BOOM! Studios‘ horror anthology Hello Darkness has been pretty excellent overall, but there’s been one clear standout from the series: The War, a multi-part story by Garth Ennis and Becky Cloonan which takes our fears of nuclear annihilation and plays them out in pseudo-real-time.
Originally serialized in Hello Darkness, the story has since been collected into a miniseries of its own (titled, you’re not going to believe this: The War). And it starts simply enough, with a group of friends hanging out, and one killjoy constantly returning the conversation to the threat of nuclear war. The only thing is, that killjoy is right — and by the end of the first part, the bombs have started to drop.
What makes The War so horrifying is that, like the best stories of terror it plays on our innate fears and follows them to their logical conclusion. But there’s no supernatural twist here, no zombie invasion or irradiated aliens; just the end of life on Earth, and a desperate need to survive. In fact, that’s what makes the story all the more terrifying, how plausible it is. Likely, you can see yourself in any one of the characters in the story. We all think we know what we would do when the end is nigh, but would we be able to execute on our plan when the chips are down?
Cloonan, as usual, expertly draws the whole thing in excellent style, with clearly identifiable characters and waves of emotion washing over them as the situation worsens. Ennis, for his part, is restrained here, more in the mode of his deeply researched war comics than the over-the-top antics of The Boys or Crossed. In fact, this might be the most down-to-earth thing he’s ever written, more domestic drama than outrageous satire.
It’s dark, it’s uncompromising, and it’s well worth the read. The War may not be the typical Halloween fare, but between the spooks and goblins, it’s worth reflecting on the real horrors which wait right outside our doors.
It’s spooky season, and you know what that means: time to curl up with a comic book or graphic novel that will scare your socks off. With that in mind, we’re posting a new horror book to check out every day of October, for our 31 Days Of Halloween Comics. Awoooo! Looking for the rest of our picks? Check them out on the Halloween tag.
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