Description
Like a graphic novel version of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, this collection of original horror tales is packed with urban legends, terrifying twists, and delightfully haunted stories by one of the biggest stars in webcomics. Each story will make you scream for more!
A new take on a classic format, Bad Dreams in the Night is an updated, illustrated take on the horror anthologies the author grew up with as a kid, such as Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and In a Dark, Dark Room. These self-contained stories grew rapidly in popularity among the author’s online audience, and even inspired production of a motion picture from Buzzfeed Studios and Lionsgate Films. Filled with spine-tingling, pulse-increasing tales of mystery and supernatural occurrences, this book of never-before-seen comics will be the perfect gift for people who love Black Mirror and Stranger Things and listened to podcasts like Welcome to Nightvale and Rabbits.
Overview
Title – Bad Dreams in the Night [Horror Anthology Stories]
Author – Adam Ellis (Writer and Illustrator)
Publisher – Andrews McMeel Publishing
Genre – Horror/Supernatural/Comics/Graphic Novel [Adult Fiction]
Chapters – 11 Anthology Stories
Pages – 256 [Print Edition]
Cover – 9/10 (love it!)
Release Date – 16 April, 2024
Grab your copy at – Amazon
Review
NO Spoilers
I got hold of the digital copy of ‘Bad Dreams in the Night’ through NetGalley while searching for some comics/graphic novels to binge upon. I mean, the cover was literally calling for me to click on it, and that’s exactly what I did! Not only that, but the description had me intrigued straight away, and I hit that “Read Now” button faster than one could blink! Hence, I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for making this amazing graphic novel available to all the fellow readers and graphic novel enthusiasts alike.
Alright then, what’s this horror anthology collection all about, you ask? Here’s some info. taken from the ‘From the Publisher’ section at Amazon –
Reader Beware!
Bad Dreams in the Night is a horror anthology in graphic novel form. It depicts terrifying mysteries and supernatural stories from writer and illustrator Adam Ellis.
Eleven bone-chilling tales.
Each story features a different art style and a brief note about the inspiration behind the work.
Excited and eager to dive into it yet? I most certainly was! And as soon as I got the chance to sit down and sift through these 11 tales, I knew that I was in for a ride… and to attest to this very fact, I indeed read through it all in just a single sitting! Now that’s saying something, huh?
Each story, each one of these mysterious tales, is unique in its own way. Not only is the art style different, but the theme, the story, and the actual horror/supernatural element is also widely distributed across the spectrum (and I absolutely loved that!).
So, following are the 11 titles (in chronological order), and a very brief premise for each (rather, my take on it) –
- Me and Evangeline at the Farm
- Classic horror video tapes are fun, right? Or are they…
- Milk Door
- What could go wrong with a milk door, eh?
- This one was quite creepy to say the least.
- Butter Corn Ramen
- I am NOT going into a ramen shop ever again!
- Liked this one.
- The Green Ribbon
- As they say – happy wife, happy life. You better keep it that way, and stop poking around!
- Forest Fruit
- Survival of the fittest… quite literally.
- Bus Stop
- Don’t believe in coincidences? You might wanna reconsider that…
- Liked it!
- Hangnail
- DON’T. PICK. ON. YOUR. HANGNAILS! Is that so hard to follow?!
- Absolutely loved this one! One of my favorites!
- On a side note: – The original work by the author, which got turned into a meme and went viral, is also present as a bonus after this story! (I totally remember seeing those memes too!).
- Better Kate than Never
- You’ll never look at TV dramas/reality shows in the same way again!
- Little House in the Sea
- The show must go on…
- Murder Party
- When you take your job too seriously…
- Loved the whole “mystery” vibes.
- Viola Bloom
- All I’ll say is this – I was quite traumatized after reading it!
- The BEST story of the lot in my opinion. Loved it! And also… that ending! Well, well, well…
Have a look at all the 11 title arts below (I think they are all very nicely done!) –
What was really great about it?
- Firstly, the artwork/illustrations throughout were just INCREDIBLE!
- Each story had its own unique plot along with various horror/supernatural/mystery elements that made it super fun and super scary at times.
- Really loved the fact that the author has put up brief notes at the end of each story depicting how he came up with the idea for it and/or his influences regarding the same.
- As I’ve mentioned before, I finished it in just one sitting, which says about it all. It was really a super fun read altogether!
What didn’t quite hit the spot?
- I don’t really have any “negatives/complaints” to talk about. The only thing I’d say would be that not every story will vibe with you in the best possible way. Some were really great, whereas others were a bit “hit or miss” to be honest. But I guess that’s part and parcel of an anthology, and so I don’t wanna be too “critical” about that.
Final thoughts
Overall, I very much enjoyed it! Each of the 11 horror/supernatural/mystery stories is unique in its own way, be it in art, plot, or theme. The illustrations/artwork throughout are really nicely done, and are incredible in their own right. A brief note after each story about its inspiration is a pretty good highlight as well. I finished it in a single sitting! So if you’re looking for a great horror anthology graphic novel to binge upon, ‘Bad Dreams in the Night’ is the right pick! I would definitely RECOMMEND that you go for it.
Grab your copy at – Amazon
Rating: – 9/10 (Enjoyed it fully!)
