Hobtown Mystery Stories is one of the most underrated graphic novel series of our time. But good news, you can get caught up right now, thanks to the upcoming release of the third volume from Oni Press, The Secret of the Saucer.
Created by Kris Bertin and Alexander Forbes, alongside colorist Jason Fischer-Kouhi, the mystery stories are a mix of Twin Peaks, Nancy Drew mysteries, and the sort of surreal weirdness you can only do in comics. They’re all set in the small town of Hobtown, which, per PR, “has been plagued for centuries by a litany of unexplained phenomena: missing men, pagan secret societies, strange rituals, conspiracies, curses, and crimes. At the heart of it all is a group of teenagers who come together to save their town and uncover the truths their parents kept from them.”
“Imagine if A24 re-made Stranger Things and you begin to understand the ambition of the strange and surreal story that Kris Bertin and artist Alexander Forbes have undertaken,” said Oni Press Editor-in-Chief Sierra Hahn via press release. “There’s a multi-generational mystery, a supernatural mini-man, and a ragtag group of teen detectives. I genuinely love this series. Hobtown Mystery Stories just might be the best-kept secret in comics. These graphic novels are a personal obsession for me and soon they will be for you, too.”
In The Secret of the Saucer, an unexplained flying object is spotted during a “highly contested mayoral election,” causing chaos in the town. Enter an “unhinged Ape Lord” and more weirdness, and the Teen Detective Club is on the case. Or they would be, except they’re suffering from a “crisis of leadership” that causes friction in their ranks.
“What’s delightful about Hobtown Mystery Stories is the way each volume reinforces and deepens the series’ larger mythology, while also working as a standalone reading experience that will burrow into your brain,” said Oni Press Senior Editor Bess Pallares. “You have a missing person’s case in volume one, boarding school horror in volume two, and a flying saucer in volume three–the first all-new Hobtown book published by Oni Press. Kris and Alex have created an astonishingly rich world of quaint, small-town intrigue–exactly the books my young, library-card toting self hoped I could read as an adult. You can start the series with any volume you like, because I guarantee you’ll be back for the rest.”
Hobtown Mystery Stories: The Secret of the Saucer hits stores on November 26, 2025, but you can check out a preview below. Click the images for larger versions.
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