and more than a little twisted. Cullen Bunn's writing on this book continues to be very enjoyable; I can't see me dropping it any time soon.

[Sud666 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the best, so far, of the Harrow County series. Collen Bunn's great southern gothic horror tale begins to fill in many of the blanks in Emmy's background. The story of the demon that lives in the woods was superb! I especially enjoyed the whole background look into Hester-Amaryllis-Malachi connection. Without spoiling it, let me say, the story is fabulous.

I also really liked the story of the hunters and the young man Emmy helps out. But by far the "scene stealer" role belongs to the bull-monster-demon thing. I know that was tortuous but that's the best way to describe it. However, at the end of this tale you will view the creature in a wholly new light. The entire story behind Hester and how it fits into what's going on with Emmy is enlightening. I truly do enjoy the tale of the"others" like Emmy. It is fascinating to see how their actions led to the tragedy of Hester and Harrow County. As usual I think this art in another comic would be an impediment. In Harrow County it just seems to work. The people have an innocence reinforced by the soft touches of the art and the large panel background scenes of Harrow County are quite fetching. But it is precisely these images that cause the reader to react jarringly to the introduction of the supernatural creatures-some which border on the unhinged. They seem to be at odds with the surroundings (that is rather the point I suppose) yet Tyler Crook's style gives them a mixture of horrific and amorphous that is quite in keeping with the theme of the overall story- the things that seem most normal can hide unimaginable things. Well done! Almost Lovecraftian at times. I higly recommend this great series for anyone that likes a great story and a good horror tale.

[Shadowdenizen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as single issues. This title remains one of the most compelling titles on my monthly pull list.

[Amanja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume 5 of the southern gothic epic Harrow County makes a few big reveals about who Emmy is, who the big yellow eyed monster in the woods is, and where Kammi ended up after she died. It's a lot of information packed into 4 issues but all of it feels right in the context of the story. The reveals don't feel forced or unnecessary. The author, Cullen Bunn, just decided that they would all work in tandem rather than spread out. I highly recommend continuing this series.

The art throughout this entire series has been pretty solid. It maintains a creepy oil painting vibe and the blood reds really pop out against the dark settings. It manages to be macabre without being disgusting.

for more reviews and content please visit my new blog amanjareads.com

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

We're in the 2nd half of this horror series and man oh man, is it building up or what.

The first two issues are world building/character building. We learn more about Emmy, what happen to the old gods, who is that mighty beast in the forest, and of course who Emmy might truly be in the future. The 2nd half is a hunting trip gone very very wrong. When outsiders come into Harrow County to hunt, they're met with resistance. The deadly kind. And death is what consumes them if they don't escape.

Good: The slow build and world building works well here. It's detailed enough, with some great flashbacks. The 2nd half is a high end action paced adventure with tons of gore and death to show off. What the series is building towards is looking really good.

Bad: The exposition dumb might turn some people off at the start. Different artist to at the start.

Overall, another great volume. Harrow County remains consistently great throughout with the exception of volume 3, which was just good. This is another 4 out of 5.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume four’s back story is continued in volume five with an explanation of who the giant minotaur creature, The Abandoned, is. Some outside hunters come to town to kill this haint, and Emmy does her best to intervene to prevent an epic bloodbath. As I suspected earlier, Emmy’s “twin” Kammi is not completely gone, and her meddling puts everyone in danger.

One of the guest artists and the colorist from volume three is used again for this volume, in the first two chapters. Again, I wish Crook had consistently stayed as the artist for the entire series, but McNeil’s artwork grew on me and was evocative enough to not break the narrative flow. But I was glad to see that even when guest artists are used Crook still draws the covers and the other artists are consistent with the opening two-page spreads to each chapter. I continue to adore how Crook incorporates the words Harrow County into each of those pictures.

This review (plus V6) can be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2019/03/0...

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really need other artists to stay out of this story. Can Crook please be the only one who illustrates this forevermore? Because other illustrators just don't get it, they can't get the feel right.

