Emmy always knew that the deep, dark woods surrounding her home crawled with ghosts, goblins, and zombies. But on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, she learns that she is connected to these creatures—and to the land itself—in a way she never imagined.

Harrow County #1 is a new southern gothic fairy tale from writer Cullen Bunn and artist Tyler Cook, and it kicks off with a creepy twisted start that makes me want to immediately read more. The story isn’t anything particularly new, a “witch” is burned by an angry mob and vows to return. The comic is a fairy tale, and that’s a pretty common way to start.

What’s interesting is how Bunn goes from there, focusing ahead on a young girl Emmy, and her discovery of her connection, and thus we as readers discovering that too. It’s a slow build throughout the first issue with the weird factor increased bit by bit, but not before Bunn succeeds in our connecting with Emmy and feeling a bit of empathy for her. As the cover quote says, the comic is charming and disturbing. It’s a great combination.

All of this is helped by Cook, whose style mixes that fantasy feel with real world creepiness. You never quite know why it all feels off, but the art is a big reason for me. Cook captures the unsettling vibe of it all. It helped keep me on edge and added to the ambiance of the story. Cook also knows how to do disturbing without crossing the line.

Harrow County #1 hits shelves May 13. I absolutely recommend checking it out when it does.

Story: Cullen Bunn Art: Tyler Cook
Story: 8 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8 Recommendation: Buy

Dark Horse provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review