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Proctor Valley Road #1-5
Proctor Valley Road
August, Rylee, Cora & Jennie have organized a “Spook Tour” on the most haunted stretch of road in America, but when it turns deadly they must slay the evils roaming Proctor Valley Road!
August, Rylee, Cora & Jennie have organized a “Spook Tour” with their classmates on the most haunted, demon-infested stretch of road in America to fund attending the concert of their dreams. But when their visit turns deadly, these four friends race to rescue the missing students… before the town tears them limb from limb. Now they must slay the evils roaming Proctor Valley Road… along with the monsters lurking in the hearts of 1970s America. Visionary author Grant Morrison (Klaus, Batman: Arkham Asylum) and co-writer Alex Child (BBC’s Holby City) along with artist Naomi Franquiz (Tales from Harrow County) present a chilling new horror series about the mysterious monsters that haunt Proctor Valley Road – and the four misfit teenagers who must stop them. Collects Proctor Valley Road #1-5.
August, Rylee, Cora & Jennie have organized a “Spook Tour” with their classmates on the most haunted, demon-infested stretch of road in America to fund attending the concert of their dreams. But when their visit turns deadly, these four friends race to rescue the missing students… before the town tears them limb from limb. Now they must slay the evils roaming Proctor Valley Road… along with the monsters lurking in the hearts of 1970s America. Visionary author Grant Morrison (Klaus, Batman: Arkham Asylum) and co-writer Alex Child (BBC’s Holby City) along with artist Naomi Franquiz (Tales from Harrow County) present a chilling new horror series about the mysterious monsters that haunt Proctor Valley Road – and the four misfit teenagers who must stop them. Collects Proctor Valley Road #1-5.
144 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 10, 2021
10 people are currently reading
327 people want to read
About the author
Grant Morrison
1,791 books4,563 followersGrant Morrison has been working with DC Comics for twenty five years, after beginning their American comics career with acclaimed runs on ANIMAL MAN and DOOM PATROL. Since then they have written such best-selling series as JLA, BATMAN and New X-Men, as well as such creator-owned works as THE INVISIBLES, SEAGUY, THE FILTH, WE3 and JOE THE BARBARIAN. In addition to expanding the DC Universe through titles ranging from the Eisner Award-winning SEVEN SOLDIERS and ALL-STAR SUPERMAN to the reality-shattering epic of FINAL CRISIS, they have also reinvented the worlds of the Dark Knight Detective in BATMAN AND ROBIN and BATMAN, INCORPORATED and the Man of Steel in The New 52 ACTION COMICS.
In their secret identity, Morrison is a "counterculture" spokesperson, a musician, an award-winning playwright and a chaos magician. They are also the author of the New York Times bestseller Supergods, a groundbreaking psycho-historic mapping of the superhero as a cultural organism. They divide their time between their homes in Los Angeles and Scotland.
In their secret identity, Morrison is a "counterculture" spokesperson, a musician, an award-winning playwright and a chaos magician. They are also the author of the New York Times bestseller Supergods, a groundbreaking psycho-historic mapping of the superhero as a cultural organism. They divide their time between their homes in Los Angeles and Scotland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
December 22, 2021
It’s the summer of 1970 in Southern California and four friends need money to get tickets for the upcoming Janis Joplin concert. Luckily, there happens to be a haunted stretch of highway on Proctor Valley Road that they decide to make money off of by offering paid tours of the area to rubes. But, oh no, the ghosties is real - and lotsa people gonna die!
I’m a big fan but Grant Morrison is not immune to the occasional crap comic and Proctor Valley Road, even though there’s another writer involved, is definitely a crap Morrison comic.
