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Gideon Falls #1-3
Gideon Falls, Book One: The Legend of the Black Barn
The first book of the Eisner award winning horror series from writer Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth, Black Hammer) and artist Andrea Sorrentino (Old Man Logan, Joker: Killer Smile) collected in a deluxe edition hardcover!
The lives of a reclusive young man obsessed with a conspiracy in the city's trash and a washed-up Catholic priest arriving in a small town full of dark secrets become intertwined around the mysterious legend of The Black Barn―an otherworldly building alleged to have appeared in both the city and the small town throughout history, bringing death and mad-ness in its wake.
Rural mystery and urban horror collide in this character-driven meditation on obsession, mental illness, and faith from the creators that writer Brian Michael Bendis said "will go down as one of the greatest comic teams of all time!" Also featuring plenty of "extras" including a variant cover gallery from some of comics' best artists, like Cliff Chiang, Jock, Tula Lotay, Skot-tie Young, and many more!
Collects issues #1-16
The lives of a reclusive young man obsessed with a conspiracy in the city's trash and a washed-up Catholic priest arriving in a small town full of dark secrets become intertwined around the mysterious legend of The Black Barn―an otherworldly building alleged to have appeared in both the city and the small town throughout history, bringing death and mad-ness in its wake.
Rural mystery and urban horror collide in this character-driven meditation on obsession, mental illness, and faith from the creators that writer Brian Michael Bendis said "will go down as one of the greatest comic teams of all time!" Also featuring plenty of "extras" including a variant cover gallery from some of comics' best artists, like Cliff Chiang, Jock, Tula Lotay, Skot-tie Young, and many more!
Collects issues #1-16
432 pages, Hardcover
First published September 28, 2021
40 people are currently reading
511 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Lemire
1,397 books3,867 followersLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Jeff Lemire is a New York Times bestselling and award winning author, and creator of the acclaimed graphic novels Sweet Tooth, Essex County, The Underwater Welder, Trillium, Plutona, Black Hammer, Descender, Royal City, and Gideon Falls. His upcoming projects include a host of series and original graphic novels, including the fantasy series Ascender with Dustin Nguyen.
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name
Jeff Lemire is a New York Times bestselling and award winning author, and creator of the acclaimed graphic novels Sweet Tooth, Essex County, The Underwater Welder, Trillium, Plutona, Black Hammer, Descender, Royal City, and Gideon Falls. His upcoming projects include a host of series and original graphic novels, including the fantasy series Ascender with Dustin Nguyen.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
November 15, 2021
Two stories told in parallel. One of a man combing through a city's garbage for specific pieces of debris. The other, a priest, newly arrived at the small town of Gideon Falls where mysterious and horrific murders have occurred over its history. Both are connected by a black barn seen in their visions and dreams.
Andrea Sorrentino creates some of his best artwork in this series. The panelling leaps off the page in inventive oft-kilter ways as the characters trip through time and space in their visions. It just works tremendously for telling this story.
I tried reading this in the original, smaller trades and couldn't get into it. This starts off as the slowest of slow burns. It works so much better when being able to read it straight through instead of once or twice a year.
Andrea Sorrentino creates some of his best artwork in this series. The panelling leaps off the page in inventive oft-kilter ways as the characters trip through time and space in their visions. It just works tremendously for telling this story.
I tried reading this in the original, smaller trades and couldn't get into it. This starts off as the slowest of slow burns. It works so much better when being able to read it straight through instead of once or twice a year.
November 5, 2021
An impressive series and one of the most effective horror comics I’ve read! Astutely-written, wicked, and maddeningly nuts, it really stands out for its creative, gorgeous art by Andrea Sorrentino and Dave Stewart. The design, texture, realistic facial expressions, inventive issue cover art, and mind-blowing panel layouts that perfectly complement the mind-bending plot make this a must-read in an oversized deluxe format on one hand, and absolutely maddening to read in that format on the other due to gutter loss taking away from the experience a bit!
The story starts as a moody mystery about a troubled young big city trash collector and a small-town priest both experiencing visions of a scary black barn, but then it slowly turns into something much more complex, terrifying, and sprawling than you ever thought possible. It might take a bit of patience before you really grasp what’s happening but it’s really rewarding. And if you think this book is crazy, wait until the final half of this story!
This collects the first three trade paperbacks, reviewed separately on Goodreads here:
Gideon Falls, Vol. 1: The Black Barn ★★★★
Gideon Falls, Vol. 2: Original Sins ★★★★★
Gideon Falls, Vol. 3: Stations of the Cross ★★★★
The story starts as a moody mystery about a troubled young big city trash collector and a small-town priest both experiencing visions of a scary black barn, but then it slowly turns into something much more complex, terrifying, and sprawling than you ever thought possible. It might take a bit of patience before you really grasp what’s happening but it’s really rewarding. And if you think this book is crazy, wait until the final half of this story!
