Stranger Things: The Bully

Stranger Things: Graphic Novels #3.5

by Greg Pak, Valeria Favoccia (Illustrator)

The bullies from season one of hit Netflix series try to uncover the mystery of Eleven's psychic powers in this scary all-ages comic!

Troy has been having nightmares about El ever since she embarrassed him in front of the school and broke his arm in season one. Powerless and anxious, Troy is determined to prove that what happened between him and El is only some form of trickery. That is until he and James encounter demodogs!

Written by best-selling author Greg Pak (Mech Cadet Yu, The Incredible Hulk, Star Wars: Age of Rebellion) and drawn by Valeria Favoccia (Assassin Creed: Reflections, Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor).

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Horror, Young Adult, Fantasy, Graphic Novels Comics, Science Fiction

72 pages, Paperback

First published July 31, 2020

About the author

Greg Pak is an award-winning Korean American comic book writer and filmmaker currently writing "Lawful" for BOOM and "Sam Wilson: Captain America" (with Evan Narcisse) for Marvel. Pak wrote the "Princess Who Saved Herself" children's book and the “Code Monkey Save World” graphic novel based on the songs of Jonathan Coulton and co-wrote (with Fred Van Lente) the acclaimed “Make Comics Like the Pros” how-to book. Pak's other work includes "Planet Hulk," "Darth Vader," "Mech Cadet Yu," "Ronin Island," "Action Comics," and "Magneto Testament."

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 1 out of 5]

I guess Dark Horse gives Greg Pak all the crap Stranger Things stories to write. This is the same creative team behind the awful Stranger Things: Zombie Boys. This was nothing more than a cash grab. It adds absolutely nothing to the story other than the kid who bullies Mike and the boys has a jerk for a father. Stunning! Fovaccia's character designs are awful. I couldn't tell anyone apart. Everyone had the same shaggy haircut. I couldn't even tell Eleven from the boys once she grew out her hair.

Received a review copy from Dark Horse and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.

[exploraDora · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read about the bully kid, Troy, from the first 2 seasons of Stranger Things.
We get to see some familiar scenes from a different POV and why the kid isn't around anymore in season 3.
I especially love the art in these ST graphic novels 💜

[Rod Brown · Rating 1 out of 5]

Greg Pak makes weak attempt to give a redemption arc to the school bully from the first season of Stranger Things. Having had his arm broken and made to pee his pants in public by Eleven's telekinesis, Anthony "Troy" Walsh is traumatized, confused, and trying to figure out where he now fits in the school's pecking order of bullies and victims. He keeps leaning toward bully.

We see some of the events from season two from a distance, with some Demodogs running about a pumpkin patch for instance, but Walsh and his partner in crime, James Dante, just sort of meander off into their own pointless friendship thing.

The art isn't very good, with poor likenesses to the actual actors and characters that are hard to tell apart unless you pay attention to their clothes.

And I was really irked that one of the kids was carrying around some sort of pitchfork, but it is referred to by Walsh and Dante as first a hoe and then an ice scraper. Perhaps it was a failed attempt at humor to show how stupid they both are?

[Shaun Stanley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stranger Things: The Bully is a Dark Horse Comics graphic novel written by Greg Pak with art by Valeria Favoccia.

Set during the events of Stranger Things Season 2, the two bullies who picked on Mike, Lucas, and Dustin in Season 1 and then got what was coming to them from Eleven, are trying to come up with scheme to get boys back.

This was a huge step back for the Stranger Things comics. This was another book geared for a pre-teen audience and trying to have a anti-bullying message but it is incredibly boring and adds nothing to the Stranger Things universe.

[Shawn Ingle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mostly pointless and the panels were confusing at times.

[Václav · Rating 2 out of 5]

(3,2 of 5 for this borderline YA take on Stranger Things, again)
After Zombie Boys there is yet another miniseries (3 issues worth) sharing the same "qualities". Storywise it's a bit more coherent than Zombie Boys, but it's still YA story mechanics in the ST setting.

