DOCTOR RIGBY: WHERE DWELLS THE GHOSTLY BARON (ONE-SHOT), from Source Point Press on October 26th, 2022, recounts the latest case of Doctor Rigby, a detective specializing in paranormal and otherworldly troubles.
The Details
- Written by: John Kissee
- Art by: John Kissee
- Colors by: John Kissee
- Letters by: John Kissee
- Cover art by: John Kissee
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: October 26, 2022
Is It Good?
Weird and wonderful, indeed! DOCTOR RIGBY: WHERE DWELLS THE GHOSTLY BARON (ONE-SHOT) is a quirky tale mixing shades of the X-Files, Tomorrowland, and Lovecraftian horror for a unique but satisfyingly familiar story. This one-shot is comfort food for genre lovers.
Kissee’s script centers on Doctor Rigby, a detective specializing in all things weird, whether they’re the supernatural or the science-fiction variety. He carries a magical sword and a futuristic ray gun to seek answers from monsters in all shapes and sizes. Kissee unabashedly draws inspiration from famous films and stories such as the Exorcist (1973), Gargoyles (1972), Black Sabbath (1963), and many more to create an alternate reality where the setting and characters feel familiar, but it all feels brand new.
Central to the plot is Doctor Rigby’s task of finding a missing girl who disappeared in a haunted house attraction inside this world’s version of Disneyland. Kissee flawlessly builds a feeling of dread as Rigby’s investigation starts off harmless enough but presents increasingly hostile dangers as the story progresses.
Kissee’s art style is highly referenced, which may not suit every comic reader’s tastes, but it suits the material to a tee, especially with the number of intentional Easter Eggs dropped in this issue. The attraction integrates scenes and characters from famous horror movies to tickle your nostalgia bone while working those characters effortlessly into the plot. Visually, this is a classic horror film lover’s dream come true.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with a prologue introduction to Ray Parsons and his whimsical china of amusement parks he built after serving as a tactician in the Weird War. Doctor Rigby, who served alongside Parsons, is summoned to the park by Parson’s request to help investigate the disappearance of one of the park’s visitors.
Rigby learns a little girl disappeared while riding in the haunted house attraction, and the culprit appears to be one of the attractions, the Ghostly Baron. Unfortunately, the Ghostly Baron was never meant to be part of the ride, and yet, he’s there now. Rigby, sensing a dark, ancient force has taken up residence in the Haunted House, enters alone to find the truth and the girl before it’s too late.
We conclude the issue with impossibly long hallways, dimensional rifts, and conjurings of the mind.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
(Click this link 👇 to order this comic)
DOCTOR RIGBY: WHERE DWELLS THE GHOSTLY BARON (ONE-SHOT) is a glorious blend of science fiction and supernatural horror, wrapped in an otherwordly detective mystery, and sprinkled with a generous helping of horror film Easter Eggs. The mystery is interesting, the pacing and dialog are on point, and the art style is a practically perfect match for the script.
We hope you found this article interesting. Come back for more reviews, previews, and opinions on comics, and don’t forget to follow us on social media:
If you’re interested in this creator’s works, remember to let your Local Comic Shop know to find more of their work for you. They would appreciate the call, and so would we.
Click here to find your Local Comic Shop: www.ComicShopLocator.com
As an Amazon Associate, we earn revenue from qualifying purchases to help fund this site. Links to Blu-Rays, DVDs, Books, Movies, and more contained in this article are affiliate links. Please consider purchasing if you find something interesting, and thank you for your support.