The second half of the highly acclaimed, Eisner-nominated horror fantasy tale, collected in a value-priced omnibus.While Emmy has been focused on dealing with supernatural threats from the outside world; a much bigger problem has been brewing at home, leading to an epic confrontation that will alter the fate of the entirety of Harrow County!Collects issues 17-32 of Harrow County.
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.
Two creators at the top of their game combine for this rural horror story of a reborn witch who wants to help everyone, including the haints created by her predecessor. Emmy just wants to be her own person, judged by her own actions and not those of Hester, the witch who was hung from a tree 18 years before. I love how this escalates with each story as Emmy comes into her power.
Tyler Crooks stunning artwork sets the tone for the story. His watercolors place you directly in the rural, rugged Harrow County. I love how he incorporates sound effects into the landscape. It's easy to get lost in these pages.
Received a review copy from Dark Horse and Edelweiss.
I really liked this Omnibus collection of comics 17-32 of Harry County. It's a great horrific supernatural series with excellent characters, great story plots and twists and awesome graphics. I think the only downside for me is I didn't have the backstory for some of these characters because I didn't read comics 1-16. Makes me think I should get Omnibus Volume 1 to figure that out.
I received an e-ARC of this book by the publisher Dark Horse Books via Edelweiss. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
Really really enjoyed this bind-up of the final issues of HARROW COUNTY. Initially it seemed the art had changed but it settled back into the style I enjoyed so much from the first omnibus (barring that one storyline!) and I enjoyed how the story resolved, too. Not quite sure I quite grasped how the Big Bad was resolved but honestly not even all that mad about it.
If you enjoy graphic novels, and like your fare dark and aren't bothered by some gore, this series is definitely one to read.
“There must be something I can do-“ “Maybe there is. But you won’t get through this unchanged. You must understand that. You can’t stop Hester and be the same as you were.”
At its heart, this book is about loss of innocence and the consequences of power. Every single panel of the art is brilliant: I don’t know that I’ve ever encountered a comic so thoroughly and consistently atmospheric.
Stunning artwork, great writing... you don't need to know more. Harrow County is easily one of the best comic book series of the last couple of years, all nicely tied up in breathtaking pace and expertise.
I don't think I'm ever going to stop liking the work of Cullen Bunn without licenses. He knows what to bring to the Folk Horror landscape. Folk Horror goes into the fear of people and belonging with those people. So with how Emmy holds onto her power as a witch, it practically says something about needing to feel safe on their own. It's a feeling Emmy shares with her friend Bernice to a fault. Emmy isn't even the witch everybody thinks she is. But the threat feels real throughout the series. With everybody trying to feel safe in their own ways, nobody is actually cooperating. I couldn't help by the time Bernice's teacher Lovey dies, there was a hint of racism. Everything they do or try feels like a part of their culture, and sharing with people unlike you can be unnerving. It's why the tension between Emmy and Bernice feels so real.
The best I can say about this collection is that I did read it all the way to the end. I do like Tyler Crooks art, but I didn't think this was his best work.
This second volume of of Harrow County collects the final four story arcs, the conclusion to the series.
We open with Abandoned, four issues that shed some light on the truth about, you guessed it, The Abandoned, the big bull like monster that's been hiding in the woods since the early days of the series. I'd never in a million years have worked out the twist here, and it manages to enhance the character without losing any of what's made him so creepy thus far. Carla Speed McNeil returns for the first two issues, which are the flashbacks to The Abandoned's origin, while the second two are a present day story featuring the creature instead.
Then we head into Hedge Magic, which begins the final act of the series. The Family manipulate Bernice into facing off with Emmy - it's been a long time coming, and I'm kind of glad that it comes to light as part of greater machinations rather than anything Emmy or Bernice do themselves since it allows for them to reconcile without feeling like either of them have done anything wrong. Both of them present good viewpoints on how to deal with the monsters in Harrow County (and who the monsters actually are), so it's a good philosophical argument as well as a witch's duel.