Anyway, this is the backstory of the beast in the woods, whose name is The Abandoned, apparently, Amaryllis, and newly-introduced Malachi. Emmy is further explained, Kammi's influence shows up again, and I need to get myself a little group of Priscillas. Gremlins that eat rotten fruit would certainly do well in my yard and house.

[destiny ♡ howling libraries · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fantastic! I loved finally getting the story on this creepy, massive beastie in the woods, and I wasn't expecting his origin at all. There were actually a couple of twists in this volume that caught me off-guard, plus one that I saw coming and was dreading a bit, only because I worry about what it means for sweet Emmy in the future.

✨ Representation: Black side characters

✨ Content warnings for: violence, gore, death, animal death

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[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Volume 5 introduces us to the massive, monstrous creature in the woods which had previously only spoken to Emmy and her sister Kammi a handful of times and on each occasion proved it was too dangerous and disturbing to be trusted. At the start of this volume, Emmy is dead in conversation with the creature, known only as the Abandoned, as it reveals to her its connection to the Family and to her own history. In so doing, Emmy finds out a fair amount about herself and just how dangerous the Family can be. Unfortunately for Emmy, this isn’t the end of the troubling events in Harrow County. A band of hunters has arrived and they mean to hunt a very uncommon game: the Abandoned. It’s up to Emmy to convince them that enormous monsters in the woods are not the kind of prey for which you should ever go hunting.

While I liked a lot of the information revealed in this volume, it’s a lot more exposition than I’d prefer. At least half of this volume is the Abandoned describing what led to the structure and goals of the Family and the reasons why Emmy should stay as wary of them as possible. The hunt of the Abandoned on the other hand, was appropriately horrifying and forbidding and set the stage for the next volume quite nicely.

This was also the volume that made me realize that a fair amount of my love for this series is due to the artwork by Tyler Crook. The first two issues of this volume are illustrated by Carla Speed McNeil and I have to admit to being disappointed with them. I love Crook’s watercolor style and his willingness to make things not perfect. McNeil’s style is less expressive than Crook’s and the way she drew the expressions on some of the character’s faces was downright silly looking. I didn’t hate it but I was very happy to have Crook’s illustrations back again in the second half of the story. That almost mystical feel that comes naturally to watercolor and his habit of transitioning between details and sketches is a large contribution to the creepy feel of this series and it just isn’t the same without that.

Harrow County is a series that I just can’t put down. I love the connection that Bunn and Crook have as creative partners but I think this volume is weakened by the heavy exposition and change in art. Rather than being an integral part of the story, it felt like filler and more heavy-handed storytelling than I’m used to from Bunn. Hopefully Hedge Magic will mark a return to what I love about this series. This one was barely three stars for me.

Full series review here

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm tearing through the series and the quality has remained consistently excellent --- so this review will be repeated till a stumble requires alteration.

[CS · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bullet Review:

A little confusing at the beginning, but I wonder if that's because I didn't read Volume 4 or forgot everything I read in Volume 4.

This volume is all about Abandon - who is he, and by extension who is Emmy. It's a nice little creepy entry, once you get the feel for the world.

Probably better than some of the other entries in Harrow County, to be honest.

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've given up hope that my fellow librarian is EVER going to get volumes 3 & 4, and just forged ahead with the next two. It seems I haven't missed much but backstory (I hope.)

This was a blood-soaked edition, filled with gore, mayhem and flesh-eating. And, Emmy discovers her true identity, er . . . previous identity, I guess. Onward to number 6.

[Dávid Novotný · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's good that story is finally moving somewhere and things are getting interested, but 5 issues per book is too little. Mostly, when there are only 3 books left, I'm starting to worry if it will be enough to wrap up everything properly. 3.5*

[Raghav Bhatia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been wanting more of the Abandoned. Now I've got it. And it's pretty sweet.

There's a revelation or two jammed in here, they've amped me up for upcoming volumes.

