Dark Shadows #1
Written by Stuart Manning
Script by Aaron Campbell
Colors by Carlos Lopez
Letters by Troy Peteri
Covers by Aaron Campbell, Francesco Francavilla
Dynamite Entertainment
Release Date: November 2nd, 2011
Cover Price: $3.99

I came into this comic fresh. I had heard of Dark Shadows before, but was not familiar with it, and had never seen the TV show or read any of the previous comics. After reading this, that might change.

Writer Stuart Manning does an incredible job introducing the world of Dark Shadows to the reader, yet still leaving PLENTY of mystery and intrigue to the imagination. I really felt like I was reading some old Tomb of Dracula issues. Very creepy atmosphere without crossing the line into full blown horror. Having the book set in 1971 is an interesting twist, as it never really plays into the story. In fact, you don’t really even notice it. Not even in the fashions or hairdos. What you get is lots of great set up and a great shock ending that makes you really anxious for the next issue. Great story all around.

The book wouldn’t be half as enjoyable with out Aaron Campbell‘s art. He does a great job with the “lighting” of the book, and I’m sure part of the credit goes to colorist Carlos Lopez. Campbell maintains a creepy feeling without making anything grotesque or ugly. Having never seen the TV series, I’m not sure if he’s drawn the characters in the book to look like any of the actors, but regardless, he does a truly great job of giving this book a very unique atmosphere.

Fan of the property or not, you will be pleasantly surprised by this comic. It’s a great looking book with a great story. In this day of over the top flesh-eating zombies, it’s very refreshing to see a “horror” comic that is scary due to actual suspense and not over the top gore.