"The Autumnal #2" Comic Review

After everything Kat and Sybil have been through, have they finally found a home in the small town of Comfort Notch? They have a place to call their own and the locals seem nice...although a little strange. It's clear something is going on in this place and these two may have just stumbled into danger.

The eerie tone established in The Autumnal #1 carries over to its second chapter. We can tell right away that this place isn't normal. There is something sinister lurking nearby. What that is is still a mystery, but it has something to do with the leaves. Kat and Sybil are still thinking they're in a regular town, so they haven't connected those dots yet. I have faith in them though, as their bullshit detectors are on point.

Artist Chris Shehan drives home this unsettling feeling. Some of the panels look like they were ripped off postcards or tourism brochures. They're beautiful, although given what we know so far, they're a little haunting. This place is like a mouse trap and this mother and daughter duo are the unsuspecting mice.

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This mixture works wonders, as there are moments you almost forget that there has to be some imminent danger. Maybe, just maybe, this is a quaint story about a family getting a second chance. That feeling doesn't last long, as writer Daniel Kraus pulls another twist and scares the crap out of you. This is especially true for the final moments of The Autumnal #2 as we get an absolutely shocking scene.

I love the relationship between Kat and Sybil. They have clearly been through quite a lot, yet they still have a positive outlook on life. They don't wallow in the bad hand they've been dealt, but instead enjoy each other's company and make the best of it, even if that means sleeping in the park in the rain.

Colorist Jason Wordie uses a warm palette for The Autumnal #2, emphasizing the red of the leaves that seem to surround everyone in Comfort Notch. This is very much a Fall book, with warm yellows and oranges filling each page. It's something people will be reading while enjoying their pumpkin spice lattes. Wordie can ratchet up the terror at the drop of a hat, as seen at the end of this issue, where all of a sudden there's some real danger. It's like an electric current pulses through the comic out of nowhere.

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This is shown in the dialogue too, as letterer Jim Campbell shifts from a normal, measured style to an explosive one. It's clear that some folks in this town are not as happy and helpful as others.

The Autumnal will engulf you. It seeps into your bones. The characters are so relatable that we have quickly become invested in their lives. This makes the dangers they face all the more harrowing. We're just getting started with this book, but it's already become one of my favorite comics of the year.