This collects the first three trade paperbacks, reviewed separately on Goodreads here:
Gideon Falls, Vol. 1: The Black Barn ★★★★
Gideon Falls, Vol. 2: Original Sins ★★★★★
Gideon Falls, Vol. 3: Stations of the Cross ★★★★
February 10, 2023
Dark and twisty. A priest is sent to a new perish where the old priest has just killed himself—only the woman who welcomes him is murdered, and he he saw the old priest alive and well. At the same time, a man diagnosed with schizophrenia is getting counselling because he believes he’s seeing patterns in the trash he’s collecting, tying into a delusion he believes is real: The Black Barn.
Most of the fun of this is trying to figure out what’s going on, and even describing more is a bit spoilery because of that. I love the artwork and paneling, the story is a slow burn, probably, but I think the mystery is really well crafted, continuing to unfurl until the very end of the entire volume. It gets WILD. And I’m here for it.
Most of the fun of this is trying to figure out what’s going on, and even describing more is a bit spoilery because of that. I love the artwork and paneling, the story is a slow burn, probably, but I think the mystery is really well crafted, continuing to unfurl until the very end of the entire volume. It gets WILD. And I’m here for it.
October 17, 2024
Halloween buddy read with the other James. DeSantis that is.
4.5 stars but F it, just gonna round up as this was so good. Love stories like this, eerie and mysterious. So on one side we have Norton Sinclair who is seeing his therapist. He has been collecting random shards of black wood and old nails from trash heaps around the city. On the other side we have a priest, father Fred, who has come to a new town as the current priest has died. One night, Fred is woken up out of his sleep by the old priest who was supposed to be dead. What?? That’s when Fred first sees this black barn. The mystery just slowly starts unraveling from there and I was hooked. Eventually these two tales collide and all the little parts of the story start having more meaning. Man I’m loving this book! Plus Sorrentino is killing with the art and cool panel layouts. Can’t wait to start vol 2. Highly recommended!!
4.5 stars but F it, just gonna round up as this was so good. Love stories like this, eerie and mysterious. So on one side we have Norton Sinclair who is seeing his therapist. He has been collecting random shards of black wood and old nails from trash heaps around the city. On the other side we have a priest, father Fred, who has come to a new town as the current priest has died. One night, Fred is woken up out of his sleep by the old priest who was supposed to be dead. What?? That’s when Fred first sees this black barn. The mystery just slowly starts unraveling from there and I was hooked. Eventually these two tales collide and all the little parts of the story start having more meaning. Man I’m loving this book! Plus Sorrentino is killing with the art and cool panel layouts. Can’t wait to start vol 2. Highly recommended!!
October 25, 2025
Talk about wild ride! I came to this book knowing that it was a horror story written by Jeff Lemire, that's it!
Going through the first few issues I thought this was just going to be a small conspiracy type thing and all I knew was that I needed to know more about the Black Barn. As soon as we learn about it and what happens once inside, my mind was blown! I have never seen art that conveys unthinkable concepts like the ones in this book. Such an immensely impressive way to use panels.
The smiling man; creepy as hell. The amount of tension and anxiety-inducing horror this character exuded is enough to have him etched into my mind for years to come.
I'm trying not to spoil the story here, and I still don't think I am, but I got so much more enjoyment out of the story when it started to blend with some of my favourite sci-fi themes.
Jeff Lemire started off with a small snowball and let it roll down the hill letting it naturally pick up bits on the way until it came to a masterpiece at the bottom. AND THIS IS ONLY BOOK ONE!
Awesome story, awesome writing, awesome art! Both of which must exist in order for the other to be as amazing as it was.
Go read it!
Going through the first few issues I thought this was just going to be a small conspiracy type thing and all I knew was that I needed to know more about the Black Barn. As soon as we learn about it and what happens once inside, my mind was blown! I have never seen art that conveys unthinkable concepts like the ones in this book. Such an immensely impressive way to use panels.
The smiling man; creepy as hell. The amount of tension and anxiety-inducing horror this character exuded is enough to have him etched into my mind for years to come.
I'm trying not to spoil the story here, and I still don't think I am, but I got so much more enjoyment out of the story when it started to blend with some of my favourite sci-fi themes.
Jeff Lemire started off with a small snowball and let it roll down the hill letting it naturally pick up bits on the way until it came to a masterpiece at the bottom. AND THIS IS ONLY BOOK ONE!
Awesome story, awesome writing, awesome art! Both of which must exist in order for the other to be as amazing as it was.