[Scott Rhee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emmy discovers who she really is in Harrow County Volume 5, “Abandoned”. She also learns more about her weird family, the ones that show up once every thousand years or so together at the trans-dimensional meeting lodge. She learns who Malachi was (and is), and more about the witch known as Amaryllis, the one killed by Hester. A hunting party is slaughtered by the big black thing in the woods, and Emmy has to put all the pieces back together. Her evil twin sister, Kammy, is somehow behind it all…

Cullen Bunn’s horror/dark fantasy graphic novel series continues its streak of creepiness and weirdness. Things seem to be building to a much bigger climax, but I have no idea where it’s going.

Certainly one of the more intriguing and disturbing horror series out there…

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

I still like this a lot, but it just doesn't grab me the same way something like The Sixth Gun did. And now that the monsters are being increasingly humanized, the horror has pretty much disappeared. I'll keep reading, I guess, hoping for something more.

[Lauren Canaday Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story just keeps getting better and I'm increasingly amazed by the techniques used for the artwork. I love the inside scoop into the art process that Tyler Crook adds at the end. Cullen Bunn and Tyler Crook are an amazing team.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

The spookiness, gorgeous artwork, and engaging storytelling are still going strong with volume five.
Love this series!

[Ashley]

Just flying right through these. Great stories. Great art.

[Valéria. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't get enough of this, I didn't expect it to be so captivating. I just got my scant paycheck and I spent almost all of it on this.

[47Time · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's a lot of cannibalism and mutilation in this one, so be warned. Even I was moved by an action scene in this arc. I rarely see such raw, visceral violence in comics. I said that the third volume was the best one, but this one takes the cake easily. A full and deserved 5 stars. If it continues like this, the series will become one of my favorites of all time. 

Emmy is told about the history of her kin by one of its members, the bull-headed creature she first thought was a regular haint named the Abandoned. It tells her about Malachi, the first and the creator of their kin, and his partner Amaryllis. Malachi created the laws that govern them, but left the group when Levi and others started interpreting it for their own ends.

Malachi created Hester to tutor her under Amaryllis into being his replacement. She ate Amaryllis which determined Malachi to turn his back on his kin and transform into the Abandoned. He reveals that Emmy is not Hester resurrected as everyone believed until now, but Amaryllis.

Luke and his three uncles intend to hunt Malachi. The monster kills the uncles, but Emmy stops him from killing Luke. Emmy discovers that they found out about Malachi from a doll magically infused by Kammi. Worried that their deaths will bring more trouble to Harrow, Emmy uses her magic to create constructs of Luke's companions and sends them home.

[Kayla (onthefritz) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-Read April 2019

“A legend had brought them to Harrow… a sweet legend to warm a hunter’s spirit… and that same legend had killed them.”



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Another Volume with guest artists on two issues...

Story wise, the introduction to Malachi was great. The Hunters arc was a little lac-luster, and just a transition point I believe for the next volume.

1 – Malachi and backstory on the kin and the rules
2 – The Abandoned tells the story of Malachi and Hester
3 – Hunters come into town to hunt a legendary beast
4 – The Hunters’ story wraps up and reveals who sent them to town

[Brendan · Rating 5 out of 5]

5

Cullen maintains the strength of series with volume 5 and as the series nears its completion, it's refreshing to still have rocks unturned.

Why the 5?

Just another worthy addition to the series, and Hallow County continues with strange and bizarre universe. I enjoyed the arc here and the connection to the larger series arc. Hallow County is nearing the end and I wish this was a longer series.

[Matthew Galloway · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting revelations, but they brought back the alternate artists. Their style really throws me out of the story. Especially as Emmy seems a totally different person when drawn that way. I also feel like this issue was influenced by the Last Unicorn.

[Thomas Maluck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who wrote off this series based on the first volume needs to catch up and realize what they've been missing. I'm glad you liked Wytches or whatever, now get with a winner.

[Jesus Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

More backstory, now from the monster and the guy who created the other magic things, and who might Emmy be.