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The Messengers
An unspeakable secret turns an idyllic North Dakota farm into a living nightmare in The Messengers, the upcoming U.S. debut by Thai filmmakers The Pang Brothers (The Eye). Sam Raimi's production company Ghost House has teamed with Dark Horse Comics to create this unique interpretation. Written by Jason Hall (Beware the Creeper, Pistolwhip) and drawn by Kelley Jones ( Book of Thoth, Batman & Red Rain), The Messengers tells the haunting tale of the Solomon family from a whole new perspective, turning the film on its ear and combining the events of the movie with chilling new scenes and details about the mysterious drifter who comes to help a troubled family farm and the dark secret that he's running from...
80 pages, Paperback
First published January 10, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 28, 2025
So, the fact that the back cover mentions Sam Raimi (and, I guess, the movie if I actually READ it) should have given me an indication that this was a graphic novel adaptation, but I have a bad habit of just reading things without checking what they are first, to otherwise take a chance on things I otherwise wouldn't. (I actually thought it was a novella!)
Thing is, I absolutely CANNOT tell what is going on. The art is like a rough draft that had colour slapped on before they called it a day. I can barely tell the main character (John Burwell) from the family's dad, and the faces remind me of how one of the Fables artists would draw Bigby with sort of *creases* rather than an actual mouth. Frankly, I struggled to make any sense of the story, even enough to give a good review. It *might* be easier if I had seen the movie, but since I haven't, this is just an unredeemable mess. The only reason it isn't literal trash is I'm giving benefit of the doubt that I just can't parse the story since I don't know the characters.
(Also, the VERY FEW books I've tagged as "literal trash" truly deserve it—this is just not really my taste but is otherwise fine in terms of content.)
Recommended for anyone who liked the movie? Which is not many people, given its 5-of-10 star rating on IMDB? I don't know.
Thing is, I absolutely CANNOT tell what is going on. The art is like a rough draft that had colour slapped on before they called it a day. I can barely tell the main character (John Burwell) from the family's dad, and the faces remind me of how one of the Fables artists would draw Bigby with sort of *creases* rather than an actual mouth. Frankly, I struggled to make any sense of the story, even enough to give a good review. It *might* be easier if I had seen the movie, but since I haven't, this is just an unredeemable mess. The only reason it isn't literal trash is I'm giving benefit of the doubt that I just can't parse the story since I don't know the characters.
(Also, the VERY FEW books I've tagged as "literal trash" truly deserve it—this is just not really my taste but is otherwise fine in terms of content.)
Recommended for anyone who liked the movie? Which is not many people, given its 5-of-10 star rating on IMDB? I don't know.
March 5, 2017
Like another reviewer of this short "graphic novel", I acquired "The Messengers" for $1 on a sale rack at Books A Million. I love many graphic novels but in this one, the story was too scattered and shallow, and the art too vague, for the reader to even remotely follow what was going on with any semblance of interest. By vague, I mean that it was difficult (as is the case, to be fair, with other graphic novels as well sometimes) to tell all the white guys apart. In sum, I won't even put this one in my classroom library. It was just that not good. And I hate to be critical, but, in this case, it's merited.
October 25, 2019
3 and a half stars.
I picked up this book for free. Having never seen the movie before, I went into this with a blank slate. I gotta say, I really dig it. I’m sure the movie is much different, and will hopefully expand on a lot of things, but this little book felt almost like a short story. A fun, quick read.
I picked up this book for free. Having never seen the movie before, I went into this with a blank slate. I gotta say, I really dig it. I’m sure the movie is much different, and will hopefully expand on a lot of things, but this little book felt almost like a short story. A fun, quick read.
May 9, 2022
It would get one star but for the blocking.
The blocking of scenes is quite good and is creative and easy to read.
However, the art is muddy, ill-defined and overall subpar. Badly drawn, barely coherent book with interesting ideas for silhouette work on occasion. I like some spot blacks.
