It’s been a hot minute since I last went to my local comic book store. I try to get there every other week if possible although, I think it’s been a few months since my last trip. Since it’s been a while, I ended up purchasing quite a bit to read. One series that stood out to me on the shelf was Dark Ride. The image for the first cover is this red, menacing, devil mascot with a roller coaster in the background. Based on that, I could gather that this is a horror series that takes place at a theme park which piqued my interest. Dark Ride was so interesting to read and kept me on my toes with what would happen next.

Dark Ride takes place at Devil Land, a horror theme park. The theme park was created by Arthur Dante and his idea to create an adult theme park experience. Arthur’s current whereabouts remain unknown which has caused a lot of fans to speculate. There’s also something sinister with Arthur as one of his wives mysteriously disappeared. The first issue follows Owen Seasons, a new employee at Devil Land. He’s in training and meets Sam, Arthur’s son, who is trying to keep the park afloat even though it’s losing money. From there, Sam’s sister, Halloween, shows up at the park which angers Sam. The issue takes an even darker turn towards the end when it’s clear that none of the characters are safe from the secrets at Devil Land.

I loved reading this series. One of the other reasons I picked up Dark Ride was because it was written by Joshua Williamson. If that name rings a bell, Joshua Williamson wrote Nail Biter, which is another series that I enjoy. Without spoilers, this series went in a completely different direction than I anticipated it would. I thought I knew who the main character was and how they would interact with the characters in future issues and then this series did the exact opposite. From a story perspective, I’m curious to see what happens in future issues.

Besides the story, I liked the art. I think the art fits in well with the series. The covers are beautifully designed and clearly captured my eye when I saw the series on the shelf. I liked how at the end of the first issue, there was a map of Devil Land that broke down all of the attractions at the park. I think it helped me feel more in tune with the story.

Dark Ride might be one of my favorite comic series that I discovered this year. Usually, when I see a new comic series, I don’t buy more than two issues in case I don’t like the series. I wish I had bought all the Dark Ride issues because I think there were at least the first five consecutive available. With that being said, I do plan on visiting my local comic book store again because I want to find out what happens in Dark Ride.