The Creators – Ryan Parrott – Writer, Letizia Cadonici – Artist, Alessandro Santoro – Colours, Taylor Esposito – Letters

The Players – Sutton Reed, Ian Shell, Addison Reed

The Story – Some years ago, a girl named Sutton survived a terrible tragedy where all of her friends were slaughtered. Today, others are being killed in the same manner. Somehow, they must be connected.

The Take – From Mad Cave Studios comes a new horror title to hit the stands, and it turns out to be yet another hit for the publisher, who has really upped their game in the last couple of years. Author Ryan Parrott and artist Letizia Cadonici present a tale that is both disturbing and mysterious, a story that finds a woman who is involved in several killings, though just how remains to be seen. Introducing what readers have to assume is the main protagonist in the first few pages, surrounded by carnage, a grown-up Sutton Reed is now a realtor and a cutthroat one at that. She has a daughter and some success, yet when the past comes calling in the form of a private investigator named Ian Shell, her world is shaken. All of this leads to the most interesting part of the book when she heads off alone into the woods and returns with an object to use in a ritual. The summoning brings forth some sort of demonic being, one that readers can only assume was somehow involved in that past massacre. What makes it even more intriguing is the fact that Sutton seems to know what she is doing in all of this, meaning that, at least in part, one has to assume that she is also somehow involved in that bloodbath. A knowing part. How did it all come about, and why would she keep silent about it for all of these years? Parrott does a great job at setting everything up, both past and present. He hooks the reader from the first with the butchery that has taken place and begins to explore Sutton’s world while continuing to establish the mystery and horror unfolding around her. Cadonici aids in this with some striking visuals. Able to make the mundane just as interesting as the nightmare behind the scenes, the book looks incredible and together, the creators of this tale make it something special. Where this all leads is anyone’s guess, as the ending to this issue points in multiple directions. One thing that readers can be certain of is that Sutton Reed will be front and center, somehow entangled in all of it. Also, a known quantity is the fact that the killings are not going to stop, though how many more will fall is one of the bigger questions that remain. A great start to a fantastic new series.

Worth It? – Yes.