This is me a-speculating but I feel like this was a failed TV show idea that got repurposed into a comic. It’s basically “What if Strangers Things was set in the ‘70s instead of the ‘80s?” (the cast are all kids/nostalgia/spooky stuff happening in small town). In Supergods, Morrison talks about cynically consulting star charts and the like to dowse future trends and capitalise on them, so Morrison isn’t above being mercenary. And Alex Child, who wouldn’t have gotten this book published if it were just his name on the comic, is a TV screenwriter…
Regardless, this is a bad comic for many other reasons. The characters are a boring bunch and I just don’t care about the things these teenage girls do - lusting after boys, wanting to be an astronaut, not being a ‘fraidy cat - in part because Morrison/Child failed to make the reader care in the first place. Proctor Valley Road just happens to be haunted for silly reasons by uninteresting stock monsters (pretty sure the minotaur monster is a straight lift from Harrow County, which Naomi Franquiz is an artist on) and a cliched evil witch who has cliched evil witch reasons.
Cliches abound like the smalltown ignorant white jocks at the county fair and a librarian who appears at the right time for an info dump. There’s a lot of lazy storytelling choices here too - August somehow survives a car explosion that destroys a giant monster but leaves her with nary a scratch, despite her being under the car at the time of the explosion! When the girls are trapped in a burning house, some random dude appears to save them and then connects them to a shaman he’s related to to get them to the next plot point. It’s so contrived.
All of which amounts to a very boring and forgettable YA comic, which is what Proctor Valley Road is. A poorly conceived, weakly executed, overly written and unimpressive story that never once entertained - easily one of Grant Morrison’s worst comics.
I’m a big fan but Grant Morrison is not immune to the occasional crap comic and Proctor Valley Road, even though there’s another writer involved, is definitely a crap Morrison comic.
This is me a-speculating but I feel like this was a failed TV show idea that got repurposed into a comic. It’s basically “What if Strangers Things was set in the ‘70s instead of the ‘80s?” (the cast are all kids/nostalgia/spooky stuff happening in small town). In Supergods, Morrison talks about cynically consulting star charts and the like to dowse future trends and capitalise on them, so Morrison isn’t above being mercenary. And Alex Child, who wouldn’t have gotten this book published if it were just his name on the comic, is a TV screenwriter…
Regardless, this is a bad comic for many other reasons. The characters are a boring bunch and I just don’t care about the things these teenage girls do - lusting after boys, wanting to be an astronaut, not being a ‘fraidy cat - in part because Morrison/Child failed to make the reader care in the first place. Proctor Valley Road just happens to be haunted for silly reasons by uninteresting stock monsters (pretty sure the minotaur monster is a straight lift from Harrow County, which Naomi Franquiz is an artist on) and a cliched evil witch who has cliched evil witch reasons.
Cliches abound like the smalltown ignorant white jocks at the county fair and a librarian who appears at the right time for an info dump. There’s a lot of lazy storytelling choices here too - August somehow survives a car explosion that destroys a giant monster but leaves her with nary a scratch, despite her being under the car at the time of the explosion! When the girls are trapped in a burning house, some random dude appears to save them and then connects them to a shaman he’s related to to get them to the next plot point. It’s so contrived.
All of which amounts to a very boring and forgettable YA comic, which is what Proctor Valley Road is. A poorly conceived, weakly executed, overly written and unimpressive story that never once entertained - easily one of Grant Morrison’s worst comics.
August 26, 2025
This was an enjoyable if somewhat by-the-numbers horror story. I liked the characters and their little world a great deal and this charm staved off my doubts about the plot.
It was genuinely creepy, and even a little scary at times, but it owes a great deal to Harrow County… something that was highlighted by the fact the two books share an (admittedly pretty great) artist.
There was also a little of Stephen King’s It in the mix here but it was none the worse for that.
I really enjoyed this one, despite its lack of originality, and would definitely pick up the second volume if it gets made. I believe this series is being pitched to t.v. companies and I’d probably watch the show if it gets picked up, too.
It was genuinely creepy, and even a little scary at times, but it owes a great deal to Harrow County… something that was highlighted by the fact the two books share an (admittedly pretty great) artist.
There was also a little of Stephen King’s It in the mix here but it was none the worse for that.
