There's only a handful of iconic movie monsters more recognizable than Pumpkinhead, and this comic lovingly expands the canon while still doing service to the 1988 movie.

The great thing about the core tales in the Pumpkinhead series is that, since the titular character is a demon of vengeance, then your story's gonna revolve around that. Overlaying this fable into a modern-day Appalachian setting where cultures old and new collide (the "new" being Southern-fried drug dealers) puts a unique twist to things, and that's not even the most interesting surprise here: This time around, we get some insight into the "old witch" introduced in the 1988 film, her backstory, as well as the fact that Pumpkinhead isn't the only demon in town. Juxtapose that with a subplot involving the police trying to intervene and bring governmental justice into the ring, and it all culminates in a series of bloody battles.

The only thing that hit me as weird are some of the character designs: Despite being local mountain people, many of the styles of the characters border on something I'd see in The Warriors or [insert apocalyptic film here], and positively ripped/muscular to boot. That's cool and all, but the Pumpkinhead universe doesn't really need that. It's kind of distracting. No need in sexing things up. It's very Rob Zombie-esque, to be honest.

Despite the movies being pretty violent, the animation realm gives the authors the ability to really lay it all out, and it gives a better sense of what Pumpkinhead's capable of---his agility, his cruelty, his penchant for doling out vengeance---aspects that the films either can't handle due to various constraints.

If you're a fan of the series, it's like visiting an old friend. I appreciate the creative leap of expanding the mythos and I'm looking forward to what's next.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Diamond Book Distributors, and Dynamite Entertainment for the advance read.

Thank you to Netgalley, Diamond Book Distributors, and Dynamite Entertainment for the pre-pub access.

This graphic novel is true to the Pumpkinhead world of hillbillies, slang, degradation and vengeance. The story itself was pretty straightforward and simple, even laughable in places (it's funny to see how hillbilly slang is written), but it wasn't as scary/gory as the film(s).

Who could forget the famous horror movie, Pumpkinhead?! A blast from the past! The graphic novel was easy to read on my tablet compared to some of the graphic novels where I could barely makeep the words out. I was able to follow the storyline easily. It is not for the faint of the heart. For those who are horror junkie would enjoy this. The drawings and colors were beautiful despite of the horror and gore. 3 3/4 stars

I received this ARC from Diamond Books Distributors Dynamite Entertainment through Net Galley in an exchange for my honest review .

Horror and science fiction fans would be pleased with this book, rife with images and suspenseful plotting. An enjoyable read for those who have seen and enjoyed the films featuring the titular character, as well as newcomers.