THE BOOGYMAN #1, from Ablaze Publishing on September 7th, 2022, follows Elliot after the tragic murder of his parents. The authorities don’t know that Elliot is collateral damage in an escalating, supernatural war.
The Details
- Written by: Mathieu Salvia
- Art by: Djet
- Colors by: Djet
- Letters by: Nathan Kempf
- Cover art by: Djet (cover A)
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: September 7, 2022
Is It Good?
THE BOOGYMAN #1 is both fascinating and impressive for the first issue in a new series. The art, dialog, pacing, and plot work together seamlessly to deliver a tense thriller that barely scratches the surface of deep, horrific mythology.
Salvia’s story surrounds a young boy who finds himself in the middle of a turf war between factions of Boogymen, with his parents as unfortunate casualties. The premise alone was enough to get our attention, but Salvia deftly sprinkles in bits of lore and rules that suggest a much larger story spanning centuries is in play. You feel as if you’ve stumbled into another world with its own history and drama, using Elliot as the surrogate to experience it all for the first time.
The premise works beautifully, and the execution is equally flawless. Salvia’s dialog gives you just enough information to fill in the blanks while holding enough back to keep an air of mystery. The pacing isn’t super quick, but it is relentless once the action gets going. And the cliffhanger ending feels like the match is struck for something explosive to happen.
Djet’s art is fantastic in this issue. The camera angles in every panel are placed to emphasize how small Elliot truly is compared to the creatures he encounters. Djet makes excellent use of size and perspective to express the intimidating presence of the Boogymen, enhancing and complementing Salvia’s story.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin in an outreach facility where young Elliot is drawing pictures. The social worker asks to borrow a few of the pictures so she can discuss her assessment with her colleagues that Elliot has endured massive trauma related to the death of his parents a few weeks earlier. Unseen to the authorities present, a massive, red-eyed dog is present and watching over Elliot.
Flashback to a few weeks earlier. Elliot is caught reading a book about Boogymen past his bedtime. Elliot’s father is concerned Elliot truly believes a Boogyman lives in the house. Later, Elliot’s parents agree to keep an eye on Eliot’s obsession in case it gets out of hand. Suddenly, there’s a knock at the door.
Outside, a ghoulish old woman and a derelict man watch Elliot’s house from across the street. The old woman orders the man to approach the house with the goal of killing the adults and claiming the children. We conclude the issue with murder, a territorial dispute, and the consequences of a lack of trust.
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Final Thoughts
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THE BOOGYMAN #1 is a banger of a first issue that cracks open the door to a savage, supernatural world existing just underneath our own. The dialog, pacing, and plotting are all excellent, and Djet’s art maximizes size and contrast to hype up the dramatic impact as much as possible.
Related Information
Is there a real boogeyman?
The boogeyman of myth and legend is not real. however, there have been several media personalities, particularly in Professional Wrestling, who have adopted the Boogeyman name as a marketing tactic.
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