While staying with his great-aunt Kathryn, Evan Ross visits an eerie old toy store. Among the dusty shelves, he finds a can of something called “Monster Blood.” The odd, sticky substance really does look like the blood of a creature. It has a greenish glow and sometimes feels warm to the touch. But the most alarming thing about the toy ooze is the way it keeps growing-overflowing its container, then a bathtub, then filling up a whole trash can. Evan worries that all that growing has given the Monster Blood a monstrous appetite…
Story: R. L. Stine Adapted by: Maddi Gonzalez Color: Wes Dzioba
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(W) Marieke Nijkamp (A) Yasmin Flores Montanez (CA) Clara Meath In Shops: May 05, 2021 SRP: $12.99
Reader beware, you’re in for a scare! The kid-friendly horror series returns with a spooky new graphic novel from New York Times bestselling YA author Marieke Nijkamp!
When twelve-year-old Blake is shipped away to stay with her weird aunt in Fever Swamp for the summer, she expects her weeks to be filled with video games, mosquito bites, and a whole lot of nothing. Instead, she finds herself in a spooky turf war between werewolves and wolf hunters! Blake’s never let anything-including her prosthetic hand-slow her down or stop her from crushing her opponents in a game of Lore Hunter, but real-life monsters on all sides take danger and fear to a whole new level, and Blake will need to use all of her gaming skills to escape.
(W) Marieke Nijkamp (A) Yasmin Flores Montanez (CA) Bill Underwood In Shops: Feb 10, 2021 SRP: $3.99
It was supposed to be just a nighttime adventure into a spooky swamp, but now young Blake is caught in a clash between a pack of misunderstood werewolves and the angry townspeople hunting them! Blake is used to these kinds of adventures in games, but the danger’s about to get too real in the amazing conclusion to Goosebumps: Secrets of the Swamp from New York Times bestselling author Marieke Nijkamp (This Is Where It Ends, Before I Let Go, The Oracle Code) and artist Yasmin Flores Montanez (Marvel Action: Captain Marvel, Tilly).
(W) Marieke Nijkamp (A) Yasmin Flores Montanez (CA) Bill Underwood In Shops: Dec 23, 2020 SRP: $3.99
Blake thought things were bad enough when she found herself lost in a werewolf-infested swamp, but when the hunters become the hunted, she’ll have to figure out just whose side she’s on. This is NOT how she expected her summer to go! The wild werewolf nightmare continues in this all-ages scarefest from New York Times bestselling author Marieke Nijkamp (This Is Where It Ends, Before I Let Go, The Oracle Code) and artist Yasmin Flores Montanez (Marvel Action: Captain Marvel, Tilly).
(W) Marieke Nijkamp (A) Yasmin Flores Montanez (CA) Bill Underwood In Shops: Dec 09, 2020 SRP: $3.99
Twelve-year-old Blake was worried that summer break in Fever Swamp would be b-o-r-i-n-g, but it’s quickly become more intense than she ever could have imagined. After a close encounter with some werewolves in the swamp, Blake is separated from her new friend Lily and all alone. But a stunning discovery will make her wonder just who Lily really is… and who the real monsters are! The wild werewolf nightmare continues in this all-ages scarefest from New York Times bestselling author Marieke Nijkamp (This Is Where It Ends, Before I Let Go, The Oracle Code) and artist Yasmin Flores Montanez (Marvel Action: Captain Marvel, Tilly).
(W) Jen Vaughn, Jeremy Lambert, Denton J. Tipton, Matthew Dow Smith (A) Michelle Wong, Chris Fenoglio (CA) Megan Levens In Shops: Nov 11, 2020 SRP: $19.99
Brave the spine-tingling world of R.L. Stine and uncover the thrills and chills in this first-ever Goosebumps comic series featuring three original stories in a graphic novel format: Monsters a Midnight, Download and Die, and Horrors of the Witch House.
(W) Marieke Nijkamp (A) Yasmin Flores Montanez (CA) Bill Underwood In Shops: Nov 11, 2020 SRP: $3.99
Twelve-year-old Blake was worried that summer break with her weird aunt in Fever Swamp would be b-o-r-i-n-g, but it’s quickly become more intense than she ever could have imagined. Lost in the swamp with her gaming rival, Lily, and surrounded by werewolves, Blake could use a lot less danger and a little more boring right about now! The wild werewolf nightmare continues in this all-ages scarefest from New York Times bestselling author Marieke Nijkamp (This Is Where It Ends, Before I Let Go, The Oracle Code) and artist Yasmin Flores Montanez (Marvel Action: Captain Marvel, Tilly).