Go read it!
October 31, 2021
A disturbing but immersive read with stunning art.
August 29, 2021
This is so much better when read in a bigger trade. I'm always a fan of Jeff Lemire, the illustrations by Sorrentino just happen to add to the surrealism of this situation. All by building off of a concept from Lemire in regards to obsessions. Because really, when hasn't anybody heard that everything in a person's life built up to a specific moment.
Hence the focus on the original main character "Norton Sinclair" a man driven by an otherworldly obsession after a life of abuse and institutionalization. As someone who had (maybe still is dealing with) a hoarding problem, the obsessions felt close to home. Even the graphs and plans out to keep everything together felt a little disconcerting, sure it makes what's happening a little easier to deal with, but it was disheartening to acknowledge something evil behind everything Norton's doing but still does it. This series captures the real kind of obsessions, the idea that even when there is meaning it's for the wrong reasons.
On that note, the story structure is written really well especially on how the different casts of characters interact. At first glance I thought that the setting of Gideon Falls was kind of like most cities, a rural area and a more urban side. Plus I had a good time thinking up of a little game on trying to find where in the world Gideon Falls is on the world map. But then there comes the big twists and why news doesn't seem to travel as fast. A lot of things just fell into place; some things didn't get answered mind you, but I have a funny feeling they come up in Book 2.
There's nothing like a setup that leaves you clamoring for more.
Hence the focus on the original main character "Norton Sinclair" a man driven by an otherworldly obsession after a life of abuse and institutionalization. As someone who had (maybe still is dealing with) a hoarding problem, the obsessions felt close to home. Even the graphs and plans out to keep everything together felt a little disconcerting, sure it makes what's happening a little easier to deal with, but it was disheartening to acknowledge something evil behind everything Norton's doing but still does it. This series captures the real kind of obsessions, the idea that even when there is meaning it's for the wrong reasons.
On that note, the story structure is written really well especially on how the different casts of characters interact. At first glance I thought that the setting of Gideon Falls was kind of like most cities, a rural area and a more urban side. Plus I had a good time thinking up of a little game on trying to find where in the world Gideon Falls is on the world map. But then there comes the big twists and why news doesn't seem to travel as fast. A lot of things just fell into place; some things didn't get answered mind you, but I have a funny feeling they come up in Book 2.
There's nothing like a setup that leaves you clamoring for more.
October 28, 2021
Wow... Sorrentino‘s artwork is amazing and some of the panel layouts remind me of an intoxicated JH Williams III. The mood is beautifully painted.
It’s a spooky page turning read. I can’t wait until the second hardcover volume is released.
It’s a spooky page turning read. I can’t wait until the second hardcover volume is released.
October 21, 2024
Buddy read with James (Mumford not myself)
I read these as they were coming out. I will say it reads even better this way.
My main issue originally was the answers felt like they took forever to get issue by issue or even volume by volume. And to an extent it's still here. This is a slow burn. And around issue 12 or 13 there's a two issue background that helps flush out the world but slows down the big progression on the two main leads.
But besides that this is a blast. Great characters from the priest, to Daniel, to Claire. Everyone sounds real which is Lemire's strong suit. Sorrentino does some of his best work ever getting both creepy and bizarre panels which I love. The reveal of this demon entity trying to escape makes sense and the ending leaves off on a great cliffhanger.
A great Halloween reread. A 4 out of 4.
I read these as they were coming out. I will say it reads even better this way.
My main issue originally was the answers felt like they took forever to get issue by issue or even volume by volume. And to an extent it's still here. This is a slow burn. And around issue 12 or 13 there's a two issue background that helps flush out the world but slows down the big progression on the two main leads.
But besides that this is a blast. Great characters from the priest, to Daniel, to Claire. Everyone sounds real which is Lemire's strong suit. Sorrentino does some of his best work ever getting both creepy and bizarre panels which I love. The reveal of this demon entity trying to escape makes sense and the ending leaves off on a great cliffhanger.
A great Halloween reread. A 4 out of 4.
November 21, 2022
Drawing on elements of both horror and science fiction, Gideon Falls is a continual reveal of mystery and surprise plot twists. It's a slow burn and can be a fairly intense read, but everything about this feels exciting and fresh.
Sorrentino's art is essential here - shifting between an oppressively gritty style to explosions of mind-bending surrealism - the illustrations here really do set the tone and help indicate changes in pace in very clever ways.
That said, it can appear a little slow regarding character development, but this does appear to be an intentional choice as the plot tends to rely on character reveals to maximize the impact of its twists and turns.
Above all else, there is no getting away from the fact that this is horror done very well - it's eerie, mysterious and keeps the reader guessing as to which direction it's throwing you in next - the very definition of a 'page turner'.
