Hello Darkness is the comic book with the most star-studded list of comic book creators working on it that’s releasing this year. For this new series BOOM! Studios has lined up Garth Ennis, James Tynion IV, Brian Azzarello, Becky Cloonan, Werther Dell’Edera, Vanesa R. Del Rey, and Ryan Sook just to name a few. Having some of the biggest comic book creators on the market right now working on this new anthology series is enough to build immediate interest for it. We’ve already seen that interest payoff as Hello Darkness #1 has sold out ahead of release and is getting a second printing. We got the chance to check out an early copy of Hello Darkness #1. Find out how it turned out with our advanced review.
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer: Jude Ellison S. Doyle, Robert Hack, Dave Cook, Sarah Andersen, Steve Orlando, James Tynion IV, and Garth Ennis
Artist: Letizia Cadonici, Robert Hack, David Cousens, Sarah Anderson, A.L. Kaplan, Werther Dell’Edera, and Becky Cloonan
Colorist: Alessadro Santoro, Angel De Santiago, Marissa Louise, Miquel Muerto, and Tamra Bonvillain
Letterer: Becca Carey, Nathan Kempf, Jodie Troutman, Andworld Design, and Pat Brosseau
HELLO DARKNESS #1 SOLICITATION
“Horror fans rejoice in cadaverous delight, because Hello Darkness is a brand new monthly anthology series featuring what BOOM! Studios is known for – the best in modern Horror, Fantasy, and Mystery, not to mention the darkest stories yet from an all-star cast of creators!
With a spine-tingling lineup of industry legends including Garth Ennis, Becky Cloonan, James Tynion IV, Werther Dell’Edera, Brian Azzarello, Vanesa R. Del Rey, John Arcudi, Ryan Sook, and more, everything from primal fears to modern political horrors will be awakened, in the classic style of Creepy and Eerie and the contemporary chills of Black Mirror.
Fans can also expect stunning main covers by Paolo Rivera, variant covers by Jenny Frison on every issue, and a guest artist variant on every issue!
In addition, a deadly new Something is Killing the Children story unfolds in the first 6 issues, along with a bone-rattling new serialized tale by Garth Ennis and Becky Cloonan for the first 7!” – BOOM! Studios
REVIEW
Hello Darkness #1 very much hits the Black Mirror storytelling in comic book form. This being an anthology series with 42 pages total does create constraints on the six stories. But as the creative teams for the six stories show, working within these constraints made the storytelling for each narrative stand on its own. Even if a particular story doesn’t hit with you there are five others where you’ll find enjoyment.
While not every story is a hit personally that is okay. The beauty of an anthology series is that there will be at least several stories that can and will hit depending on your tastes. What was most important for Hello Darkness to hit overall was the approach of blending horror, fantasy, and mystery genres. All the stories at least hit a mix of two of the three genres.
Seeing the approach that each of the creative teams took in Hello Darkness overall theme was what made this entire reading experience special. Combining their approach to tackling the themed genres with the page constraints made for a lot of cool creative choices. Those creative choices made even the stories that I was maybe not fond of at least appreciate what was attempted.
Because of the creativity shown it makes Hello Darkness #1 a comic book you’ll look forward to talking with friends about to find out which story they liked or didn’t connect with. There is something here for anyone looking for something that hits horror, fantasy, and mystery storytelling.
The two stories that stuck out for me where the ones told by James Tynion, Werther Dell’edera, and Miquel Muerto as well as the one by Sarah Anderson. These two stories stood out for how they blended the three genres this series is based around. Both the writing and artwork just hit on what the potential an anthology series has. Anderson’s story in particular did some cool things with how inner monologue was handled to enhance the artwork.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Hello Darkness #1 delivers a cool immersive experience. The six stories within this comic book all had a hook that leaves you wondering what is unfolding. Even if not every story is a hit for everyone there will be several stories here that will capture different fans attention. That is where the beauty of Hello Darkness lies, every reader will have a different takeaway of which mix of stories they’ll engage with. Hello Darkness is definitely one comic book you don’t want to miss out on experiencing this year.
Story Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Click here to check out a full preview of Hello Darkness #1.
For more opinions on anime, comic book, movies, and sports you can follow Kevin on Bluesky, Instagram, Threads, and Twitter/X.