I really enjoyed this one, despite its lack of originality, and would definitely pick up the second volume if it gets made. I believe this series is being pitched to t.v. companies and I’d probably watch the show if it gets picked up, too.
November 22, 2021
I know Grant Morrison's name is attached to this but this didn't feel like a Morrison comic at all. I think this is Alex Child's baby all the way. It's about four teenage girls who get involved with some kind of evil spirit when some boys they are with get abducted by this spirit and her monsters. This could have been really good had it been more focused on the story than hijinks and humor. It was an odd dichotomy of goofy humor, drugs, and horror that didn't completely work for me.
January 8, 2022
This reads like a Boom title from ten years ago - a group of girls on a spooky adventure, full of positive enforcement. Each girl has their own personal problem bothering them, which will of course get solved.
It takes place in the Seventies, which hardly seems to be important - it's background noise at most. The spooky story isn't very spooky, and Child tries to force too much plot in the five issues/chapters that we get.
Someone gets killed early on in the story, and it has nowhere near the impact you'd think it should have (in fact, all the spookiness doesn't have too much impact).
There is absolutely no sign of Grant Morrison's hand in any of this. My guess is he maybe had a look at the script, perhaps gave some notes, and then let them attach his name to the project.
(Thanks to Boom Studios for providing me with a review copy through NetGalley)
It takes place in the Seventies, which hardly seems to be important - it's background noise at most. The spooky story isn't very spooky, and Child tries to force too much plot in the five issues/chapters that we get.
Someone gets killed early on in the story, and it has nowhere near the impact you'd think it should have (in fact, all the spookiness doesn't have too much impact).
There is absolutely no sign of Grant Morrison's hand in any of this. My guess is he maybe had a look at the script, perhaps gave some notes, and then let them attach his name to the project.
(Thanks to Boom Studios for providing me with a review copy through NetGalley)
December 17, 2021
As I get older, I find myself closing a lot of new comic books and thinking "That was tough to read."
This was tough to read.
This book reeks of an attempt by Grant Morrison and Alex Child, a screenwriter by trade, to come up with a teen-friendly IP to sell to a streaming service. I guarantee you Grant Morison had no involvement with this past the concept. "Wise-ass kids live near a haunted road. Go write it, Alex!" This had zero feel of Morrison, in either the dialogue, characterization, or execution. The diverse cast ticks every box that a streaming service would want, the 70s nostalgia factor feeds off of the Stranger Things vibe that they were clearly going for, and the story could easily be all-ages except for the occasional needless f-bomb. The whole affair just screamed money-grab. Also, I grew up in the 70's, and no one talked like this.
After reading this and SUPERMAN AND THE AUTHORITY over the past few days, both of which stunk to high heaven, Grant Morrison is going on my "Do not buy" list.
This was tough to read.
This book reeks of an attempt by Grant Morrison and Alex Child, a screenwriter by trade, to come up with a teen-friendly IP to sell to a streaming service. I guarantee you Grant Morison had no involvement with this past the concept. "Wise-ass kids live near a haunted road. Go write it, Alex!" This had zero feel of Morrison, in either the dialogue, characterization, or execution. The diverse cast ticks every box that a streaming service would want, the 70s nostalgia factor feeds off of the Stranger Things vibe that they were clearly going for, and the story could easily be all-ages except for the occasional needless f-bomb. The whole affair just screamed money-grab. Also, I grew up in the 70's, and no one talked like this.
After reading this and SUPERMAN AND THE AUTHORITY over the past few days, both of which stunk to high heaven, Grant Morrison is going on my "Do not buy" list.
January 12, 2022
This reads like a Boom title from ten years ago - a group of girls on a spooky adventure, full of positive enforcement. Each girl has their own personal problem bothering them, which will of course get solved.
It takes place in the Seventies, which hardly seems to be important - it's background noise at most. The spooky story isn't very spooky, and Child tries to force too much plot in the five issues/chapters that we get.
Someone gets killed early on in the story, and it has nowhere near the impact you'd think it should have (in fact, all the spookiness doesn't have too much impact).
