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Stranger Things: Graphic Novels #1, 4

Stranger Things, Volume 1

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Collected for the first time in one digital book, these graphic novel coming-of-age horror stories tap into the isolation, loss and fears of the kids from the show while highlighting their bravery and resiliency. Experience more 80’s horror nostalgia with this collection of two complete graphic novels, Stranger The Other Side and Stranger Science Camp.  Offering a new perspective on the events of the hit Netflix show, The Other Side follows Will Byers after he has been pulled into a mysterious nightmare realm. Isolated, disoriented and scared, he quickly realizes he isn’t alone—monsters lurk around every corner, and they are hunting him. In Science Camp, Dustin Henderson arrives at Camp Know Where anxious about spending the summer away from his friends after they saved their town from eldritch horrors. It doesn’t take long for him to find bullies to defeat, and fellow nerds to befriend. When a spooky masked figure starts making camp counselors disappear, the solution won’t take rocket science. Dustin gathers a crew of geeks to save their camp – and possibly their own lives.

208 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 14, 2021

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Jody Houser

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5 stars
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104 (39%)
3 stars
64 (24%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
Profile Image for V.K..
Author 6 books17 followers
December 15, 2025
the extra stories in here ❤️
Profile Image for Alex Gruenenfelder.
Author 1 book11 followers
July 2, 2022
Capturing the spirit of "Stranger Things" with stories never entirely told on-screen, this collection largely focuses on Season 1 and the time before Season 2. Make sure to have caught up on the show, however, because there is a post-Season 3 bonus story!

This is hardly a stand-alone graphic novel, backing up the stories we know and love from the show, with the primary story following Will Byers in the Upside Down. It also really plays with the Dungeons & Dragons lore of the series, paralleling "Will the Wise" and gaming sessions with the experiences of our characters. There is also at least one story in here that ties in with the show, but we never hear about in the series, for people who want something new.

Though the art style never precisely lines up with the actors we are used to, it captures the tone and the look quite well. For comic fans of all ages, this is nostalgic fun for the "Stranger Things" crowd. As I prepare for the final installments of "Stranger Things 4", I'm glad I got to give this a read.
Profile Image for Puffettacle.
178 reviews2 followers
January 5, 2026
Questa è la mia prima recensione del 2026 e non potevo iniziare l’anno in modo diverso. Ho scelto di farlo con Stranger Things – La raccolta, un fumetto edito @ che per me è molto più di una semplice lettura: è un omaggio a una serie che si è conclusa il primo gennaio 2026 e che mi rimarrà per sempre nel cuore. Ho iniziato Stranger Things quando avevo 16 anni; oggi ne ho 25, e quest’anno ne compirò 26. Dieci anni sono passati, ma il legame con questa storia è rimasto intatto. È stata una serie che ha accompagnato la mia adolescenza, che mi ha fatto crescere, emozionare, affezionare ai personaggi e al mondo di Hawkins. Un viaggio che non dimenticherò mai, e che continuerà a vivere dentro di me.

Con Stranger Things – La raccolta si ha la sensazione di tornare a casa. Un volume che racchiude quattro graphic novel già uscite singolarmente — Il Sottosopra, Sei, Soffiando sul fuoco e Scienza in campeggio — e che nasce come omaggio ai fan, in vista dell’ultima stagione della serie. Un’edizione in copertina flessibile che, nonostante la forma compatta, non perde nulla dell’intensità e dell’identità delle singole storie, ma anzi le valorizza, riunendole in un unico grande viaggio nel mondo di Hawkins.

Quello che rende questa raccolta davvero interessante è il modo in cui amplia e approfondisce eventi che nella serie TV abbiamo solo intravisto. Il Sottosopra, ad esempio, segue Will Byers dopo il suo rapimento da parte del Demogorgone: confermato solo come presenza fragile e silenziosa sullo schermo, qui diventa protagonista assoluto. Il lettore vive insieme a lui la paura, la solitudine e l’orrore di un luogo ostile, popolato da creature che sembrano osservare ogni suo passo. È un racconto angosciante, emotivo, che aggiunge spessore a uno dei personaggi più delicati della serie.

Con Scienza in campeggio il tono cambia, ma senza perdere tensione. Dustin Henderson arriva al Camp Know Where pieno di insicurezze, reduce dagli eventi soprannaturali di Hawkins e preoccupato all’idea di stare lontano dai suoi amici. Quello che trova, però, è un gruppo di nerd appassionati di scienza come lui… e un nuovo mistero da affrontare. Quando una figura mascherata inizia a far sparire persone e oggetti, Dustin dimostra ancora una volta che il coraggio e l’intelligenza possono nascere anche nei contesti più inaspettati.