[Lashaan Balasingam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Remember the bully that Eleven counter-bullies by breaking his arm? Writer Greg Pak looks to offer this kid an entire story-arc where he tries to deal with his trauma and humiliation, while also exposing the external factors that might explain his behaviour (e.g. his father). This was pretty pointless, but it did make me giggle at the writer’s attempt to try and connect his character’s life to various events occurring throughout the following seasons in Stranger Things…

The artwork is average, mostly capturing the tone of the franchise. What remained a niggle was how some of the main characters barely looked like their TV series counterparts.

Yours truly,

Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/

[Alexandra Kern · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's just meh. I love Stranger Things, but this did not scratch the itch. This character doesn't need a redemption arc. I didn't love the illustration style either.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 2 out of 5]

What if, instead of focusing on the Stranger Things kids, or some brand new original characters, we instead focus on the antagonists of the first season? No, not Doctor Brenner, or the Demogorgon - the other, worse antagonists. Yeah, let's tell a story from the point of view of the kids that pick on Will and his friends. That sounds like a GREAT idea.

Spoiler alert: it's not. At all. The story spends 90 pages threading its way through the aftermath of the first season and then into the second, showing us a few plot points we know from a different perspective, but it does so with the most unlikeable main character I've read in a long time. Is it mean to call a 12 year old unlikeable? Yeah, but it's apt too.

Pak goes to some lengths to explain why Troy is the way he is by giving us a look into his home life (his dad's just him, but older), and then tries to shove in a redemption arc in the last few pages, but by that point it comes entirely out of left field so it rings completely hollow. You can't spend 90 pages saying this kid's an asshole (for whatever reason) and then give him a change of heart at the last second and expect it to work. There isn't even any impetus for said change of heart, the kid just decides to apologise before leaving town forever. Sure, why not.

The artwork's alright - Valeria Favoccia's got a cartoony style, but it works for the most part. There are a few pages that skimp out on the backgrounds, but it does the job. It's perhaps a little too cartoony for the darker parts of the book like the woods section with the Demodogs, but the art's nowhere near as poor as the plotting.

A flawed premise and a complete lack of any likeable characters makes this almost a complete waste of time. It's still readable, but I wouldn't recommend it, especially with many other, better, Stranger Things comics out there.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked Zombie Boys a bit more than this one, but The Bully was still an engaging read. We get more of Troy's background (what is it with these Dads in the Stranger Things universe that have to prove their masculinity by emotionally and verbally abusing their sons?) and more insight into his mental state. I was afraid that he was going to be portrayed as an irredeemable little shit through the entire story but he does redeem himself and appear to learn and grow by the end. Overall, a cute story with a good message and a great addition to the Stranger Things universe.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice redemption arc for the bully.

[Izzy · Rating 1 out of 5]

A vaguely interesting but honestly unnecessary attempt at humanizing and redeeming(?) Troy, the bully from season 1.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually liked this more than I thought I would 🤷🏾‍♀️

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a surprisingly touching story told from a point of view we rarely get to see: the bully. While there's not much I hate in life more than a bully, this shows that there is a often reason a person behaves in a certain way. I still don't think it's an excuse, but this at least tells another side of the story. The Stranger Things comic series remains strong.

[Emma Valieu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Se lit (hélas) hyper vite. On apprend que Troy a tout de la petite brute des classiques du genre... même les origines ! Faut-il le plaindre pour autant..?

[inouch · Rating 3 out of 5]

my review:

version française:
comment dire que je n'ai pas grand chose à dire de ce livre? il est intéressant mais pas fou fou, on fait avec et on apprend quelques trucs intéressant, mais clairement Greg Pak NE VA PAS ASSEZ LOIN... les gens qui aiment Stranger Things n'ont pas 5 ans, c'est une bd pour au moins 12 ans normalement... bref, à louer à la bibliothèque si l'occasion s'y prête mais pas fou tout de même.