Overall, Gideon Falls is the perfect testament to the combined talents of Lemire & Sorrentino's ongoing partnership. Be kind to yourself and bump this to the top of your to-read pile.
___________________
My Score: 9/10
My Goodreads: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
___________________
Sorrentino's art is essential here - shifting between an oppressively gritty style to explosions of mind-bending surrealism - the illustrations here really do set the tone and help indicate changes in pace in very clever ways.
That said, it can appear a little slow regarding character development, but this does appear to be an intentional choice as the plot tends to rely on character reveals to maximize the impact of its twists and turns.
Above all else, there is no getting away from the fact that this is horror done very well - it's eerie, mysterious and keeps the reader guessing as to which direction it's throwing you in next - the very definition of a 'page turner'.
Overall, Gideon Falls is the perfect testament to the combined talents of Lemire & Sorrentino's ongoing partnership. Be kind to yourself and bump this to the top of your to-read pile.
___________________
My Score: 9/10
My Goodreads: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
___________________
April 8, 2022
(Zero spoiler review) 2.75/5
So first off, I was really looking forward to this. I've been into and reading comics for two years now, and for whatever reason, I had been waiting for the Gideon Falls deluxe edition basically from the outset. Back when the series was still unfinished and half the trades were yet to release, I refused to read any of it, waiting for that inevitable lovely OHC to come out, so I could delve into this series. I mean, come on, the premise sounds outstanding. Not that an excellent and interesting premise had ever been overhyped and under delivered in this medium. But despite my growing list of gripes with Lemire's creations I read in the interim two years, I was still holding out hope that this would be worth the wait.
As you can see by the score I've given it, sadly, I was monumentally disappointed in this.
First of all, lets deal with the good, because there is a hell of a lot of good here that needs to be mentioned. Essentially everyone who isn't Jeff Lemire has done exceptional work here. Andrea Sorrentino absolutely knocked it out of the park. He is rapidly becoming one of my favourite artists, whose style perfectly encapsulates all this book was trying to be. I must admit, the overuse of the abstract became somewhat grating towards the end, although how much of that was down to him or rather, Jeff Lemire, I can't say. Still, the man is a talent, and made this frustrating experience far more tolerable. Dave Stewart is the man when it comes to colours. The guy has taken Sorrentino's excellent art, and imbued it with a simple, yet hauntingly effective range of muted down tones. I've never seen a book the man has coloured that wasn't exceptionally executed. His name on a book is an assurance of quality that is sorely lacking these days. Finally, praise should also go to the letterer, whom doesn't appear to be noticeably named. Letterers rarely get any level of credit for their work. Consigned to obscurity and anonymity, with writers and artists getting all the attention. Often deservedly so, now. But still... The letter design and implementation here was well thought out and suited the tone of the book well.
So now, let us come to the elephant in the room. Mr. Jeff Lemire. One of the most overrated names in the industry. Now by overrated, I don't mean 'worst'. It's 2022, and there is a long, LONG list of names that couldn't hope to write at Lemire's level, even with Aladdin's lamp and three wishes at their disposal. But that doesn't mean the guy isn't, in my opinion, overhyped to hell and back. He's competent, but that's me being about as charitable as I can be, and it is his unpleasant influence that robs Gideon Falls of all that it cold have been, and instead, consigns it to the dustbin of mediocrity and 'what could have been'.
Why is that I hear you ask? Well, allow me to elaborate. The characters are all flat, bland and unlikeable. Not one of these characters inspired anything in me other than apathy or frustration, with the occasional dose of anger to go with it. Their dialogue is insipidly inane, and frequently about as believable as a far left activist rocking up to a protest in a maga hat. The professional characters within this story are poorly written to the point of farce. I didn't believe for a second that these two intellectual people in positions of authority were in any way a reasonable reflection of people occupying these roles. Logical consistency in characters is incredibly important, both to good storytelling and me personally as a reader, and this just smacked of incompetence on Lemire's part. I don't think there was a single page I read where I didn't stop and either roll my eyes at the banality, the unbelievability or the stupidity of something said by someone. I spent more time rewriting this in my head than I did reading it, I do believe.