Feels like somebody handed murky thumbnails to the intern and gave him a day to draw it.
The blocking of scenes is quite good and is creative and easy to read.
However, the art is muddy, ill-defined and overall subpar. Badly drawn, barely coherent book with interesting ideas for silhouette work on occasion. I like some spot blacks.
Feels like somebody handed murky thumbnails to the intern and gave him a day to draw it.
August 4, 2025
I like horror but found this book to be confusing
August 28, 2016
My sister picked this up at Dollar Tree, Dollar General, or some other dollar store a couple weeks ago. I saw her rating on here was only 2 stars and I knew she was going to get rid of the book the next time she went to make some trade-ins. I figured that even it sucked that it would give me something quick to read to add to my reading challenge.
I saw this movie at the drive-in years ago when it came out and that's the only time I've ever seen it. If you had asked me yesterday what the movie was about, I could not have told you. As I read this book, however, it all started coming back to me. I quickly remembered why I haven't rewatched this movie since seeing at the drive-in nearly 10 years ago. The movie wasn't that great and this comic adaptation is even less so.
I'm not a fast reader. If I were to sit down and read a script for a movie that was an hour and a 1/2 long, it would probably take me 3-4 hours to read that. It only took me 15-20 minutes to read this graphic. That should show you how much was left out. It seems like writer Jason Hall read a Cliff's Notes version of the script and decided to write an even more vague summarized version of the Cliff's Notes. This book needed to have been at least twice as long to add more details and make the story flow a little more smoothly. The writing for this book only gets 2 stars. It probably would have gotten a higher score if they had taken the time to develop the characters a little. As is, the story ended before we ever really get the chance to find out who the characters are.
Kelley Jones is the artist on the book. Jones, like many other artists that I have seen at Dark Horse comics, takes a minimalistic approach to backgrounds and detail work. In some panels, there is nothing shown except a character with a face half hidden in shadows. It appears that Jones uses the shadows to obscure the faces of the characters to try to hide the fact that the faces don't look that good. I've seen better doodles on the notebooks of middle school kids. The art gets 1 star.
The writing and art scores average out to 1.5 stars. Having read this book, it is clear to me why it was found in a bargain bin at a dollar store. Nobody in their right mind would ever pay more than a $1 for this. Hell, I didn't even pay for it and I feel like someone at Dark Horse should pay me at least $1 for having read this book. Stay away at all costs.
I saw this movie at the drive-in years ago when it came out and that's the only time I've ever seen it. If you had asked me yesterday what the movie was about, I could not have told you. As I read this book, however, it all started coming back to me. I quickly remembered why I haven't rewatched this movie since seeing at the drive-in nearly 10 years ago. The movie wasn't that great and this comic adaptation is even less so.
I'm not a fast reader. If I were to sit down and read a script for a movie that was an hour and a 1/2 long, it would probably take me 3-4 hours to read that. It only took me 15-20 minutes to read this graphic. That should show you how much was left out. It seems like writer Jason Hall read a Cliff's Notes version of the script and decided to write an even more vague summarized version of the Cliff's Notes. This book needed to have been at least twice as long to add more details and make the story flow a little more smoothly. The writing for this book only gets 2 stars. It probably would have gotten a higher score if they had taken the time to develop the characters a little. As is, the story ended before we ever really get the chance to find out who the characters are.
Kelley Jones is the artist on the book. Jones, like many other artists that I have seen at Dark Horse comics, takes a minimalistic approach to backgrounds and detail work. In some panels, there is nothing shown except a character with a face half hidden in shadows. It appears that Jones uses the shadows to obscure the faces of the characters to try to hide the fact that the faces don't look that good. I've seen better doodles on the notebooks of middle school kids. The art gets 1 star.
The writing and art scores average out to 1.5 stars. Having read this book, it is clear to me why it was found in a bargain bin at a dollar store. Nobody in their right mind would ever pay more than a $1 for this. Hell, I didn't even pay for it and I feel like someone at Dark Horse should pay me at least $1 for having read this book. Stay away at all costs.
