Haunted
Issues #1 & 2
Written by Scott Chitwood
Illustrated by Danny Luckert
Colered by Ivan Plascencia
Lettered by Troy Peteri
Cover by Danny Luckert
Red 5 Comics
Release Date: April 30, 2014
Cover Price: $3.50

Thirteen years ago the barrier between the spiritual realm and earth was torn open. Now ghosts and demons and shades roam the earth every night. Humanity has been reduced to brutal scavengers. Young Sarah McCallister is the epitome of self-interested survivors, until she runs into a scientist and pastor who think they can close the rift and save the world in Haunted.

Red 5’s producer Scott Chitwood steps into the writing role for this four-part mini-series. And in the first two issues of Haunted he creates a unique mid-apocalyptic ghost-world that captures an incredible sense of hopelessness. Humanity, as embodied in Sarah, is just trying to survive. Every night the ghosts come out, and every night the human race shrinks just a little more.

Chitwood’s setting is rather unique and refreshing. The strength of Haunted is in the world he created. His characters are good, but they’re not great. Dr. Montagu and Pastor Wallinford feel rather generic. Sarah is more nuanced than them, but she still falls a little flat amidst the action and atmosphere of the title.

And speaking of atmosphere, artist Danny Luckert draws a dark, bleak, and spooky comic. But he also manages to retain a humanity in his panels. The colors by Ivan Plascencia likewise present a dark world, but not one that is beyond all hope. Things are bad, but humanity has retained a glimmer of itself. The world is not beyond saving.

The first half of Haunted is an action-packed, metaphysical journey through a ghost-world well worth taking. Amidst the entertaining story, Chitwood explores a variety of philosophical themes including human nature, and the positive relationship between science and religion. This is a very unique story and world comic fans will enjoy entering into.