Sei è probabilmente la storia più cupa della raccolta. Prequel della serie, ci porta all’interno del laboratorio segreto di Hawkins, dove giovani ragazzi dotati di poteri psichici vivono prigionieri. Francine, identificata solo come “6”, è chiaroveggente e ha avuto una visione terrificante del futuro. L’unico modo per impedirne l’avverarsi è fuggire. È un racconto che parla di identità, di paura e di sopravvivenza, e che getta nuova luce sull’universo oscuro che ha dato origine a Undici.

In Soffiando sul fuoco, invece, alcuni dei ragazzi del laboratorio scoprono che anche la Numero 9 potrebbe essere ancora viva. Inizia così un viaggio brutale, fatto di scelte difficili, in cui il confine tra vendetta e pietà si fa sempre più sottile. È una storia intensa, che mostra quanto il dolore possa trasformare e quanto sia difficile restare umani in un mondo che ti ha privato di tutto.

Ho già letto Il Sottosopra in passato, ma gli altri tre racconti mi mancavano e devo ammettere che mi hanno sorpresa in positivo. Le illustrazioni sono vivide, potenti, riescono a restituire perfettamente l’atmosfera di Stranger Things: quel mix di nostalgia anni ’80, mistero, amicizia e orrore che ha reso la serie un cult. Sfogliando queste pagine, si ha davvero l’impressione di vivere — o rivivere — l’essenza della storia.

Da grande amante della serie, non potevo non avere questo volume. È una lettura che riaccende le emozioni, che ti fa venire voglia di rivedere tutto dall’inizio alla fine, con uno sguardo nuovo e più consapevole. Una raccolta consigliata non solo ai fan storici, ma anche a chi vuole scoprire cosa si nasconde negli spazi vuoti della narrazione televisiva. Perché il Sottosopra, in fondo, ha ancora tante storie da raccontare.

5/5⭐️
Profile Image for Václav.
1,131 reviews44 followers
December 3, 2022
(4,1 of 5 for this surprising TV Series based comic)
I feared how the comic series based on Stranger Things will go. But the result is surprisingly good. I especially like how they fill the blank spaces in series, it's like telling you more about events you know happened, but you don't know the details. And it complements the series perfectly. The first story is about Will and his experience in the world upside down. And it's great, both the art and the story. The next story is about Duncan's summer science camp. The actual plot isn't that good, but the story itself, and his experiences there are very interesting and fun to read. The art is fine.
Those are two big parts of this book, it continues with a couple of sorts of stories - Nancy and Steve worrying about Mike (art is nice, but I didn't like some elements of it, the story is rather weak) and Erica's quest (kid's comic art, it's fine but the story is better, thankfully).
Overall I'm pleasantly surprised. One major downside: This is a Library edition, as it would deserve more than 200 pages.
Profile Image for DaViD´82.
792 reviews89 followers
December 5, 2022
Vata, vata, vata. Navíc otřesně napsaná a násilím naroubovaná na nezobrazené události v hlavní linii seriálu. Zajímá vás, jak Will nahlíží "zpoza opony" na události první řady? Bez jakékoli zápletky, prostě jen rekapitulace jeho očima bez emocí? Zajímá vás, jak se na vědeckém letním táboře seznámil Dustin se Suzie skrze "Scooby-Doo zápletku o vrahovi v táboře"? Zajímá vás, jak Erica získala peníze na pravidla "dračáku"? Ne, nikoho to nezajímá, protože je to vata pro vatu, která žádnou z postav (natož linií) ničím neobohacuje; spíše naopak.
Profile Image for Rachel 💚.
1,520 reviews40 followers
June 9, 2022
This was a much easier recap that rewatching the first season before the new instalment of season 4 in July.

Really loved the artwork and style in this graphic novel although it felt like it was missing a lot of Eleven content!
Profile Image for Stacy Renee  (LazyDayLit).
2,777 reviews99 followers
August 20, 2022
Library Edition, Volume One
Includes 'The Other Side', 'Science Camp', 'The Game Master', and 'Erica's Quest'.

I read The Other Side when it was first released and now that there are two library editions, I thought I'd dig back in.
Fantastic illustrations, with facial features that match the characters in the tv series.
Profile Image for Amy Baudhuin.
87 reviews
January 7, 2026
really enjoyed this! super quick + loved the variety of art styles. also ties in nicely with the show
Profile Image for Jaime Andrews.
Author 2 books14 followers
November 28, 2023
So good! I loved the back stories of the characters most of all.
And the art!!!
Top notch!
Profile Image for Amber Hughey.
Author 2 books6 followers
September 24, 2021
I really enjoyed this collection. It had stories that filled the gap from the show, and it was easy to read and easy to understand. The art was beautiful and well done. I especially like the first story of where Will was during season 1, and Erica's story that finished the collection.
Profile Image for Dave Farrance.
185 reviews1 follower
September 18, 2022
4.5 stars to be fair.

This is an interesting collection of stories from the Stranger Things universe. I was expecting it to be the graphic novel form of the show, but actually what you get here are a collection of stories that kind of act as behind the scenes tales.