Dark Times A'Coming throws Emmy into battle with Kammi again, whose return has been teased pretty much since she was dealt with last time. Most of this arc is taken up by their battle, as well as Bernice's attempts to help. You can tell that the series is coming to a head, because there's a lot of finality to the proceedings as well as some character deaths as well. The battle is brutal in every way, and it sets the stage for the final confrontations very well.
And finally, Done Come Back brings everything to a head as Hester Beck at last makes her presence known, and Emmy faces her in one final battle. I was kind of glad that this didn't end the way I'd expected it to - it seemed like everything was building to an inevitable mutual destruction, but that's not the case, at least not entirely. Bunn uses all the plot threads and characters he's seeded from the beginning of the series to inform the ending, which is both gratifying and bittersweet for all involved.
Tyler Crook's artwork is again the unsung hero of this book. His moody colours and perfect use of shadow enhance the creepy atmosphere, and even when things get crazy and magic gets thrown around like mad, he never loses the groundedness that makes this book feel so real.
While sometimes a tad uneven in the middle, Harrow County is as solid a horror story as I've ever read. It's no wonder this is the book that kind of put Cullen Bunn on the map (this and The Sixth Gun, as I understand it), because the talent is on display from the first page to the last. Highly recommended.
This omnibus volume collects issues 17-32 of Harrow County.
In the previous volume, Emmy learned about her origins and dealt with some challenging threats. She brought peace between the townsfolk of Harrow County and the creatures of the night known as haints. But when something begins hunting the haints, Emmy faces threats both new and old.
As in the previous volume I enjoyed Cullen Bunn’s engaging storytelling. I also liked where the story went and how Emmy grew as a character.
Tyler Crook’s artwork seems even more gorgeous this time. I didn’t catch this in the first volume, but it’s something that is present in both: sound effects that blend in with the surroundings. It’s really well done.
This southern gothic horror story was a great read from start to finish.
The world of Harrow County matches some gut feeling I have. There's a dark form of spirituality that emits throughout the story that feels familiar— or am I just equating darkness with honesty? I'm not sure. No matter, I quite enjoy the balance of brutality and heart. It's wild to me that I can find such comfort in the extremes of hell and haints, perhaps it's because, whether I like to admit it or not, those things, in some shape or form, do exist and I am, for better or worse, intimate with them.
The first half of Harrow County leaves you to think that Emmy was filled with the spirit of the evil witch Hester Beck at birth, but she is taking a more compassionate approach. The second half goes much deeper and overturns that simple explanation.
It turns out that Emmy isn’t the only old spirit walking around Harrow County. And, of course, villains who die in the first act never stay dead.
This was an exceptional series in terms of both writing and artwork. 5 stars.
This was still a pleasant read, but I do think the story ran out of steam a little bit in this second half; the baddies and themes were mostly recycled without any new interesting layers, and the attempts to deepen the mythology (mostly through the family, Malachi, and Amaryllis) were the weakest storytelling of the series. Overall, however, I loved the visual language, actual language (haints!), and atmosphere (Southern Gothic with gore and heart) of Harrow County.
Suffers a bit from Mythology Bloat, where the urge to bring in and connect every thread sort of un-grounds the story and folds it in on itself. It feels more like high fantasy with some blood and guts than the folksy horror of the first half. I have a bit of an allergy to magic bloodline/chosen one with a destiny stuff these days, and this is indulging in that to some extent, but in a weird circular way that makes it feel like the loopy logic of a time travel story with a conservation of characters rather than the dangerous Harry Potter/Rise Of Skywalker bullshit that's essentially just magical white supremacy. So, a lesser offender in a realm I am particularly picky.