February 4, 2017
I originally gave this graphic adaptation a 2 star rating in August 2016. Here is is January 2017 and I just finished watching the movie for the first time since its release on video. I didn't realize how bad this sketchpad story was until I watched the movie again, so I dropped the rating.
My first read through, had me confused as what little I recalled from the film, didn't seem to match up with what I was reading. As I was watching the movie, I "followed" along with the comic version and noticed that whereas the film spends quite a bit of time with the kids, Jess and Ben, the book almost omits these characters in favor of thoughts of John, which do not match up with the film version.
I realize that a graphic cannot include everything from its source material, but this gave you less than a bare bone outline, as well as added material that doesn't match up.
Even if read as a standalone book, Jason Hall's story is short, choppy and confusing.
The "art" in this is awful! Sketchy outlines with black backdrops or heavy with shadows, the drawings are nothing worth a look-see. Characters are basic blobs, lacking details as is the non-existent backgrounds. I can't draw stick people to save my life, but I could doodle better sunflowers than Kelly Jones.
I can't believe that I actually read this again.
This book cost a dollar, on clearance, and if I still had my receipt... I would waste the gas to go return this crap.
Merged review:
I bought this for $1 at Books-a-Million and now I understand why it was clearance.
I watched the movie years ago and recall little other than the kid, Twilight Girl, and that guy from "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and some crows.
Reading this adaptation left me confused as it didn't feel true to the movie.
Jason Hall's writing felt bare and rushed, as if there were large chunks of story missing. Kelley Jones' art was a waste of paper and ink as it was terrible. Nothing but shadows and outlines.
This may be the worst $1 I ever spent.
My first read through, had me confused as what little I recalled from the film, didn't seem to match up with what I was reading. As I was watching the movie, I "followed" along with the comic version and noticed that whereas the film spends quite a bit of time with the kids, Jess and Ben, the book almost omits these characters in favor of thoughts of John, which do not match up with the film version.
I realize that a graphic cannot include everything from its source material, but this gave you less than a bare bone outline, as well as added material that doesn't match up.
Even if read as a standalone book, Jason Hall's story is short, choppy and confusing.
The "art" in this is awful! Sketchy outlines with black backdrops or heavy with shadows, the drawings are nothing worth a look-see. Characters are basic blobs, lacking details as is the non-existent backgrounds. I can't draw stick people to save my life, but I could doodle better sunflowers than Kelly Jones.
I can't believe that I actually read this again.
This book cost a dollar, on clearance, and if I still had my receipt... I would waste the gas to go return this crap.
Merged review:
I bought this for $1 at Books-a-Million and now I understand why it was clearance.
I watched the movie years ago and recall little other than the kid, Twilight Girl, and that guy from "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and some crows.
Reading this adaptation left me confused as it didn't feel true to the movie.
Jason Hall's writing felt bare and rushed, as if there were large chunks of story missing. Kelley Jones' art was a waste of paper and ink as it was terrible. Nothing but shadows and outlines.
This may be the worst $1 I ever spent.
July 24, 2010
Based on the Pang Brothers movie, this book combines the film story with a stranger who arrives at the family farm and offers his help in exchange for room and board, the only problem is this stranger has a deep dark secret that ultimately finds it's way out with drastic and life threatening consequences. The raw style of the graphic work adds to the tension and ultimate horror of the story.
September 2, 2015
2.75/5 stars
.....What the heck is this? I mean, I enjoyed the fact that we learned the hitch-hiker's story and all, but it just rushed through the entire thing. I liked it, but I wish there was more of a story.
.....What the heck is this? I mean, I enjoyed the fact that we learned the hitch-hiker's story and all, but it just rushed through the entire thing. I liked it, but I wish there was more of a story.
January 4, 2015
This was my first graphic novel. I literally had no clue what was going on until the very end. So yeah. That's all I have to say I guess.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews