Review: Sentinel Issue #4: Misty Moore

I was recently lucky enough to get a preview of the upcoming issue of Sentinel Issue 4 "Misty Moore".  I'd heard Alan Holloway and Ed Doyle interviewed on Damian Edwardsons "Omen to That" podcast (always worth a listen) and they were talking about issue 4. I was intrigued to learn that it was going to be a horror story, another tangent for The Sentinel.

Misty Moore is the story of a teenage girl whose family up sticks and move to the South West of Englan in the early 80s. They move into a large, grand building that houses a few families and, it turns out, has a dark history of its own.  Misty suffers the trials that any teen moving area and schools might, halfway through a term.  Through no fault of her own, she certainly makes more enemies than friends.  It's at this time the dark past of the house is truly revealed, but how will this affect Misty and those that are bullying her?

When I was a kid growing up in the 70s, God help you if you were caught reading a girls comic by your mates, so I never read anything like Tammy, Jinty or Misty at the time.  But now I realise that I've perhaps missed out on some well crafted stories from the likes of Pat Mills and John Wagner and some lovely art from such artists as Shirley Bellwood and Jesus Redondo. 

I'm sure that Misty Moore would fit easily into the pages of Misty or Scream, Alan Has given us a story that moves along at a good pace and holds the readers interest right to the end, with one or two horrific twists. He has called upon his own family history, which adds to the authentic feel of the comic, setting the story in a village and house that he lived in as a youngster even catching the bus to school from the local precinct, just as Misty does. 

Ian Beedle has described himself as a "self taught artist, with still a lot to learn" well his teacher is doing a great job.  His fine line black and white work here suits the story perfectly and he has captured the feel of the 80s spot on, the clothes, hairstyles and even the bitchy fourth year girls.  Yes, some aspects of his art need a little honing but that can be overlooked for the great storytelling he brings with his work. As a side note, look out for cameos from Alan and Ed in the comic.

You may think this all sounds a little bit tame but, trust me, things turn very dark and very violent. There are some splash pages that certainty aren't for the squeamish, at times more suited for The Walking Dead than Misty or Scream. An enjoyable horror tale that echoes the stories of old, but with a modern twist.

At the time of writing there are 11 days of the Kickstarter still to go, check out the rewards on offer or alternative cover from rising star of The77, Neil Sims.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sentinelcomic/sentinel-issue-4-misty-moore?ref=android_project_share