Gideon Falls Vol. 1: Black Barn
Jeff Lemire & Andrea Sorrentino; Dave Stewart, colors
Image Comics, 2018
The quiet village of Gideon Falls is a haunted place. Some believe in the existence of a black barn, a supernatural place that reappears periodically, causing townspeople to turn to evil. A mental patient named Norton has been obsessively collecting physical evidence of its existence. His therapist Angie naturally thinks it is an unhealthy obsession--until she has a vision of the barn herself. The new parish priest, Father Wilfred (call him Fred) soon is drawn in. He also has a vision of the barn, and discovers that his predecessor was a member of the Ploughmen, a secret society that guards the town from the darkness of the black barn.
I have seen Goodreads comments complaining that the series moves too slowly. But the first issue introduces several key characters, shows the barn a few times, and ends in a the mysterious reappearance of the former pastor (thought drowned weeks past) and a murder! That seems like plenty of action to me. By the end of this arc Father Fred has been inside the Black Barn, which is more of a supernatural entity than a physical place. Sheriff Clara has been attacked (and apparently also been inside the barn, although she does not remember) and has been temporarily reunited with her father, Doc Sutton--who is the leader of the Ploughmen. But the experience has convinced her that her long-lost brother Danny is still alive. And Norton and Angie think they have found the original physical location of the Black Barn.
Plenty of open questions for future arcs to explore. The series establishes a spooky vibe right from the start, reminding me a bit of Tim Seeley & Mike Norton’s Revival (especially the rural setting) and Scott Snyder & Jock's Wytches (which seems to be coming back after a very long hiatus). Sorrentino has a loose, impressionistic style, with an odd minimalist way of drawing facial expressions. Stewart's colors play a large role in establishing the different settings, as well as time of day. Gideon Falls has the makings of a great horror comic series, and I look forward to reading more.
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