There is absolutely no sign of Grant Morrison's hand in any of this. My guess is he maybe had a look at the script, perhaps gave some notes, and then let them attach his name to the project.
(Thanks to Boom Studios for providing me with a review copy through NetGalley)
It takes place in the Seventies, which hardly seems to be important - it's background noise at most. The spooky story isn't very spooky, and Child tries to force too much plot in the five issues/chapters that we get.
Someone gets killed early on in the story, and it has nowhere near the impact you'd think it should have (in fact, all the spookiness doesn't have too much impact).
There is absolutely no sign of Grant Morrison's hand in any of this. My guess is he maybe had a look at the script, perhaps gave some notes, and then let them attach his name to the project.
(Thanks to Boom Studios for providing me with a review copy through NetGalley)
March 10, 2022
This flows like one of your typical ghost stories where some one from back in the day was wronged and killed and now they angrily haunt the area. The four girls who are our main characters are trying to gather money to go to an upcoming concert. So they decide to take some guys on a “spook tour” and charge them for it. They boys end up coming up missing and now the girls take it upon themselves to find them. A decent book that has some great banter between the four girls that can sometimes be a little over the top. Some nice action that can sometimes be unrealistic as these young teenage girls don’t seem to be afraid of anything and easily seem to have guns. It balances itself just good enough on that line to be a ok read. The art was solid and as usual, Tamra Bonvillain’s colors pop.
January 10, 2022
Definitely more of an Alex Childs story than a Grant Morrison one. I’m honestly suprised he wrote this as I’ve read a good amount of his work, and didn’t see any of his usual DNA here. O well, it isn’t completely horrible. Fun ghost story, solid art, during a pretty interesting time in American history. I probably would’ve liked this even more if Morrison’s name wasn’t attached. It is 100% not anything like something like Nameless.
October 12, 2021
I'm such a sucker for this brand of "horror" that I enjoyed almost the whole ride, even with the choppy pacing and lukewarm scares. The Scooby-Doo adjacent vibes are great, the illustrations from Naomi Franquiz strike a perfect balance between macabre and charming, and Tamra Bonvillain's colors reiterate that she's one of the best in the business.
If the ending hadn't tripped over itself, I probably would've enjoyed this more because, as messy as the journey is, it's fun! The goofy, endearingly vulgar characters and great setting contribute a lot to the miniseries. Still, the conclusion very much trips over itself and tries to pack in way too much plot in a very cramped final issue that ultimately lacks any stakes, resolution, or payoff. Morrison and Child desperately needed another issue, at least, to come to anything resembling a satisfying ending.
It's a huge bummer because I enjoyed the series overall, especially those first two issues, which are steeped in tantalizing bits of lore and horror that, sadly, don't lead to anything all that memorable. At the very least, though, the comic has impeccable vibes, which is definitely worth something.
If the ending hadn't tripped over itself, I probably would've enjoyed this more because, as messy as the journey is, it's fun! The goofy, endearingly vulgar characters and great setting contribute a lot to the miniseries. Still, the conclusion very much trips over itself and tries to pack in way too much plot in a very cramped final issue that ultimately lacks any stakes, resolution, or payoff. Morrison and Child desperately needed another issue, at least, to come to anything resembling a satisfying ending.
It's a huge bummer because I enjoyed the series overall, especially those first two issues, which are steeped in tantalizing bits of lore and horror that, sadly, don't lead to anything all that memorable. At the very least, though, the comic has impeccable vibes, which is definitely worth something.
December 31, 2021
It's 1970 and four teenage girls who are trying to save up money to see a Janis Joplin concert get the idea to take some boys out to Proctor Valley Road on a made up ghost tour to secure the funds they need. Little do they know that actual dangerous paranormal entities lurk in that area, claiming the boys and leaving the girls as suspects in their disappearance. The girls decide they need to solve the problem themselves and engage with horrors they never could have imagined.
