Released in 2016, Those Dark New Hampshire Woods. Vol. 1 by Desmond Reed is an interesting indie comic focused on the unsettling lives of an ever-expanding hoard of creeps living in the woods.

As the comic progresses the weird is added upon the weird as the comic itself is broken into multiple stories that eventually come together at the end. Each story is familiar and plays off each other in a way with a slight twist on an aspect found in each. It’s strange in a good way resulting in an experience that can’t be found in mainstream comics.

Reed’s work in both story and art reminds me of a combination of Gilbert Shelton’s The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and R. Crumb with a little Harvey Pekar thrown in there for good measure. The art is the draw with a style that stands out from mainstream offerings and creates a look that perfectly fits the creepy world that Reed has created. It’s not completely unique as it does remind me of a few other artists, but it’s a style you just don’t see a ton of in mainstream comics, mostly relegated to indie offerings where the art is as experimental as the story.

This is an odd one that had me both enjoying the read and scratching my head trying to figure it all out. There’s a second volume released already and you better believe I want to see what else Reed does with these characters and style. For those into indie comics, this is one to check out as it feels unique in every way.

You can purchase the first two volumes now.

Story: Desmond Reed Art: Desmond Reed
Story: 7.5 Art: 9.0 Overall: 7.75 Recommendation: Read

Graphic Policy was provided with a FREE copy for review