Lastly, although I could go on, I'll briefly touch on the story. Again, it was an outstanding initial idea, and I was absolutely on board to see it explored. Once I was about 5 or so issues in, and the tedium and frustration had evaporated whatever initial excitement I had for it, I began to see quite quickly where this story was going, and I didn't like it. I remember thinking to myself, and I won't say what I thought to avoid spoilers, but I guessed where the narrative was headed. I didn't want to be right, as I thought that was a weak and shitty direction to take it in, but alas, it looks like I was right. It really just kept grating on me the further and further it went along. The characters became more annoying, the plot became more muddled and uninteresting. Quite how this still has another 16 issues to go, I'll never know, which doesn't bode well for the second book, although when you fill these sixteen issues with as little dialogue or story in general, its not hard to rely on your artist to drag this out as much as possible. Most people like this book, apparently. Especially given the ludicrously high score it currently has on this site. I've also heard the ending is disappointing, which seems par for the course. Given I really didn't like the first book, god only knows what I'll think of the second. What a wasted opportunity. 2.75/5
OmniBen.
So first off, I was really looking forward to this. I've been into and reading comics for two years now, and for whatever reason, I had been waiting for the Gideon Falls deluxe edition basically from the outset. Back when the series was still unfinished and half the trades were yet to release, I refused to read any of it, waiting for that inevitable lovely OHC to come out, so I could delve into this series. I mean, come on, the premise sounds outstanding. Not that an excellent and interesting premise had ever been overhyped and under delivered in this medium. But despite my growing list of gripes with Lemire's creations I read in the interim two years, I was still holding out hope that this would be worth the wait.
As you can see by the score I've given it, sadly, I was monumentally disappointed in this.
First of all, lets deal with the good, because there is a hell of a lot of good here that needs to be mentioned. Essentially everyone who isn't Jeff Lemire has done exceptional work here. Andrea Sorrentino absolutely knocked it out of the park. He is rapidly becoming one of my favourite artists, whose style perfectly encapsulates all this book was trying to be. I must admit, the overuse of the abstract became somewhat grating towards the end, although how much of that was down to him or rather, Jeff Lemire, I can't say. Still, the man is a talent, and made this frustrating experience far more tolerable. Dave Stewart is the man when it comes to colours. The guy has taken Sorrentino's excellent art, and imbued it with a simple, yet hauntingly effective range of muted down tones. I've never seen a book the man has coloured that wasn't exceptionally executed. His name on a book is an assurance of quality that is sorely lacking these days. Finally, praise should also go to the letterer, whom doesn't appear to be noticeably named. Letterers rarely get any level of credit for their work. Consigned to obscurity and anonymity, with writers and artists getting all the attention. Often deservedly so, now. But still... The letter design and implementation here was well thought out and suited the tone of the book well.
So now, let us come to the elephant in the room. Mr. Jeff Lemire. One of the most overrated names in the industry. Now by overrated, I don't mean 'worst'. It's 2022, and there is a long, LONG list of names that couldn't hope to write at Lemire's level, even with Aladdin's lamp and three wishes at their disposal. But that doesn't mean the guy isn't, in my opinion, overhyped to hell and back. He's competent, but that's me being about as charitable as I can be, and it is his unpleasant influence that robs Gideon Falls of all that it cold have been, and instead, consigns it to the dustbin of mediocrity and 'what could have been'.
Why is that I hear you ask? Well, allow me to elaborate. The characters are all flat, bland and unlikeable. Not one of these characters inspired anything in me other than apathy or frustration, with the occasional dose of anger to go with it. Their dialogue is insipidly inane, and frequently about as believable as a far left activist rocking up to a protest in a maga hat. The professional characters within this story are poorly written to the point of farce. I didn't believe for a second that these two intellectual people in positions of authority were in any way a reasonable reflection of people occupying these roles. Logical consistency in characters is incredibly important, both to good storytelling and me personally as a reader, and this just smacked of incompetence on Lemire's part. I don't think there was a single page I read where I didn't stop and either roll my eyes at the banality, the unbelievability or the stupidity of something said by someone. I spent more time rewriting this in my head than I did reading it, I do believe.
Lastly, although I could go on, I'll briefly touch on the story. Again, it was an outstanding initial idea, and I was absolutely on board to see it explored. Once I was about 5 or so issues in, and the tedium and frustration had evaporated whatever initial excitement I had for it, I began to see quite quickly where this story was going, and I didn't like it. I remember thinking to myself, and I won't say what I thought to avoid spoilers, but I guessed where the narrative was headed. I didn't want to be right, as I thought that was a weak and shitty direction to take it in, but alas, it looks like I was right. It really just kept grating on me the further and further it went along. The characters became more annoying, the plot became more muddled and uninteresting. Quite how this still has another 16 issues to go, I'll never know, which doesn't bode well for the second book, although when you fill these sixteen issues with as little dialogue or story in general, its not hard to rely on your artist to drag this out as much as possible. Most people like this book, apparently. Especially given the ludicrously high score it currently has on this site. I've also heard the ending is disappointing, which seems par for the course. Given I really didn't like the first book, god only knows what I'll think of the second. What a wasted opportunity. 2.75/5
OmniBen.