The premise I described above is actually way better sounding than how the comic played out. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't as good as it could have been. The artwork was a bit too Archie-ish for a horror comic. And while the story had numerous interesting elements, some of which felt like they were thrown in there because the creative team just couldn't edit themselves properly, the story played out like a mismatch between Scoody-Doo and Supernatural (and not the glorious "Scooby-Natural episode). There were some great ideas that were just rushed through instead of being developed more deeply. Again, it felt like the creative team had all these ideas floating around but couldn't figure out how to really connect them properly, so they just had stuff "happen" and went with it. The graphic novel wasn't bad or unentertaining, it just didn't live up to its potential.
The premise I described above is actually way better sounding than how the comic played out. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't as good as it could have been. The artwork was a bit too Archie-ish for a horror comic. And while the story had numerous interesting elements, some of which felt like they were thrown in there because the creative team just couldn't edit themselves properly, the story played out like a mismatch between Scoody-Doo and Supernatural (and not the glorious "Scooby-Natural episode). There were some great ideas that were just rushed through instead of being developed more deeply. Again, it felt like the creative team had all these ideas floating around but couldn't figure out how to really connect them properly, so they just had stuff "happen" and went with it. The graphic novel wasn't bad or unentertaining, it just didn't live up to its potential.
November 5, 2021
Bait and Switch crap.
The promised period-piece horror comic is infected with modern politics and ideas.
An absolute chore to read.
Avoid at all costs.
The promised period-piece horror comic is infected with modern politics and ideas.
An absolute chore to read.
Avoid at all costs.
May 24, 2022
I liked the time period, and the ghost parts—but the characters and pacing were boring, and the story itself was too predictable to make up for the rest.
January 15, 2025
A Scooby gang of diverse girls clash with a ghost in a generic adventure that doesn't feel much like a typical Grant Morrison story, so maybe co-author Alex Child did the heavy lifting?
Super meh.
FOR REFERENCE:
Originally published in single magazine form as Proctor Valley Road #1-5.
Contents: Chapter One. Janis Joplin Started It -- Chapter Two. Light in August -- Chapter Three. No One Really Dies Out Here -- Chapter Four. Here We Fucking Go Again -- Chapter Five. Shirley's Temple -- Cover Gallery
Super meh.
FOR REFERENCE:
Originally published in single magazine form as Proctor Valley Road #1-5.
Contents: Chapter One. Janis Joplin Started It -- Chapter Two. Light in August -- Chapter Three. No One Really Dies Out Here -- Chapter Four. Here We Fucking Go Again -- Chapter Five. Shirley's Temple -- Cover Gallery
June 24, 2025
This comic was so on brand for me, I wish it had better ratings than it does but maybe it wasn't Morrison-esc enough for the masses. This is a co-authored work so maybe it ended up veering in Child's style more, either way it worked out tremendously in my favor as I ended up loving this.
If you liked Harrow County, Vol. 1: Countless Haints or Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy (but this isn't rated G like Lumberjanes), Proctor Valley Road is probably going to be for you. I loved the super awesome girl gang we got which was reminiscent to Lumberjanes but also the creepy, folk horror vibes akin to Harrow County.
The art was fun and colorful and really immersive to the story too.
10/10 would recommend Proctor Valley Road!
If you liked Harrow County, Vol. 1: Countless Haints or Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy (but this isn't rated G like Lumberjanes), Proctor Valley Road is probably going to be for you. I loved the super awesome girl gang we got which was reminiscent to Lumberjanes but also the creepy, folk horror vibes akin to Harrow County.
The art was fun and colorful and really immersive to the story too.
10/10 would recommend Proctor Valley Road!
April 4, 2022
4.5 Stars
This likely won't be a very insightful review, since I read it a month ago and I've read about a zillion things since then. Still, I remember being really impressed with the energy of the story, the dynamics among the friends, the artwork and the diversity represented in the artwork. It was super fun!
This likely won't be a very insightful review, since I read it a month ago and I've read about a zillion things since then. Still, I remember being really impressed with the energy of the story, the dynamics among the friends, the artwork and the diversity represented in the artwork. It was super fun!
