The X-Files: The Haunting

The X-Files: The Haunting is a 1996 graphic novel by writer Stefan Petrucha and artist Charles Adlard. It includes five different stories:

"Hallow Eve": When odd deaths occur around recently-excavated bones believed to be those of Eve, the first female, Mulder and Scully try to find out why people are dying while in possession of the ancient remains.

"One Player Only": A computer programmer snaps and kills three coworkers and a security guard, and a virtual reality program he was working on may be the cause.

"Falling": A group of kids mistakes Mulder, who is suffering from radiation sickness, for an alien.

"Home of the Brave": Mulder and Scully are held hostage by white supremacist survivalists in Georgia.

"The Silent Blade": A man goes to work and kills nine coworkers with an antique sword rumored to be haunted by the demon slayer who once owned it.

I've been a fan of The X-Files since it first aired, but this is the first X-Files graphic novel I've read. Though I didn't enjoy it as much as some of the other graphic novels I've read (such as Archie, Jem and the Holograms, or Army of Darkness), I do want to read a few more in the series. : )

My rating: 7.5/10

Army of Darkness: Ashes 2 Ashes

Army of Darkness: Ashes 2 Ashes is a 2005 graphic novel by writer Andy Hartnell and artist Nick Bradshaw. It's a collection of the Army of Darkness: Ashes 2 Ashes four-issue miniseries that was published July-October 2004, and it picks up after the events of the Army of Darkness movie. Chainsaw-wielding hero/S-Mart housewares employee Ash Williams discovers that he was sent back to the wrong time, which means that he hasn't been to the cabin in the woods yet. He realizes that his girlfriend Linda must still be alive, so he decides to try to save her and destroy the Necronomicon.

I bought Army of Darkness: Ashes 2 Ashes as a birthday present for my husband, but when he was finished with it, of course I had to read it too. I thought it was an great  story, and the artist did an incredible job of capturing the spirit of the Evil Dead movies. It was interesting to see what Ash was up to right after the movies ended, and I definitely want to read more of the Army of Darkness graphic novels. : )

My rating: 8/10

The NYE Incidents

I went to the Taking Flight Comic Book Show in North Charleston a few weeks ago and came across a graphic novel with an extraterrestrial face on the cover; the comic was called The NYE Incidents, and of course I had to buy it.  The NYE Incidents was created by Whitley Strieber and written by Craig Spector, and it was published in 2008.  Medical Examiner Lynn Devlin is having a hard time figuring out what caused an alien abductee's mysterious death.  After attending a UFO convention, Lynn suspects that a UFO cult may have killed the woman and tried to make it look like aliens were responsible.

Though I mostly read Archie comics, I enjoyed The NYE Incidents and would love to find more graphic novels in this vein.  I'm used to reading graphic novels in color, but black and white illustrations are appropriate for The NYE Incidents and give the story a serious, creepy feel.  A movie version is in the works (it was announced in 2009, so hopefully it's still happening) , and I definitely want to see it!

My rating: 8/10

Saucer Country: Run

For Valentine's Day, my husband gave me a graphic novel called Saucer Country: Run, and it was right up my alley.  I mostly read Archie Comics, but Saucer Country is about aliens, so of course I was excited to read it.  Saucer Country: Run was published in 2012 and was created by Paul Cornell and Ryan Kelly.  The graphic novel is about Arcadia Alvarado, the Governor of New Mexico/presidential hopeful, who believes she was abducted by aliens.  She enlists the help of Joshua Kidd, a Harvard professor who was suspended for publishing a book called Flying Objects: Folklore and Fact, and Arcadia is very determined to become President and prevent an alien invasion.

Saucer County: Run was really interesting, and I can't wait to see what happens next! I will definitely be buying volume 2 of the series (Saucer Country: The Reticulan Candidate) very soon.

My rating:  8/10

Afterlife with Archie: Escape from Riverdale

I loved Archie comics as a child, and I started reading them again when Archie Marries... was published in 2010.  I love The Married Life series that followed Archie Marries..., and when I heard that Archie would be entering the world of zombies, I was pretty excited.  I don't read many graphic novels, but my favorites are the Archie ones and the graphic novels that are based on Stephen King's The Stand, which are written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, so when I found out that the same author would be writing Afterlife with Archie, I was even more excited.  Afterlife with Archie: Escape from Riverdale begins with a desperate Jughead Jones begging Sabrina the Teenage Witch and her aunts to help his beloved dog, who has been hit by a car. They do what they can, but tell Jughead that Hot Dog is beyond saving; however, Sabrina feels so bad for Jughead that she agrees to try to bring Hot Dog back to life...and that's when it all goes to hell.

Afterlife with Archie: Escape from Riverdale was hard to put down, and I can't wait to read Afterlife with Archie: Betty R.I.P., which comes out in February (that's so far away!).  This graphic novel is very entertaining, but it is also dark, heartbreaking, and devastating; this is not the Riverdale we grew up with.  I loved Afterlife with Archie, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of the story and more of Francesco Francavilla's wonderful, creepy illustrations that perfectly capture the feelings of fear and despair the residents of Riverdale are experiencing.

My rating: 10/10

http://afterlifewitharchie.com/