"The Last Halloween: Volume 1 – Children" Graphic NovelReview

Young Mona is gearing up for a fun Halloween, but she's stuck at home because her father is going out to a party. Instead of a quiet evening, a giant monster shows up and chases her out into the street, where even more creatures await. Mona quickly gets involved in a monster apocalypse as her world is invaded by beasts from the next.

The Last Halloween starts out with an interesting premise and only builds from there. What is striking about this book is how creator Abby Howard balances drama, horror, and humor. This is a really fun book, made even more so by how shocked and confused Mona is about everything that's going on. She reminds her new friends over and over again that she's just ten years old and this is not something a ten-year-old should be doing.

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Mona encounters a group of not-quite-monsters along the way. They're like outcasts from the rest of the creatures attacking our world. The clash of personalities here makes for some great fun. The young vampire is my favorite, full of excitement, energy, and a love of snacks. He reminds me of Ripley from Lumberjanes.

Howard gives each character a unique voice with their dialogue. You get a sense of who they are based on how their words appear on the page. This is something that really stands out in The Last Halloween.

There's no set template for the monsters in this book. They come in all shapes and sizes and they're all terrifying. It's like Howard started drawing limbs and just picked a random place to stop each time. The body parts bulge in unnatural ways. Some are missing pieces like eyes or legs. They're all super creepy.

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This is a pretty massive book, clocking in at over 400 pages. There's a lot of story to unfold and it's clear that Howard has a deep mythos at play here. We get into the reason for this monster attack, the society they come from, and how Mona may be able to send them all back, not to mention tons of interesting character development moments.

Although this has a high page count, The Last Halloween never drags. The story is constantly moving and it's always full of interesting tidbits. I never found myself checking how far along I was as the story moves along at a nice pace. It helps that it's so much fun.

The Last Halloween is a quirky, hilarious comic full of monsters and gore. It's an odd combination that works so very well. It's reminiscent of Roman Dirge's Lenore in its tone and humor, leaning into the macabre for laughs that always deliver.