Harrow County - More Like Nope County

Harrow County #1

Harrow County is written by Cullen Bunn, art and lettering by Tyler Crook and published by Dark Horse Comics. I'm not good with scary movies, I can't watch them on my own and if I do watch them it needs to be in the middle of the day, with another person, surrounded by crucifixes, sitting in a ring of salt, while wearing a Hamsa and after a priest has blessed the house. Scary comics on the other hand I love and after seeing advertisements for Harrow County in the back of other Dark Horse comics I knew it was a comic I needed to get my hands on.

Harrow County begins with the hanging execution of the witch, Hester Beck, who had been previously accepted by the towns people of Harrow County as she healed the sick but as the livestock started to die and darker, stranger things began to happen the towns people could no longer ignore what was going on. As they burn Hester's body she vows she will return "to tend or murder". Many years after the death of Hester a local girl, Emmy, is plagued by nightmares as the new born livestock on their farm are stillborn with sever and strange deformities. As Emmy's 18th birthday approaches she starts to consider leaving the family farm despite her father's objections. Emmy often walks through the woods and one day she sees a strange young boy run through the forest and sets out to find him but stumbles across something terrifying instead.

When are people going to learn that killing witches just ends in curses

The art of Harrow County is done in beautiful water colour and swings between charming, quaint little farm house to terrifying horrors. The forests are drawn gorgeously and whether looking ominous and dangerous or warm and inviting are one of the greatest features of the comic.

Emmy seems like a typical teenager caught between wanting to help her father with the farm and wanting to have her own life. We see that Emmy still sees the world through a innocent child's eyes but her father, who we know was involved in the execution of Hester Beck, is suspicious of the misshapen livestock but doesn't want to believe that it could have anything to do with Emmy or Hester's curse.

Harrow County is going to be a frightening series that will be both beautiful and disturbing and I hope will reaming as frightening as issue #1.
I give Harrow County 4 out of 5 witches and monsters.

Get your copy of Harrow County here.