Harrow County Volume 7, from Dark Horse, “Dark Times a’Comin!” collects issues 25 to 28 of the Harrow County comic series.

As a newcomer to Harrow County, I had my work cut out for me in reviewing this volume. Who are the characters, and what is the storyline? So, I checked a few wikis and websites to get the lay of the land. And what a land it is, full of humans, haints, ghosts, apparitions, trees, rocks and sneaky things that can hurt you.

Young Emmy has powerful spirit friends. And powerful spirit enemies too. One of them is her late (dead) sister, back from the dead with a fresh case of “evil intention”. As we enter this volume, it’s clear that the two sisters are in a collision course for each other!

Writer Cullen Bunn and artist/letterer Tyler Crook deliver a masterful story here. It’s as spooky as heck. And I mean ‘spoookyyyy’.

Crook’s use of what appears to be a basic drawing style is deceiving. He masters the tone and mood of the tale with earth tone color and draws in a consistent, non-flashy manner. There are no airbrush highlights on the reflective surfaces, no rays of sun beaming through the trees. There are no hyper-realistic tree trunks or eyelashes… It’s all very carefully crafted to advance you through Bunn’s story.

As a bonus, this collection includes a few character sketches and cover roughs.

I’m entranced by the depth and tone of this title and recommend it.

Dark Horse Comics, Harrow County Volume 7, $17.99 for 115 pages of content. 14+

By Alan Spinney

After a career of graphic design, art direction and copywriting, I still have a passion for words and pictures. I love it when a comic book comes together; the story is tight, and the drawings lead me forward. Art with words... the toughest storytelling technique to get right. Was this comic book worth your money? Let's see!!