Have you ever heard of Belle Gunness? Well, if not you are not alone. In Buried Long, Long Ago, Anthony Cleveland as well as illustrator Alex Cormack head back in history to delve into the chilling world of one of the most one of the most prolific female serial killers in history.
Based on true events, from 1901-1908 Belle Gunness lured dozens of lonely men to her Indiana farm and savagely murdered them for their money. Because Belle managed to avoid capture and face trial, much of this story remains untold. Until now. This is a fairy-tale retelling of her brutal crimes from the perspective of her three young children…who soon discover there is something far worse, and far more evil, than their mother on the farm. Something Buried Long, Long Ago.
Anthony Cleveland doesn’t just sit back and retell stories of her gruesome deeds; instead, he offers a historical dark fairy tale version of the tales admits mythical undertones. Cleveland takes a narrative based on true events from the early 1900s and turns it a bit sideways to give us his own refreshing take on an age-old story. What he crafts feels like you are stepping into a twisted fairy tale that provides new dimensions to Gunness’ horrific acts.
Cleveland’s storytelling is unnerving, but draws you into a world where innocence faces dirty deeds head-on. He takes this horrific time, adds a children’s point-of-view and tells us a fairy tale that will keep you up at night. In the premiere issue, Cleveland sets a gruesome foundation for what we can expect moving forward in the five issue series and does it with ease.
This new telling of Belle Gunness and her deadly acts wouldn’t be complete without a fantastic horror illustrator–enter Alex Cormack. His illustrations deserve special attention in the role they play in setting the atmospheric tone in Buried Long, Long Ago. The raw and intense artwork captures the chilling story so well with each and every chilling panel. Cormack’s ability to bring to life a horror comic is both unsettling and fantastic.
While I was truly unaware of the story Buried Long, Long Ago is based around, I was quickly immersed in the tale being crafted by Cleveland and Cormack. I am now fascinated with not only the facts of the history of Gunness, but with how and where the creative team takes this dark story. What is next for Hell’s Belle in this miniseries?
Buried Long, Long Ago is a historical fiction horror tale that combines real life events with a dark fairy tale element to create an enthralling narrative. Anthony Cleveland excels at exploring this unnerving tale while putting his own spin on it. Alex Cormack pairs wonderfully with Cleveland in brining his immense talents to the table to bring this comic to life in vivid fashion. I cannot wait for the rest of this series.
Buried Long, Long Ago #1 hits local comic shops on April 16, 2025 (FOC: March 24) from Mad Cave Studios.
Buried Long, Long Ago #1 Preview