[Eléna | Elena_prof_en_adapt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ce n'est pas la meilleure BD que j'ai lu. Il n'y a pas beaucoup de texte, j'ai eu l'impression qu'il n'y avait pas de début, ni de fin. Le fil conducteur de l'histoire laisse à désirer. Je m'attendais à plus. Les illustrations sont tout de même belles.

[Liz (Quirky Cat) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary:

We all know about the bullies in Stranger Things. They made Will's life a nightmare. Well, that is, they did. Then Eleven stepped in and did a few things to make them more hesitant about their actions. Sort of.

As it turns out, Troy has been struggling a lot with what happened to him, and he's not the type of guy to just let things go. He was raised to finish what he started. He just doesn't quite know how to deal with this situation.

Review:

Most of the time, I really enjoy tie-in graphic novels and the like. That said, I feel like I could have skipped Stranger Things: The Bully and not felt like I was missing out. It is a bit of a "take it or leave it" sort of story; forgive me for saying.

As the title indicates, this story is all about the bullies in the Stranger Things series. Or rather, it really focuses on one of the two (the lead bully), Troy. It was nice to learn a bit about Troy's backstory and see his thought processes here and there.

That said, Troy's story didn't actually add anything to the world. Most of us could have guessed about Troy's backstory (at least a bit), and the ending didn't feel satisfying in any real way. Though we are left hoping that Troy will learn how to change, so that's something?

Highlights:
Netflix Series Tie-In
Different Perspective

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[Jess Castz · Rating 4 out of 5]

En definitiva, otro cómic bastante entretenido y que tiene que ver con el universo de Stranger Things. Si ustedes conocen la historia original, o saben parte de lo que causo que la trama de esta serie se volviera un Boom mediático, entonces ubican que en la primera temporada, había dos niños, los cuales se la vivían molestando a los protagonistas. Esto, al grado que en varias ocasiones llegaron a lastimarlos, física y mentalmente.

Bueno, este cómic se centra en la figura de uno de ellos, (Troy), y en como es que se ha forjado aquella forma de ser tan cruel con los protagonistas y con el resto de las personas. De hecho, esto nos demuestra que nada pasa por que si, y que, a veces, los padres pueden llegar a ser más dañinos que las mismas amistades.

¿Están listos para conocer el destino de este chico y como es que termino alejándose del camino? Es tiempo de adentrarnos en la historia de estos dos abusadores.

[Lucie 🌞 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 stars
Relived. I was starting to get scared with this comics series, reading all of them in one day that they were getting worst and worst as I read. But this one was good. We follow Troy and his friend from season one, in a sort of season two throw back. They want to get vengeance from what happened on season one in the gymnasium, and end up meeting with the demodogs. I liked reading about his story, his background. It’s true that after season one we don’t hear from they, but it must have been pretty traumatic for Troy to piss himself in front of everyone and also get his arm broken by Eleven without ever getting any truth about what happened. (And getting humiliated at the Chief’s station when trying to explain to the police what happened). The redemption still doesn’t work anyway, if that was the point of this, sorry but Troy you are still trash.

[Sophie_The_Jedi_Knight · Rating 2 out of 5]

*2.5

I really dislike the art style in most of these comics - it's so hard to tell anyone apart.

This is a strange story focused on Troy, the Party's bully, and his friend James. Traumatized after El broke his arm, Troy is determined to find out what's really happening in Hawkins - but he'll soon figure out there's more going on than meets the eye.

Basically, Troy and James are coexisting with the plot of season 2 here, being outside observers to all that goes down. There's not much to this story at all, and giving Troy a bad dad doesn't do a ton to make him suddenly likable. I mean, my goodness, Troy would've literally killed Mike in season 1 if El hadn't been there.

At least Troy seems to finally understand the value of friendship, even if his actions never really showed that.

2.5/5 stars.

[Cale · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe it's because it's been years since I watched the first season of Stranger Things, but I have absolutely no idea who this character is. And that's AFTER reading the book.
A bullied child who apparently got put down by 11 decides he wants revenge, egged on by his bullying father. There's a story about redemption that I think was trying to be told, but I didn't really think it was earned.
The art didn't do a whole lot for me either - the few times the Stranger Things crew appeared they were hard to recognize, and I often had difficulty telling between the lead and his crony.
The story isn't offensively bad, but there's absolutely nothing here that I can recommend, or even remember after a few days.

