One of the most visually stunning comic books in recent days is Dead Mall #1 from Dark Horse Comics.
Dead Mall comes from critically acclaimed horror Adam Cesare (Clown In The Cornfield), a leading voice in the emerging genre of contemporary young adult horror, and artist David Stoll (Pantomime) with letters from Justin Birch.
The Penn Mills Galleria is about to be demolished. Five teens sneak into the mall to take a last look around before it’s gone. However, while Penn Mills has been closed for years, the mall is far from abandoned. A night of exploration becomes a shopping spree from hell. The teens must contend with the sprawling, transformative cosmic horror of Penn Mills or be trapped forever within the Dead Mall.
Dead Mall #1 is one of the books that I almost missed out on and am super glad I picked up. The solicitation is worth reading, but I fell in love after cracking opening the pages of this debut issue. Stoll has set the bar for visually attractive comics this year with his work on Dead Mall.
The mixture between complex lines, minimalistic panels, and visually sound effects pulls you into the world Cesare created and has you wanting more and more pages. The visual interoperation of a the noise of a foot step was one that really grabbed my attention.
Cesare’s story is one that was worth the read in the first place, but teaming up with an outstanding artist such as Stoll just adds to the whole comic book experience. This book is one to not miss as it will both allow you take in all the senses used in reading a comic book.
The horror side of comics is one I have been jumping into more and more over the years. Dead Mall falls into that category, but is also more approachable to young adults and adults equally. Not to mention placing the story inside an abandoned mall gives me the nostalgic feeling for my childhood.
Perfect book to read during this spooky Halloween season.
Dead Mall continues with issue two at your local comic book shop on November 30, 2022.
Cesare’s Clown In The Cornfield has been optioned for film by Temple Hill Entertainment (Twilight, The Maze Runner).
