Remember shopping malls? Well, me son, they were indoor shopping environments, usually with fountains, food courts and loads of hallways, all lined with shops. We would hang around them like they were the town square!
And now you see, the Penn Mills Galleria, closed for years, is quiet, being abandoned many years ago. Still standing, now playing host to your homeless, your partiers, and so on. But hey, there is a dark energy hanging in the Mall too!
In Dead Mall #1, from Dark Horse, writer Adam Cesare gets us inside the entrance. Introduces us to the teens who are sneaking onto the premises, their hopes and dreams, and by contrast, the ‘dream crashers’ who are watching. Cesare builds suspense by allowing the story to unfold from the point of view of both the partiers and the hunters. On one hand, this technique works well to show us the personalities, but on the other hand, it draws out the drama to the point that we are restless. Where’s this all going, and “are we there yet”?
Artist David Stoll gives us capably drawn characters and surroundings, with plenty of close-ups and varied viewpoints. Stoll’s colour palette suits the tone of the story, with the sombre Galleria of today contrasting with happy flashbacks from its mulleted heyday. Lettering is by Justin Birch, editors Brett Israel and Shantel LeRocque.
Dark Mall #1 creepy, so there is loads of potential for this one if it’s handled right. Let’s hope it picks up the pace with issue 2, and delivers itself into the Express Lane, so we can get our truckload bonanza of premium thrills and chills!
Dark Horse, Dead Mall #1, $3.99 for 30 pages of content
Newsdesk