It’s halfway through October already! Minnesota had its first snowfall last week which was way too early. The snow has already melted and we are back to the orange and red hues of fall. I have been trying to read all the horror and creepy books and graphic novels on my shelf. Here are my most recent graphic novel spooky reads.

For Goodness Sake Volume #1 by K Lynn Smith

Rayne Waters is a self-proclaimed hippie. She lives on a decked-out school bus as she drives around the US. While driving, she meets Thatcher who could be a relative of Satan. His skin is red and his horns are long enough to curl behind his ears. Thatcher was put under a curse with no memory of how he turned out this way. Rayne invites Thatcher on her bus as they cruise around the US while attempting to break Thatcher’s curse.

For Goodness Sake was a graphic novel entirely funded by Kickstarter. I bought K Lynn’s other graphic novel on Kickstarter Afterglow and I have been a fan of hers ever since. For Goodness Sake was delivered to me earlier this year and I saved it for the fall to read. I missed out on K Lynn’s Kickstarter for Volume #2 and I’m bummed.

For Goodness Sake was such an enjoyable read. Rayne and Thatcher have genuine chemistry together. One of the characters in the book is on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum and the way their identity is discussed is respectful of the community. In this short volume, I felt I got to know Rayne’s backstory and what compelled her to deck out a school bus. K Lynn’s art has such a unique style to it. Whenever I read one of her books, I can immediately identify her art.

I could write endless paragraphs about the first volume of For Goodness Sake. The first volume can be found on K Lynn’s website. I rated For Goodness Sake five stars on Goodreads.

Cult Classic Return to Whisper Volume #1 Rahal, Cunha, Cunniffe-Wright, Esposito, and Koh.

Childhood friends Wyatt, Dwayne, Andrew, Malcolm, Bobbi, Aubrey, Sparrow, and Cage meet in their treehouse to watch Cult Classic a local horror TV show. From the show, the kids decide to steal a journal belonging to James Benjamin Vance, the founder of Whisper. The journal supposedly shows where the hidden treasure is buried in Whisper. This story is balanced by jumps into the future as it shows the kids as adults returning to Whisper to attend the funeral of their friend.

Cult Classic Return to Whisper suffers from trying to introduce too many characters. I could barely follow all the characters and keep their backstories straight. There were a few characters I barely knew anything about, so why should I care what happens to them? The story itself wasn’t told as clearly as I had hoped. I’m still wondering what exactly happened to some of the characters as a curse may have impacted the characters.

If I were to describe Cult Classic, it reminds me of Stephen King’s It meets Goosebumps although it’s nowhere near as good. Cult Classic wasn’t the strongest first volume of the series. This is a book I would have preferred renting from the library versus owning. I rated Cult Classic Return to Whisper three stars on Goodreads.

The Joker 80’s Anniversary 100 Page Super Spectacular #1

“Mariah, this isn’t a spooky read???” Yes, I’m aware this is more generic comic book reading than Halloween themed. However, Joker is one of the most notorious villains of all time, and the way Joker torments his victims could be on the creepy and ominous theme of this post, so I included this novel in this review.

The Joker was first introduced into comics in July of 1942 as an enemy for both Batman and Robin to fight against. In this 80th anniversary edition, this novel shows past covers featuring the Joker along with a compilation of various stories. One of the stories features Punchline, the Joker’s new girlfriend. While I detest Punchline’s name, I like her purple punk Roller Derby outfit. I’m intrigued by how Punchline will be involved in the newer runs of DC Comics.

As a fan of DC Comics, I thought this was a fascinating read. I liked looking at the older comic covers. It reminded me how Joker has influenced Batman and his trauma. The assault of Barbara Gordon along with the murder of Robin, Joker is one of Batman’s most threatening villains. I rated Joker 80th Anniversary four stars on Goodreads.

There are only 11 days left till Halloween and I hope you all are enjoying this spooky quarantine season.