August 19, 2024
I read the 432 pages of this graphic novel in record time. Gideon Falls is right up my alley!
A priest with a past is assigned to the rural town of Gideon Falls. The previous priest drowned recently. Immediately upon his arrival, the priest begins having visions of a black barn and a dark figure.
Meanwhile, Norton Sinclair, a psych patient, claims to be rebuilding a door to the black barn. Without spoiling anything, just know that these two stories are intertwined in complicated ways.
The art and story are top notch. I can’t wait to read the second collection.
A priest with a past is assigned to the rural town of Gideon Falls. The previous priest drowned recently. Immediately upon his arrival, the priest begins having visions of a black barn and a dark figure.
Meanwhile, Norton Sinclair, a psych patient, claims to be rebuilding a door to the black barn. Without spoiling anything, just know that these two stories are intertwined in complicated ways.
The art and story are top notch. I can’t wait to read the second collection.
April 26, 2022
It's a perfect amalgamation of horror and sci-fi. Lemire knows how to forge great stories. Here's no exception! But what makes this stand-alone from other horror comics is Sorrentino's master artwork & Stewart's mind-blowing coloring. It's horror but not horror! Give it a try...
October 11, 2021
It's great... It + Twin Peaks
October 13, 2023
4.5
It made me poop my pants.
It made me poop my pants.
October 31, 2024
Spooky, well written and beautiful art. Can’t ask for much more from a Halloween comic book read! Looking forward to the second book.
January 15, 2023
folk horror mezclado con ciencia ficción i'm in
January 12, 2023
Unfortunately a difficult book to truly rate, because it is entirely plot and mystery based, and by the end of this volume, the plot and mystery have not been fully explored or resolved. Which is a frustrating trend in comics, to me, and a trend that a lot of other readers don't seem to mind. But personally, I'm tired of comics that lay out a big looming mystery, Lost-style, but decide not to tell any interesting characters stories along the way. This transforms these series into full puzzle boxes, missing the only thing about Lost that ultimately worked (for the most part): its characters.
We (well, at least I) only care about a mystery if we first care about the people the mystery is happening to. This means more than surface-level characterization. In Gideon Falls, we don't get more than that. There are essentially two main characters, Norton, a man diagnosed with something akin to schizophrenia (it's never stated what his supposed mental illness is), whose entire character is "crazy guy who might be right", and Father Wilfred, a man whose entire character is "priest who had something undefined but bad happen to him, maybe." Both of these paper thin characters drift along, solving the mystery because it is there to be solved, revealing nothing about their deeper personas or what drives them or what is important to them along the way. They don't seem to want anything besides Solving The Mystery, which means anytime we see them the only thing we want them to do is discover some new clue. Which, for a story written like that, are too few and far between.
That said, the mystery itself is just interesting enough to make me want to finish the story, and the art is regularly fantastic (though sometimes a little hard to follow). I just wish I also gave a shit about any of the people the mystery is happening to.
We (well, at least I) only care about a mystery if we first care about the people the mystery is happening to. This means more than surface-level characterization. In Gideon Falls, we don't get more than that. There are essentially two main characters, Norton, a man diagnosed with something akin to schizophrenia (it's never stated what his supposed mental illness is), whose entire character is "crazy guy who might be right", and Father Wilfred, a man whose entire character is "priest who had something undefined but bad happen to him, maybe." Both of these paper thin characters drift along, solving the mystery because it is there to be solved, revealing nothing about their deeper personas or what drives them or what is important to them along the way. They don't seem to want anything besides Solving The Mystery, which means anytime we see them the only thing we want them to do is discover some new clue. Which, for a story written like that, are too few and far between.
That said, the mystery itself is just interesting enough to make me want to finish the story, and the art is regularly fantastic (though sometimes a little hard to follow). I just wish I also gave a shit about any of the people the mystery is happening to.
August 12, 2024
From Green Arrow to Gideon Falls, the team of Jeff Lemire/Andrea Sorrentino should go down as one of the best duos in modern comics.