April 29, 2024
It was sorta dumb fun but then the book hit me with the one two punch of a Deus ex Machina in the form of a sexy motorcycle boy and his magical exposition spewing grandma of colour. Seriously, this book was published three years ago why is this stupid S. King magical person of colour trope in it.
Also characters beating the bad guys with the metaphorical power of friendship is fine, but them beating bad guys with the literal power of friendship is a bridge too far.
Also characters beating the bad guys with the metaphorical power of friendship is fine, but them beating bad guys with the literal power of friendship is a bridge too far.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 23, 2023
PROCTOR VALLEY ROAD is a spooky graphic novel that captures the essence of horror in the 1970s. Written by Grant Morrison and Alex Child, and illustrated by Naomi Franquiz, the story follows four friends who organize a spooky tour on the most haunted road in America to fund their dream concert: Janis Joplin. However, things take a terrifying turn when their classmates go missing, and they discover the evil forces that lurk in the shadows. Franquiz's illustrations perfectly capture the eerie atmosphere of Proctor Valley Road, making it a must-read for horror and graphic novel enthusiasts alike.
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July 6, 2024
Proctor Valley Road collects issues 1-5 of the Boom Studios comic series written by Grant Morrison and Alex Child, art by Naomi Franquiz, and colors by Tamra Bonvillain.
Set in the 1970s, four teenage girls are trying to collect enough money to see Janis Joplin in concert. After a party, the girls convince a group of boys to pay them for a ghost tour of the haunted Proctor Valley Road. Their presence awakens a vengeful spirit resulting in the disappearance of the boys, and the girls as the primary suspects.
This book had a lot of potential but suffers from not having enough time for development. This could have easily used 2-4 more issues fleshing out the girl’s personalities and the background of the big baddie. There are also some very questionable writing decisions such a character not being harmed by an exploding vehicle that she is hiding under but it kills a supernatural being, as well as the girls being rescued by a shining white knight male character that comes out of nowhere to be introduced into the story. Overall, the book is full of cliches and the ending falls incredibly flat with the girls defeating evil with the power of friendship.
I have made it no secret that I’m not a big fan of Grant Morrison, but this does not feel like a Morrison book (other than the dialogue still doesn’t feel natural or flowing because somehow Morrison has never heard how real life conversations happen). The book has a very goofy, almost young adult feel to it. The art is fine but leans more to the cartoony side. It really feels like it’s trying to capture the magic of Stranger Things but set in the 70s with a cast of girls. That’s a great premise, but it needed so much more fleshing out.
Set in the 1970s, four teenage girls are trying to collect enough money to see Janis Joplin in concert. After a party, the girls convince a group of boys to pay them for a ghost tour of the haunted Proctor Valley Road. Their presence awakens a vengeful spirit resulting in the disappearance of the boys, and the girls as the primary suspects.
This book had a lot of potential but suffers from not having enough time for development. This could have easily used 2-4 more issues fleshing out the girl’s personalities and the background of the big baddie. There are also some very questionable writing decisions such a character not being harmed by an exploding vehicle that she is hiding under but it kills a supernatural being, as well as the girls being rescued by a shining white knight male character that comes out of nowhere to be introduced into the story. Overall, the book is full of cliches and the ending falls incredibly flat with the girls defeating evil with the power of friendship.
I have made it no secret that I’m not a big fan of Grant Morrison, but this does not feel like a Morrison book (other than the dialogue still doesn’t feel natural or flowing because somehow Morrison has never heard how real life conversations happen). The book has a very goofy, almost young adult feel to it. The art is fine but leans more to the cartoony side. It really feels like it’s trying to capture the magic of Stranger Things but set in the 70s with a cast of girls. That’s a great premise, but it needed so much more fleshing out.
November 3, 2022
Una maravilla.
Años 70. Cuatro chicas que darían lo que fuese por ir al concierto de Janis Joplin.
Un lugar lleno de fantasmas.
De verdad, merece mucho la pena.
