Comic Book Review: Mustn't Tell #1
Spooky Season might be a long ways away, but for those who prefer their thrills year-round, there is Mustn’t Tell, a brand-new 5-issue comic miniseries from Tommy Stella, Jon McDaniel and B.A. Roth that follows a young boy named Ryan who is haunted by an unsettling spectre at night, and is determined to vanquish it with the help of his best friend Jake.
The first issue of Mustn’t Tell is infused with the nostalgic energy of the kinds of stories we all flocked to as kids. It’s relatable and funny, but hidden underneath is a current of something that is maybe just a shade more frightening and disturbing than we anticipated, something unexplained that leaves a chill that will linger long after the movie is over — or in this case, after we’ve turned the last page.
The first pages of Mustn’t Tell tease a story about the lingering power of childhood fears, and anyone who was ever scared of something irrational as a kid will remember just how pervasive those fears can be, and how much they can stick with us as adults (for the record, this was my most irrational one. Don’t look at me like that.). How exactly the mystery of the monster that haunts Ryan’s house will follow him from childhood to adulthood remains to be seen, but with a story cleverly and engagingly written by Stella and illustrated by McDaniel and Roth, I’m eager to see where it goes next.
The Mustn’t Tell Kickstarter is running now until March 29. Check it out here.
