Proctor Valley Road #1, new from BOOM! Studios is a chilling new horror series.
Written by well-known comic writers Grant Morrison, and Alex Child, Proctor Valley Road plays nicely with the evils of the unknown and four misfit teenagers in 1970. The beginning of the tale foreshadows a lot of plot and is a bit confusing to navigate. But essentially, there is a haunted stretch of road, and it’s remained dangerous. Beyond the usual urban legends, this Proctor Valley Road horror show is the real deal.
Much of the first issue is spent placing us in the vicinity of Proctor Valley Road and introducing us to the ‘hot to trot’ young locals. They commit minor crimes, argue, and misbehave. The guys want to hit on the girls and explore various ways and means in which to do so.
Illustrator Naomi Franquiz (colours by Tamra Bonvillain. Lettering by Jim Campbell) achieves a good balance between the heavily scripted visuals (let’s slowly zoom out in four panels on page one, then proceed to gradually uncover the night scene, and ‘cut’!!) and the freely flowing thin panels that immerse us in the salty, crispy everyday lives of these teens. The colouring of daytime scenes is sunny and blue-skied, with extra dark and orange night times. Nicely detailed surroundings, and great gestures and expressions.
The upside of so much dialogue and Morrison & Child’s detailed observances of today’s dating scene is that we really get to know the kids, the surroundings. There is a LOT of talking, let’s face it. Super blabby. But it’s young adult drama, spooky and kicking and screaming right at ya!
BOOM! Studios, Proctor Valley Road #1, $3.99 for 31 pages of content. Teen
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