The first shows us what Will experienced in The Upside Down. This is season 1 from the other side of the story. It was interesting but did feel incredibly rushed through the story.

The second story see’s Dustin at Camp Know Where, doing his science, standing up to nerd bullies, meeting Suzie and having a little Summer romance, and… investigating the disappearance of camp councillors in a very 70’s/80’s Summer Camp slasher story. This was a lot of fun, if a little lacklustre in conclusion.

Then we have 2 short stories. The first is all about Mike sulking in the basement waiting to hear from Eleven. The second is a crap little story about Erica being a little shit and trying to sell some acid she stole from the Russians. This one really was utter crap and seemed completely unnecessary, but these 2 were just so uninteresting it cost the collection a star from me.

Luckily there’s some tasty artwork on show throughout, gaining that extra half star to make me give this 4.5/5
Profile Image for April Gray.
1,389 reviews9 followers
January 28, 2022
This was a fun read! While I've only seen the first episode of the series (so far), that was enough for me to follow what was going on. In "The Other Side," we learn what happened to Will while he was in the Upside Down, a dark, scary parallel world that *almost* looks like home. This story was creepy as all get-out; the tension and suspense stayed taut throughout, and the art had a proper spooky vibe to it.
"Science Camp" features Dustin arriving at Camp Know Where, a (you guessed it!) science camp. He doesn't have his adventure party with him, but he quickly makes friends when he shuts down a couple of nerd bullies (bully nerds?) hassling some of the other campers. There are bigger dangers than bullies, however - a creepy masked assailant is attacking counselors and driving them away, which could lead to the camp closing, and the kids don't want that to happen. Under Dustin's leadership, they band together to capture the spooky specter. This story is more fun and Scooby-Doo-ish than scary, and plays up the lighter side of the series.
A must for Stranger Things fans, and still a good, spine-tingling read for casual fans!
Profile Image for Izzy.
67 reviews77 followers
September 9, 2022
The Other Side:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Tells the story of season 1 from Will's point of view. Will Byers deserves the world but the world does not deserve him. Loved the D&D campaign flashbacks while he was in the upside down; they made the story even more heartbreaking.

Science Camp:⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Cute story of Dustin’s time at Camp Know Where. It’s got a fun mystery and shows how Dustin and Suzie got together.

The Game Master:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Nancy tries to really talk to Mike after the events of season 1. They’re both people who don’t open up easily but they want to be there for each other. Very sweet <3

Erica’s Quest:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
The Scoops Troop playing D&D together is everything I ever could have wanted from this world. This one was probably the shortest in the book but was an absolute gem. Absolutely spectacular in every way and so freaking adorable. <3
Profile Image for Thom.
206 reviews6 followers
November 12, 2021
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
An excellent companion piece to the first 3 seasons that perfectly preserves the character writing from the show. While they're inessential, they still give an appreciable boost in context around gaps in the story.
20 reviews
April 21, 2023
A collection of four stories describing events not seen in the TV show. The first two show Will’s time in the Upside Down (Season 1) and Dustin’s time at Science Camp (just before Season 3), and both were my favourite of the four. The last two were quite short stories with little meat on them and I felt wanting more from these.
Profile Image for Ash Mustard.
888 reviews7 followers
January 28, 2025
I'm a huge Stranger Things fan and since season 5 doesn't come out til sometime this year I thought why not read this graphic novel!

I love how this book follows Will when he's in the upside down, Dustin at Science Camp and Mike after El disappeared. It was like the perfect book to read i honestly should have read this after I watched season 2!
Profile Image for Bizzy.
51 reviews
May 27, 2022
LOVED this Volume 1 of the series. A good tie-in from the show. Gives a perspective from the people/events that was not really shown in the show. All in all, this book makes the entire show complete. Cannot wait to read Volume 2 and cannot wait for the new season!!
91 reviews
December 31, 2022
Is a great addition to the popular Netflix show. I was afraid that it was going to just be the show in comic book form but it far exceeded my expectations. It shows points from the show but shows it from different perspectives so it's not repetitive. I love it.
Profile Image for Eye-ra.
252 reviews2 followers
December 27, 2021
While this wasn’t the “best thing ever!” I’m a sucker for stranger things content and seeing some different gaps filled in the gangs lives is satisfying regardless of the books ups and downs.
Profile Image for m.
499 reviews1,082 followers
Want to read
June 8, 2022
WHY DID I JUST FIND OUT ABOUT THESE WHAT?////
Profile Image for Polly Helms.
133 reviews35 followers
July 18, 2022
Awesome

Watching the series. Decided to read a book about it. Very cool read. Something to do between seasons 4 & 5.
Profile Image for Summer Gayle.
152 reviews
August 17, 2024
An interesting collection fleshing out some of the stories that weren’t on screen (like Will in the upside down, Dustin at Science Camp, etc.) fun!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews

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