Años 70. Cuatro chicas que darían lo que fuese por ir al concierto de Janis Joplin.
Un lugar lleno de fantasmas.
De verdad, merece mucho la pena.
Read
December 8, 2021A new Grant Morrison comic? Well, even if Morrison has been a lot less consistently impressive lately, that's still of interest. Except that it's a co-write, with someone whose bracket-worthy credit after name is...Holby City. Right. And it does feel very light on that characteristic Morrison strangeness, or even on the grasp of everyday Britishness you'd hope for if putting a charitable construction on the Holby alumnus. Instead, we're back in the era of Nixon and 'Nam, somewhere not far north of the Mexican border, where four US teens trying to make the price of tickets to see Janis Joplin instead find themselves falling foul of the ghosts and ghoulies on the eponymous road, not to mention the media and the law as things get increasingly out of hand. Naomi Franquiz and Tamra Bonvillain's art recalls another small town American horror comic, Harrow County, but where Tyler Crook's work there could capture the spookiness as well as the slice of life stuff, here the apparitions only ever feel strange rather than properly unsettling. Perhaps if Morrison and Child had tried to do something on a haunted thoroughfare over this side of the Atlantic, where both of them come from, they might have ended up with something a little more characterful, not to mention timely given the folk horror revival. As is, by entering the crowded field of US-set horror comics, they've ended up with something which feels like a mid-range Cullen Bunn miniseries, or a wannabe Stranger Things, and one can only infer that the choice of setting was made with more of an eye to potential screen adaptations than out of any desperate belief in a story that had to be told.
(Netgalley ARC)
(Netgalley ARC)
July 30, 2021
I loved the cast, the premise, and the art. Unfortunately, the story telling was noticably rushed and I wish this had an extra issue or two to allow it to breathe a bit. It's definitely a great book to pick up if you're looking for some light horror.
January 4, 2022
I wasn't keen on the artwork to begin with, but it grew on me and suited the story. Ah, yes, the story; all a bit cliché, really, though the characters were well written and believable. I did wonder just how much Grant Morrison contributed to the project. Poor.
April 2, 2022
It was ... ok, I guess. The backstory was all over the place.
December 16, 2021
August, Rylee, Cora & Jennie have organized a “Spook Tour” with their classmates on the most haunted, demon-infested stretch of road in America to fund attending the concert of their dreams. But when their visit turns deadly, these four friends must slay the evils roaming Proctor Valley Road… along with the monsters lurking in the hearts of 1970s America.
Proctor Valley Road has been mentioned to me by various fellow readers so I pretty much knew the premise upon diving in here. It's essentially a Scooby-Doo type story, by which I mean - it sort of ticks all those horror boxes but feels like it's really targeted at younger adult reading. It's definitely not scary. At all.
The art is undoubtedly gorgeous here. It's a cartoon style - nobody is aiming for realism here - and the lightheartedness of the writing has the balance feeling just right between the two.
Unfortunately, I did find the world building extremely lacking here. There's not a lot explained to the reader - having read this I still couldn't explain certain things. I mean, I know 'what' happened, but have no idea of 'how' it was all possible.
It all seems to whizz by at super speed, which I find is really uncharacteristic of Grant Morrison. It definitely doesn't feel like one of his books, which possibly accounts for my disappointment here.
Overall, it's a snappy YA read, but one that never really gets a chance to breathe because of it. It also seems perfectly in step with all the tropes that streaming services require these days leaving you wondering if this was written with such a thing in mind and for me that sadly comes at its detriment.
Thank you to Boom! Studios & NetGalley for making a copy of Proctor Valley Road available in exchange for this honest review.
Proctor Valley Road has been mentioned to me by various fellow readers so I pretty much knew the premise upon diving in here. It's essentially a Scooby-Doo type story, by which I mean - it sort of ticks all those horror boxes but feels like it's really targeted at younger adult reading. It's definitely not scary. At all.
The art is undoubtedly gorgeous here. It's a cartoon style - nobody is aiming for realism here - and the lightheartedness of the writing has the balance feeling just right between the two.