[Greg Barkham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read in ten minutes.

2.8 stars.

Story was all right, but other than the character going through a minor character arc of slightly becoming less of a prick, I didn’t really understand the need of this. Didn’t add anything to the main plot line at all. I think this was, like others are saying, an excuse for some people to make some money - Dark Horse and their team.

I actually enjoyed the graphics. The art had a sleek edge to it that I kinda enjoyed. Seemed a little lazy on some pages, but then again, what do I know?

This was gifted to me from my buddy in California, so I’m very grateful to be able to read this.

I likely won’t continue this series, but I do like the idea of ST graphic novels. So I will likely look into other stories.

[Jack Mercer]

Very lazily written in all honesty, I like the idea of exploring the bullies from the first season and their trauma of those events and why they’re bullies in the first place. Sadly though I just don’t think it’s smart about how it ties into the show, they constantly try and shove the bullies into famous scenes from the second season and it mostly just comes off as extremely forced. None of the writing is that clever and the characters we follow are just plain annoying and unlikeable. I think it’s interesting to focus on such random characters and flesh out the universe, but this just comes off as it’s trying wayyy too hard and it doesn’t really do a good job of making me actually like these characters.

[Emeraldawn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh Man, what a disappointment! This book is another in the running theme I have with books without any reason to be.

The Bully follows the character of the bully in Stranger Things season 1, that had his arm broken by Eleven. How the school treats him, his home life, etc. It follows into the start of Season 2, so you will see things that happen and know where in the show you are at.

But there is really nothing to this story. It's a small unneeded filler. I do like the idea of following some characters that will not get screen time, like maybe the other children 1-10, but this is a waste of what Dark Horse should do with the rights to Stranger Things. It is such a cash grab.

[Greg · Rating 2 out of 5]

A poorly written and drawn, half-hearted attempt to humanize the piece of shit bully from Season 1. Actually, it seems to be fighting itself as to whether it wants to defend him or double down on him being an asshole. It is very short and does nothing other than give a piss poor explanation as to why the character just dissappears from the show. It tries to fill in the gaps by having a lot of the story happen right off screen from what we see in the show, but it turns out closer to sad attempt to anchor itself on something relevant than an actual stand alone story that is worth the time and effort. I wouldn't bother.

[TheNextGenLibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bully was just what I needed for my Stranger Things fix. I’ve been missing this Netflix show so much this summer!
🧇
This YA graphic novel is set around season 1. Troy is having nightmares ever since El embarrassed him. He and James decide to go after her again to prove what they saw wasn’t real...until they encounter demodogs.
🧇
I loved this book! It took me back to when I fell in love with the show and wished this could have been an added episode. Thanks Edelweiss for the ARC. Be sure to buy this one on release September 1!

[Renee M. P. T. Kray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another book that really didn't need to exist at all. It doesn't add anything to the story, or flesh out a particular character that you care about. It just gives you another dip into the ST world while we sit around waiting for S4 to drop.

That being said, it's cute. It's exactly what I expected. The art is excellent as always, and the story has heart. I'm not disappointed that I took 15 minutes out of my day to read it.

[Aryn O'Connor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh, didn't like this one. Troy was a bully... plain and simple. This story attempts to give him a redemption arc, but really just solidifies that he was terrible, even to the only person he could call a friend. Sure, his dad was a terrible person too, but there were quite a few opportunities for Troy to be the better person and overcome his father's influence, but he didn't. He remained steadfast in his awfulness and I felt no sympathy for him.

[Chloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seeing deeper into what Troy and James could’ve experienced with the whole season 1 incidents and seeing what season 2 could have included with their storyline. I love how the comic goes into Troy traumatic experience with getting his arm broken by eleven and how the effected his life at home and relationships with his parents. But I wish this went into more of James’s story, instead of heavily focusing of Troys.