It’s easy to admire how Goosebumps approaches YA horror, especially in pursuing dark stories without the intention of dialing down the evil behind them. This is the case with the new mini-series set within its universe, Goosebumps: Secrets of the Swamp, where three girls find themselves in the middle of a battle between werewolves and wolf-hunters. With this setup, writer Marieke Nijkamp and artist Yasmín Flores Montañezkick-off a story that updates the classic Goosebumps formula with a strong and diverse cast along with familiar monsters offering new scares.
The story follows Blake, an expert gamer looking to pass the summer beating high scores online. Her aunt, whom she is staying with, tries to get her back into the real world with hints and clues as to the myths and legends of the town of Fever Swamp. Horror starts to creep in with this revelation as Blake meets Lily and Cara and tales of swamp monsters start circulating between them.
Flores Montañez and colorist Rebecca Naltydo wonders with the setting. Fever Swamp looks vibrant and colorful but dangerous as well. There’s something about a swamp setting that screams blood and monsters and the art team does a great job of capturing it in all its terrifying glory. Colors seamlessly transition from lighter into darker variations of themselves and in the process help carry the storytelling as it moves towards all-out horror.
IDW
The characters’ facial expressions make them feel instantly relatable given they’re so storied and alive. By the end of this first issue, I felt as if I had been reading these characters for a long time. It speaks volumes to Flores Montañez’s ability to bring life into the comics page and the characters that inhabit them.
Nijkamp’s script is expertly paced and allows the story to unravel without heavy exposition dumps. Nothing is explicitly and definitively explained, allowing for a grander sense of the unknown to settle in. As the monsters of the swamp start coming out of the dark, we get the sense that they’re carrying stories with them that don’t conform to the classic trope of ‘good vs. evil’.
Secrets of the Swamp remarkably offers a lot of story in each panel. Details that range from the text on a character’s shirt to the way they move and even how their hair is styled all play into the uniqueness of each character’s identity. This comic feels well lived in. It makes sure readers come back to its world to further uncover its mysteries.
Goosebumps: Secrets of the Swamp #1 is a strong start to a YA horror story that can set a good example as to how to get the most out of the genre. The creative team for this comic is in perfect synchronization and it shows. Stay with this comic. There’s a lot of horror to be had with the promise of more to come.
Story: Marieke Nijkamp Art: Yasmín Flores Montañez Colors: Rebecca Nalty Story: 9.0 Art: 9.0 Overall: 9.0 Recommendation: Buy, read, and then visit a swamp (just not alone).
IDW Publishing provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
(W) Marieke Nijkamp (A) Yasmin Flores Montanez (CA) Bill Underwood In Shops: Sep 30, 2020 SRP: $3.99
When twelve-year-old Blake is shipped away to stay with her weird aunt in Fever Swamp for the summer, she expects her weeks to be filled with video games, mosquito bites, and a whole lot of nothing. Instead, she finds herself in a spooky turf war between wolf-hunters and werewolves. With monsters on both sides, it’s up to Blake to use all of her gaming skills to escape alive in this all-ages scarefest from New York Times bestselling author Marieke Nijkamp (This Is Where It Ends, Before I Let Go, The Oracle Code) and artist Yasmin Flores Montanez (Marvel Action: Captain Marvel, Tilly).
Written by Marieke Nijkamp Art by Yasmin Flores Montanez
When twelve-year-old Blake is shipped away to stay with her weird aunt in Fever Swamp for the summer, she expects her weeks to be filled with video games, mosquito bites, and a whole lot of nothing. Instead, she finds herself in a spooky turf war between wolf-hunters and werewolves. With monsters on both sides, it’s up to Blake to use all of her gaming skills to escape alive in this all-ages scarefest from New York Times bestselling author Marieke Nijkamp (THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS, BEFORE I LET GO, THE ORACLE CODE) and artist Yasmin Flores Montanez (MARVEL ACTION: CAPTAIN MARVEL, TILLY).
