**Disclaimer: I received a free advanced readers copy of Strange, Dark & Mysterious by MrBallen through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity.
MrBallen Presents: Strange, Dark & Mysterious: The Graphic Stories by MrBallen is a horror graphic novel collection of short stories of spooky encounters. I think it would be appropriate for young adult and adult audiences. It is set to be published on October 1st, 2024. I rated it 4 stars on Goodreads.
Here’s the summary from Goodreads:
A vivid, frighteningly illustrated graphic novel collection of nine strange, dark, and mysterious stories, based on true events, from the mind behind the YouTube channel and hit MrBallen Podcast
John Allen, known popularly as “MrBallen,” has been enthralling audiences with his unique brand of storytelling ever since he burst onto the scene, covering strange and mysterious phenomena ranging from the unexplained screaming heard in parts of Nahanni Valley, the Kandahar Giant found in Afghanistan, UFOs appearing at a cattle ranch in Utah, and Allen’s own brush with the paranormal. Deeply researched and seriously compelling, the show rapidly gained a devoted fanbase for the raconteur himself and for the rarely-before-covered unsettling occurrences and true crimes that have taken place throughout the world.
In MrBallen Presents: Strange, Dark & Mysterious, Allen reveals the creepy underbelly of the human experience, charting bizarre and downright terrifying instances of the paranormal, the horrors of the natural world, and the danger of our own minds. With new, exclusive stories and in collaboration with New York Times bestselling graphic novelist Robert Venditti and acclaimed comic book artist Andrea Mutti, this is a haunting collection filled with twists and surprises that will leave you thoroughly spooked.
I have to admit that I have never seen a video by MrBallen, but I was in the mood for something spooky when I requested this graphic novel collection and it definitely followed through. I will say that the digital galley that I read is not complete compared to the finished volume as they were saving four of the short stories for the final copies. I was a little disappointed by this because I prefer complete galleys, but I guess I don’t read too many short story collections through NetGalley, so maybe this is standard.
That being said, I did really enjoy the stories that were included. They were all spooky and creepy, and while not all technically ghost stories, they did leave the reader with something to think about. I think my favourite story in the collection was the first one where gold prospectors kept dying under mysterious circumstances in this one particular remote valley. It really displayed a certain sense of human stubborness and perhaps a degree of human stupidity. Either way, I totally enjoyed it. It was great for a little scare before bed when you’re in the mood to get a little scared.
The real star of this was the art though. I really loved the way the illustrator was able to bring the stories to life with the designs and way they were illustrated. The use of colour was great, and a lot of information was passed along visually. The art was really atmospheric.
Overall, I highly recommend the collection. If this is the kind of content MrBallen makes, then I might have to actually check out a video.
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