THE VALLEY OF DEATH #2, by Blood Moon Comics on 12/20/23, elevates Leo’s fear to new heights when the ghouls outside the cabin won’t leave, and the old woman holds the key to Leo’s escape.
The Details
- Written by: Keith Rommel
- Art by: Wolfgang Schwandt
- Colors by: Caitlin Rommel
- Letters by: Wolfgang Schwandt
- Cover art by: Wolfgang Schwandt
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover price: $4.99
- Release date: December 20, 2023
Is THE VALLEY OF DEATH #2 Good?
Horror comics don’t work just because they show killers with an axe or the monster under your bed. Horror comics work because they get you to feel fear (or uncomfortable, at least), so THE VALLEY OF DEATH #2 works, not because of the technical execution, but because you can understand Leo’s rising fear.
When last we left Leo, he evaded a pack of ghouls hunting him in a forest when he had no memory of how he got there or what the ghouls wanted. Leo found a cabin owned by a cryptic old woman who promised him refuge for as long as she had logs to burn for a fire. Now, Leo desperately wants to know how to escape the ghouls, but the old woman, Twyla, won’t give him the answer until he takes a look at his life.
One of the main criticisms from the first issue was the lack of setup or context. Keith Rommel’s immersive atmosphere of fear helped draw the reader in, but the readers’ confusion matched Leo’s confusion. Here, we get a little more background information about the kind of person Leo is (was?), and we learn Twyla isn’t the cabin’s only resident.
On a side note, the publisher informed us about a special promotion for this issue. THE VALLEY OF DEATH #2 has a hidden variant, and only 60 copies were printed and distributed to comic stores at random by Diamond. The cover is the ebook that says ‘Usher of the Dead’ is the hidden variant.
What’s great about THE VALLEY OF DEATH #2? Fear. Rommel pushes hard on Leo to get him frustrated, confused, afraid and panicked. The goal of every horror comic should be to project fear onto the reader, and Rommel does a respectable job.
What’s not so great about THE VALLEY OF DEATH #2? Rommel’s script is better than issue #1, but the plot still suffers from a choppy, disjointed feel. Readers jump between a flashback and the present to fill in the blanks about Leo’s personality, which is not a problematic approach, but the transitions and the information you get from each jump don’t flow as well as they should.
How’s the art? Better. Wolfgang Schwandt’s figure work and panel angles are improving with each issue. However, backgrounds lack detail, and the visual communication doesn’t always make sense. For example, there’s a portion of Leo’s flashback where he picks up a fanny pack in a basement covered in grass, and the presentation of that scene is weirder and more confusing than it sounds.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s THE VALLEY OF DEATH #2 About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our THE VALLEY OF DEATH #1 review to find out what happened when Leo found an old cabin.
We begin with Leo becoming increasingly panicked about the ghouls crawling and scraping over the cabin’s exterior. The old woman lectures Leo to stop wasting time and start asking her questions that will help him escape. Leo recalls who he was before he found himself in the woods outside.
Leo remembers being wracked with hunger and desperation as a dark voice egged him on to commit an armed robbery at a convenience store. Leo remembers pistol-whipping the store clerk, possibly killing him.
Back in the cabin, the old woman introduces herself as Twyla when the two hear a knock at the cabin door from somebody who isn’t a ghoul. We conclude the issue with a second resident, manslaughter maybe, and no peeking.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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THE VALLEY OF DEATH #2 turns the dial up on a pulsing atmosphere of fear when Leo feels his time running out. Rommel expertly nails the projection of panic, and Schwandt’s art improves with every issue. That said, the story feels disjointed and choppy.
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