Oddly, it reminds me a bit of the latter seasons of LOST, where we get into hazily defined mythology about Jacob and The Man In Black. Which I love! But it's the emotional potency of the first couple seasons. Same between this and the first half of HARROW. I like this in a different way that feels more convoluted and heavily caveated than the way I liked the first half, BUT! I still like it. I'm curious to check out the Tales From Harrow County series, to see if that gets back to the woodsy ghost story roots of the first half.
So… when is this going to become the next Netflix sensation? This is truly an amazing comic book. Make sure you read it before they adapt it for tv, you don’t want to miss the drawings nor the delightful writing.
Did I pick up this series because a board game is being created based in the universe? Yes. Was I pleasantly surprised to find a solid horror story that spans twenty top quality issues? Yes.
Today's post is on Harrow County: Omnibus Volume 2 by Cullen Bunn et all. It is 408 pages long and published by Dark Horse Books. The cover has Hester Beck with a bloody cow skull in her hands. As it is the second omnibus, you need to have read the first volume to understand the story. The intended reader is someone who likes historical urban fantasy and horror. There is some mild foul language, no sex, and action violence in this graphic novel. The story follows Emmy. There Be Spoilers Ahead. From the back of the book- While Emmy has been focused on dealing with supernatural threats from the outside world; a much bigger problem has been brewing at home, leading to an epic confrontation that will alter the fate of the entirety of Harrow County!
Review- A great conclusion to a great story. Emmy has so much to do with keeping Harrow County safe from all the spirits in it and she has to learn about who she is really is. Emmy learns more about her family, her real powers, and what powers Kammi had. Bernice is also learning how to protect Harrow County in her own way. But none of that matters when Hester is returned to the world and she is gunning for Emmy. This was an great journey with Emmy and the others in Harrow County. I would read the next thing by Bunn and the artists who work with him.
I give this omnibus a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this graphic novel from my local library.
A very good story offset by a couple of flaws. First minor gripe would be the strange eye-straining font choice. Some characters speak with a different font style. This would be fine. But, in what looks like a mistake, the size is greatly reduced. Even the word bubbles are sized for bigger letters, but smaller ones have been used. This interrupted the story flow for me as I strained to slowly read the smaller captions. Also, without giving away anything specific, a lot of characters are introduced, and then killed off. So, at first, Harrow County is this spooky place filled with interesting ghosts and monsters. By the end, many of the most interesting new ideas have been eliminated. It's a shame and seems like a missed opportunity.
So far it probably seems like I really didn't like the book. But I really did. The art is amazing and the story makes sense by the end. The mythology created here also seems just as interesting as the story. I know they have had some spin-off comics where I hope Bunn explores more about the interesting haints and people of Harrow County.
The second half of this story was definitely more bleak. I really enjoyed it, but the ending bugged me. Emmy thinks this big bad is coming and that there's no way she can protect Harrow. So, when she is forced into a position where she has to kill her sister anyway, of course she steals her power? As far as everyone else lead her to believe at this point, Hester is coming back one way or another and Emmy would struggle on her own. In all these stories people told her about The Family's past, why did no one mention the little detail that when you gain someone's power you gain their personality traits too? If Emmy became a bit more evil because of stealing her sister's power, why did Hester not become a bit more good when she stole HER sister's power? Emmy was put into a position where the unthinkable seemed like the only option to protect her loved ones, so everyone condemning her and her loss of powers doesn't feel deserved.
(Also, no one even cared that she killed her sister... it was just that she ate her after)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
2.5. It was fine. The art was fine, some of it was great, a lot of it was good, some of it started getting very repetitive, and why are their eyes so far apart? The story too started getting repetitive.
I've never really been a big fan of overpowered characters, and the main character here was not particularly interesting to me. She was boring good guy with not much personality and godlike power. Her ending was fine, it was at the best possible ending I suppose.
I guess overall it really was just fine. I didn't hate it, but it didn't blow me away the way I thought it would. I think had I read this serially, the repetitive art and storylines would not have been nearly as annoying.
The artwork is so wonderful. I really love the way Hester and Kami are drawn; maybe more frightening than any gore or monster in the series.