January 3, 2024
Gideon Falls
Deluxe Edition book 1 & book 2
By Jeff Lemire, Andrea Sorrentino, Dave Stewart
Wow.... Just wow....This is an absolute masterpiece of a graphic novel.. Stranger Things meets Twin Peaks meets Dark meets Walking Dead. Lemire's crafty storytelling with minimal narration or dialogue just works perfectly to create the tension and suspense and then Sorrentino and Dave Stewart's dark, gritty, surreal artwork does the magic and the pages start to breathe and talk. This story can not be read/enjoyed/understood without Sorrentino's unique art and panels and Dave's impactful coloring. I don't want to give any spoiler but the story is about obsession, mental illness, reality and parallel reality, world universe and dimensions, time and space and also about how everyone has evil inside them hidden away in a black barn and only a few are strong enough to be the door and keep the evil from coming out. Which started as a urban horror/murder mystery or suspense thriller - turned out to be a much more complex, intriguing and serious affairs of multiple reality and infinite dimensions and their effect and counter-effect. The series won the Eisners for genuine reasons. Also, the story deserves the oversized hardcover treatment - the visual aesthetics needs to be like this to enjoy and understand the narrative because it is quite slow-burn in the first book and picked up pace in the second book and it's the visuals that holds you through the journey and you don't want to put it down.
Highly recommended. A must read.
Deluxe Edition book 1 & book 2
By Jeff Lemire, Andrea Sorrentino, Dave Stewart
Wow.... Just wow....This is an absolute masterpiece of a graphic novel.. Stranger Things meets Twin Peaks meets Dark meets Walking Dead. Lemire's crafty storytelling with minimal narration or dialogue just works perfectly to create the tension and suspense and then Sorrentino and Dave Stewart's dark, gritty, surreal artwork does the magic and the pages start to breathe and talk. This story can not be read/enjoyed/understood without Sorrentino's unique art and panels and Dave's impactful coloring. I don't want to give any spoiler but the story is about obsession, mental illness, reality and parallel reality, world universe and dimensions, time and space and also about how everyone has evil inside them hidden away in a black barn and only a few are strong enough to be the door and keep the evil from coming out. Which started as a urban horror/murder mystery or suspense thriller - turned out to be a much more complex, intriguing and serious affairs of multiple reality and infinite dimensions and their effect and counter-effect. The series won the Eisners for genuine reasons. Also, the story deserves the oversized hardcover treatment - the visual aesthetics needs to be like this to enjoy and understand the narrative because it is quite slow-burn in the first book and picked up pace in the second book and it's the visuals that holds you through the journey and you don't want to put it down.
Highly recommended. A must read.
October 10, 2024
Gideon Falls Book 1: The Legend of the Black Barn collects issues 1-16 of the Image Comics series written by Jeff Lemire, art by Andrea Sorrentino, and colors by Dave Stewart.
In the city of Gideon Falls there is a man who digs through the city’s garbage, obsessed that there is a hidden meaning in the trash he finds. A former alcoholic priest arrives in the small town of Gideon Falls where death immediately follows. These two men are inexplicably connected by a dark looming myth only known as the Black Barn.
I have heard great things about Gideon Falls over the years but it kept getting pushed down in my to read pile. The book is extremely captivating. It’s starts off as a slow burner getting introduced to our two protagonists. When the story picks up, it gets weird. But it’s a good weird. I’m sure there are pieces that are going over my head, but I really enjoyed what I read. Some of the issues are very heavy in the reading and some issues Sorrentino’s art carries the story. The art is incredibly unique with some of the most interesting panel layouts I have ever seen. The story is creepy, but I don’t know if I would describe it as scary. There is so much still lingering under the surface here that I am really curious to see where it goes. The beginning portions of the book reminded me a lot of Robert Kirkman’s Outcast. That changes somewhat as the book goes on. But they could be interesting to draw parallels to.
In the city of Gideon Falls there is a man who digs through the city’s garbage, obsessed that there is a hidden meaning in the trash he finds. A former alcoholic priest arrives in the small town of Gideon Falls where death immediately follows. These two men are inexplicably connected by a dark looming myth only known as the Black Barn.
I have heard great things about Gideon Falls over the years but it kept getting pushed down in my to read pile. The book is extremely captivating. It’s starts off as a slow burner getting introduced to our two protagonists. When the story picks up, it gets weird. But it’s a good weird. I’m sure there are pieces that are going over my head, but I really enjoyed what I read. Some of the issues are very heavy in the reading and some issues Sorrentino’s art carries the story. The art is incredibly unique with some of the most interesting panel layouts I have ever seen. The story is creepy, but I don’t know if I would describe it as scary. There is so much still lingering under the surface here that I am really curious to see where it goes. The beginning portions of the book reminded me a lot of Robert Kirkman’s Outcast. That changes somewhat as the book goes on. But they could be interesting to draw parallels to.
June 26, 2024
I stumbled across this collected edition and instantly jumped on it - I had heard references of Gideon Falls for some time and wanted to read it - and here was a hardbacked collected edition -well the rest as they say is history.
So this is a complete series (in two installments) which means you have one complete story arc which makes commenting about it really tricky as everything it would see has a purpose.
Yes there are some obvious plot devices which you can spot very quickly (in fact looking back I think they are glaringly obvious but rather like Stephen Kings The Stand - you want to see how it all plays out).