Unfortunately, I did find the world building extremely lacking here. There's not a lot explained to the reader - having read this I still couldn't explain certain things. I mean, I know 'what' happened, but have no idea of 'how' it was all possible.
It all seems to whizz by at super speed, which I find is really uncharacteristic of Grant Morrison. It definitely doesn't feel like one of his books, which possibly accounts for my disappointment here.
Overall, it's a snappy YA read, but one that never really gets a chance to breathe because of it. It also seems perfectly in step with all the tropes that streaming services require these days leaving you wondering if this was written with such a thing in mind and for me that sadly comes at its detriment.
Thank you to Boom! Studios & NetGalley for making a copy of Proctor Valley Road available in exchange for this honest review.
December 19, 2021
Imagine Richard Linklater's Dazed and Confused if it was written as a horror-fantasy adventure instead of a slice of life story. I don't read much YA fiction, but it felt like Grant Morrison and Alex Child tried to emulate YA genre tropes without being too clean with them, which would have killed the authenticity of the 70s California vibe they were going for (the kids smoke, drink and do weed throughout the story). On Morrison's part this book might be the oddest one recently, because of the apparent lack of metatextuality. I had fun reading it and might check out the sequel, but the plotting felt very rushed more often than not and some of the contrivances in later issues came off as too cheap for my taste.
December 2, 2024
This reads like middle grade or younger YA horror and a fine one at that. But then with the use of language, drugs, and talk of sexuality it's not. It's a weird blend of younger YA and not.
Stranger Things in the 70’s with small town cryptids is a fun concept. It definitely feels a bit like a TV pitch turned into a comic. There is a big focus on the characters and their issues over the horror. Don’t get me wrong there are moments of scares but many times it takes a back seat to instead focus on the characters and their interpersonal drama. I would’ve preferred a bit more time on the horror than character relationships and issues.
It all culminates into nothing really. The sudden powers felt cheap, the “here we go again” ending wasn't exciting to me, and the lore felt half-baked. They want to have a deeper lore on one hand but they also want to play it a bit by ear on the other making the execution of the horror feel muddled.
The shining light is the art. The art perfectly matches the vibe and does very well at making what could be middling spooks hit very well. The paneling and composition is also very clean and cinematic which once again sells the spookiness and horror elements.
Stranger Things in the 70’s with small town cryptids is a fun concept. It definitely feels a bit like a TV pitch turned into a comic. There is a big focus on the characters and their issues over the horror. Don’t get me wrong there are moments of scares but many times it takes a back seat to instead focus on the characters and their interpersonal drama. I would’ve preferred a bit more time on the horror than character relationships and issues.
It all culminates into nothing really. The sudden powers felt cheap, the “here we go again” ending wasn't exciting to me, and the lore felt half-baked. They want to have a deeper lore on one hand but they also want to play it a bit by ear on the other making the execution of the horror feel muddled.
The shining light is the art. The art perfectly matches the vibe and does very well at making what could be middling spooks hit very well. The paneling and composition is also very clean and cinematic which once again sells the spookiness and horror elements.
February 25, 2022
Loved the illustration, meh about the story
November 29, 2021
Enjoyable characters that I'd like to see again, but the pacing was terribly laid out. Characters appeared in places they simply could not be without any explanation. It's as if several pages or panels were just missing altogether. Could have easily been six issues to better pace the story and provide better continuity.
December 21, 2021
I've been a Grant Morrison fan for a long time, and I was delighted when this book popped up on Netgalley. Their first foray (to my knowledge) into YA comics is incredibly successful. Proctor Valley Road boasts a great cast of friends who are both well-written and gorgeously designed. The setting-- southern California in the summer of 1970-- is effectively rendered through scene dressing, color palette, and pop culture references. This evocative realism co-exists beautifully alongside the story's supernatural elements. Readers of all ages will enjoy getting to know August and her friends and finding out what exactly is going on at Proctor Valley Road.
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