I had some trouble with the story overall. It felt like it wove its own logic in a way that ended up being somewhat unsatisfying. Not exactly deus ex machina, but a cousin thereof - so much lore and backstory left hazy, with a few specific threads pulled up haphazardly to form a sort of dream logic to hang the ending on. Still ended up looking great.
I started to lose the characters in the end; it became more a story of capital-P Power and larger forces and I missed Emmy’s more human point of view a great deal. That said, the bits that did return from earlier in the story were great, surprising and welcome in the final chapters.
I’m almost a little surprised to be so critical of the series. I really enjoyed reading it. I guess I just felt that, in some ways, it felt like it ended as a different story than it started out to be. Either way, it was a good ride.
Let's face it this was always going to be a 5* before I even read it. If nothing else than for the sheer time, effort and incredible skill of Tyler Crook. However, in tribute to the bloody gore of this book, I've sliced one off. The reason being, the story doesn't get very far. We don't get any new haints or supernatural characters, but we do get a resolution. I just felt things got a little repeaty, reborn this, reborn that, she's her own person, but she's just like her before etc. etc. I wanted more of the skinless boy, of Malachi, of Bernice, of the weird mysterious 'family'. I'm nit-picking. I gave it 4 stars. It's great, I loved it and I want more.
I'd read the first Harrow County years back, enjoyed it, and then promptly forgot about it. When I saw the Omnibus at the local library, I realized, hey, I remember that.
Much of what I appreciated about the first comic remained. A stark, engaging, well written and characterized tale, with a well-conceptualized and authentic-feeling set of characters and relationships. Lush and vocative pen and color work, with a style that (with a few variances) maintained consistency, uniqueness, and brought out the grand guignol/body horror elements of the tale effectively.
A solid 3 stars. Emmy is plenty likeable and her relationships with many of the supporting characters color the stories in charming shades. But, the storytelling felt weak and atmospheric throughout. The plot meanders and the fighting scenes were anticlimactic. Perhaps too personal of a critique, but I found some scenes needlessly grotesque.
Taking all this into consideration, I did enjoy the fabric of American culture woven throughout the collection. A good Fall read for those open to some spooky stories and graphic violence. Let me know what you think.
It’s strange that, from this volume, I learned both how to do expository dialogue well and how to overuse it. Something that became a problem in the later issues was the third person narration. While, previously, it would spice the world up a bit, later on it’s butting in at all times—repetitive in its function. The end wasn’t properly telegraphed, which makes it feel very much deus ex machina-ish. Still retains the vibes tho.
Following on from the first omnibus, this collection brings the second instalment of the Harrow County story together with a nice explosive finish.
I was foggy on some of what had occurred in the first omnibus at the start of reading this, but as I went along it came back to me. Very well written, and the artwork really is quite something! Really enjoyed this and it’s a shame it’s ended, but I’m glad this started my year!
Continuación y cierre en el que todas las tramas se agudizan para finalmente resolverse en la enorme traca final. Los temas centrales vuelven a ser la identidad, la responsabilidad ante las decisiones que tomamos y también el miedo, la forma en la que el miedo y las precauciones que tomamos contra el mismo puedan desencadenar eso que nos aterra. Desde luego una de las mejores series que he leído. Ya cuenta con varios spin off. Tiene la magia de las grandes historias de siempre.
I’m obsessed with Harrow County. The artwork is absolutely phenomenal; it’s everything. I love all the images of the haints, and I loved the way the gore is done in the art. I love sweet the haints end up being when Emmy shows them respect rather than fear. It’s just all such a fun time reading this!!! And I think this second half felt more cohesive than the first half, which I obviously appreciated.
I don't really see much point to this review. If you read volume 1 you probably know whether or not you want to read volume 2. If you haven't read volume 1 then why would you start here? That's weird. Don't do that.
But Harrow County as a whole is wonderful! Incredible worldbuilding and art. Highly recommend!