The story as a result fascinated me and I so wanted to see where it when and what happened to the "five"
So this is a complete series (in two installments) which means you have one complete story arc which makes commenting about it really tricky as everything it would see has a purpose.
Yes there are some obvious plot devices which you can spot very quickly (in fact looking back I think they are glaringly obvious but rather like Stephen Kings The Stand - you want to see how it all plays out).
The story as a result fascinated me and I so wanted to see where it when and what happened to the "five"
September 7, 2023
I love a good horror comic & Gideon Falls has been on my radar for some time. It finally made it’s way to the top of my TBR & I’m once again kicking myself for not getting to it sooner. Volume 1 of 2 was amazing, guinely creepy, and hella bingeworthy. What feels like a story we’ve seen done multiple times is turned on it’s head, with some huge mindfuck moments & plot twists to put some extra stank on it. Highly recommend it for the graphic novel horror fans & I’ll have to get to volume 2 asap. 👀
February 19, 2023
Schöne, düstere Mystery mit surrealen Anleihen an Lynchs Werke, allen voran Twin Peaks. Zuweilen erinnert es auch stellenweise an Kirkmans Outcast und an Kings Der Dunkle Turm. Das flotte Erzähltempo ist sehr angenehm, an den erforderlichen Stellen lassen sich Lemire und Sorrentino aber auch Zeit um Spannung und Atmosphäre aufzubauen.
4.5 Sterne und ein ❤️
4.5 Sterne und ein ❤️
dnf
March 18, 2023Thought this would be a winner because it’s horror, well loved, and by Lemire. But halfway in I’m finding the characters and dialogue painfully basic. On top of that we get a shoehorned romance that makes no sense, with a second equally dumb romance feeling like it was on the way. Super disappointing.
November 1, 2023
I was hoping for a horror story about an ominous barn like Laird Barron’s “Shiva, Open Your Eye” but it dragged along a muddy sci-fi route where I never felt like anything serious was at stake. Some of the sprawling artwork was cool, but other times it looked like they drew over the detailed art with jagged MS Paint brushes. It was odd.
June 20, 2025
"I am the shadow at the center."
Truly one of the most imaginative pieces of storytelling I've ever encountered. Blown away at the inventiveness of the visuals and the narrative. Gorgeous, compelling, and unsettling. Issues 10 & 11 absolutely blew my mind and left me speechless.
Truly one of the most imaginative pieces of storytelling I've ever encountered. Blown away at the inventiveness of the visuals and the narrative. Gorgeous, compelling, and unsettling. Issues 10 & 11 absolutely blew my mind and left me speechless.
September 17, 2025
ambitious and weird
October 8, 2024
So good- Lemiere writes a truly disturbing story (reminds me of The Ice Cream Man series) of time travel, multiverses and the mystery surrounding an evil barn. I’m happy he didn’t draw this series the art is amazing and scary - I always find Lemiere’s art almost cute- this story is NOT cute. I didn’t see where it was going at all until about issue 9 or 10 and then from there I was totally hooked.
March 22, 2024
The elevator pitch for this would be “Twin Peaks on heroin”
It’s really wild. It seems to be two separate stories connected by a few motifs…but it’s more. I don’t want to say too much. Just that just when you think it can’t get wilder, it does.
Jeff Lemire’s penchant for existential dread pairs perfectly with Andrea Sorrentino’s gritty, moody yet surreal art. Lemire’s thematic motifs are reflected in Sorrentino’s visuals in sublime ways. Pay attention to the use of the color red. Trust me. And look at the covers again after you read the issue. It’s really something special.
(Update) Upon rereading it after watching the first few seasons of Twin Peaks and Fire Walk With Me, I’ve gained an even greater appreciation for its use of elements from there and how it differs. I understand exactly why he ended the volume where he did. Why certain characters feel like his own twists on certain things there. Adds to the text nicely.
It’s really wild. It seems to be two separate stories connected by a few motifs…but it’s more. I don’t want to say too much. Just that just when you think it can’t get wilder, it does.
Jeff Lemire’s penchant for existential dread pairs perfectly with Andrea Sorrentino’s gritty, moody yet surreal art. Lemire’s thematic motifs are reflected in Sorrentino’s visuals in sublime ways. Pay attention to the use of the color red. Trust me. And look at the covers again after you read the issue. It’s really something special.
(Update) Upon rereading it after watching the first few seasons of Twin Peaks and Fire Walk With Me, I’ve gained an even greater appreciation for its use of elements from there and how it differs. I understand exactly why he ended the volume where he did. Why certain characters feel like his own twists on certain things there. Adds to the text nicely.
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