Goners #1 by Jacob Semahn and Jorge Corona is a surprisingly
fun supernatural adventure series that Steven Spielberg would surely approve
of. The Latimer family has been the last line of defense against threats from
the underworld and this latest attack thrusts a new generation of defenders in
danger before they’re ready. But ready or not the demons are out to get them.
Raleigh and Evelyn Latimer, paranormal hunters, are killed on live television during their
reality show fighting off the latest threat to humanity. It sets off a chain reaction
of events that are conspicuously timed and forces their children, Zoe and
Josiah, to run for their lives. The
reader is dropped right in the middle of the action from page one and except
for some brief but effective flashbacks, it doesn’t let up. Semahn ‘s dialogue
and pacing is pitch perfect creating a world familiar yet heightened with supernatural
monsters that gets the pulse pounding but doesn’t ignore the kids’ heartache at
losing their parents. It’s a delicate balance of creating dread and suspense
with letting the audience empathize for the characters.
Goners has that sense of adventure and thrill that Goonies
had or the rush of adrenaline from evading monsters like in Jurassic Park.
Products of Spielberg that served as inspiration for Semahn but personalized
with his own vision. Corona’s art gives Semahn’s story the energy and
larger-than-life moments it deserves. The panels vary and at times pop off the
page with great effect, lightning and thunder take on characteristics of their own,
perhaps as an omen or foreshadowing the danger ahead. It’s as beautiful a
horror book can get if you value such things and you should.
This is not your run-of-the-mill horror comic. In fact it
has the heart of Johnny Quest if he existed in the world of Hellboy. There are
many comparisons to be made but it’s because Goners #1 brings back a sense of
adventure that too often is missing from the horror genre. That sense of wonder
and fear found in a kid’s imagination as scary stories are told around a
campfire is found in the pages of Goners but the fear is real. This is pull list-worthy.
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