It has been a very long time since I have read any comics or graphic novels, but The Low, Low Woods is very different from anything I’ve experienced previously. I wanted to read the book mostly as it is written by Carmen Maria Machado, an author I have had on my “to-read” list. Overall, I quite enjoyed it and ended up reading it in one sitting.

It is an absolutely bizarre tale with equally creepy art. Despite the graphic novel being categorized as horror, it still manages to heap a healthy dose of humor into the dialogue. The friendship between Vee and El in the story is great and makes for the backbone of this strange, disturbing tale.

I did like the art style and there were some great panels, but I felt some of them were lacking in detail and could have been a bit clearer to help enhance the story and overall “creep factor”. It was an interesting ride, but it did feel as if it had more unexplored potential and probably could have used a few more issues to further flesh out the story with more defined interconnecting threads.

I was already convinced to read Carmen Maria Machado’s memoir, but now that I have read this, it is certainly sliding higher up in the queue!

**I received a free electronic copy of this book from DC Comics through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

Trigger Warning: This book contains instances of sexual assault and abuse.

Bizarre happenings are the norm in Shudder-to-Think. Enter El and Vee: two best friends just trying to navigate high school and decide what they want to do with their lives. One fateful night, the two go see a movie and seemly wake up in their seats when it’s over, having absolutely no idea what happened the last few hours. El and Vee will stop at nothing to discover what is behind the missing memories, and the dark secrets that unfold are much worse than either of them ever expected… and they are not about to let them stay buried.

This is the first title I have read from the Hill House Comics line under the DC Black Label. For those who do not know, the DC Black Label is an imprint of DC Comics that was formerly known as Vertigo Comics or DC Vertigo. They published blockbuster titles such as The Sandman, Fables, and John Constantine, Hellblazer. This label publishes exclusively mature content, so if you see a Batman comic with a DC Black Label logo, it is not the right read for your kiddo.

Hill House Comics is the imprint of Joe Hill, the writer of many novels and comics, and he just so happens to be the writer of one of my favorite comic series of all time: Locke & Key. Due to this, I had a certain expectation of what to expect from this line, and boy, did this title delivered from art to narrative.

Sketchy thin lines form details instead of think harsh ones and lend themselves well to the narrative. The style reminds me of nightmares I’ve had when I can’t quite see all the details, but still somehow get a full picture of what I’m seeing. This makes it more terrifying and it easier to imagine characters as people you know. Which can be both good and bad. It is more relatable if some characters could be people you know, but in a narrative like this, you don't want to know most of them.

I am glad I was able to read the trade version of The Low, Low Woods because I would have been clamoring for each issue. Every issue relies on the wonderful crescendo of classic story structure, leaving you craving the next chapter. What I really appreciate about the portrayal of El and Vee is the narrative style. The issues trade off who is narrating, and Vee’s narration really stuck with me.

Vee is a teenager but has had to grow up fast due to the hardships of living in Shudder-to-Think. The way she speaks is self-aware and entertaining for the adult audience this label is geared toward without sounding out of place for a teenager. She makes parallels between her life and The Awakening by Kate Chopin. If you have not read the novel, or it’s been a while (like it was for me) you can easily see the correlations in context. My English major brain was extremely excited about this and I vividly remember having to read the novel for my American literature course. Vee doesn't talk down to the reader in regard to this literature and she is clearly trying to navigate her life using classic literature to help her make sense of her teenage feelings and surroundings.

One of the major themes of this title is agency. The women in the town have it taken away from them when they experience their lapses in memory. I think this is why it can also be especially triggering. One of the questions in my mind while reading was, “If you had your agency taken away from you, would you want to even remember what happened?” The Low, Low Woods gives you an honest glimpse at both answers to this question. That is part of what makes this title terrifying. It’s not the skinless men, or weird half animal women in the woods, it’s the lengths of depravity people will go to take advantage of others. But there is also a light in the darkness, and that is friendship.

For fans of: body horror, small town dramas, and strong female characters

Verdict: 5/5

This will be posted on my blog after the book is officially released and I have received assets from the publisher.

I am loving Joe Hill's Hill House Comics collection. This was another great addition to the series. With enough intrigue and mystery surrounding the plot, this is a graphic novel that is a little lighter on the horror element.

I cannot open this PDF. There is an error with the formatting that is not compatible with my laptop and I was not given access through the Net Galley app.

I read the original comic and loved it.

What was that?!

I am not a fan of the horror genre-my brain really does not need to assistance in the creep me out department-but this was sufficiently unsettling. The art style is not my favorite, but I do think it contributes to the general disturbed feelings this book left me with.

Special thanks to NetGalley and DC for the free ARC I was provided in exchange for an honest review.

This graphic novel is a horror story which takes place in Shudder-To-Think, a decaying former mining community suffering from fires which burn underground. Its woods are haunted by skinless men, mutant deer-women hybrids, and other abominations. Additionally, the women in the town appear to be suffer from an illness resulting in periodic short-term memory loss. The story begins when two high school friends, Eldora (El) and Octavia (Vee), find themselves the victims of this illness one night. They soon realize that the creatures in the woods may not be the worst residents in a community with dark secrets...secrets which everyone seems to be either in on or in denial of.

I enjoyed the overall story. With Lovecraftian and Lynchian overtones, it kept getting stranger and creepier, making me wonder what on earth was going on, but it was all eventually explained (admittedly, this probably could have been handled a little better--it was accomplished largely through a lengthy exposition dump). It only gets more horrifying when you do finally learn the truth.

Props to the writer for the diverse cast of characters, including two strong female leads. They are both LGBTQ+ and POC, yet are also written differently--e.g., El is tough and determined to find out the truth (no matter how horrifying it may be) about what happened during their period of memory loss, while Vee is more bookish and initially wants to forget about the experience and move on. Despite this conflict, they have a deep and well-written friendship.

The art was a mixed bag. I loved the use of color, especially the shades of blue and purple used during nighttime scenes. The drawing, on the other hand, left something to be desired. It was well done at times, but other times, it looked rough or even outright unfinished, almost like they had decided the initial penciled version was good enough to skip over to the coloring process. It was also difficult at times (either due to the artwork or the framing/sequence of the shots) to tell what was going on. For example, Vee discovers a bizarre secret about her girlfriend Jessica early on; it's eventually explained, but when they first showed it, I had no idea what I was even looking at and was confused even more when Jessica was shown to be alive and well a few scenes later with no explanation.

This is the second graphic novel I have read in DC's Hill House imprint, and I have enjoyed both. I look forward to seeing what they have to offer next!

I really, really enjoyed this graphic novel. I have read Carmen Maria Machado's short stories and her memoir and I love her writing so I was very excited to read this. The story is dreamy, creepy, frightening, and sad, at once a folktale and an allegory. El and Vee are well-written protagonists, their stories intersecting and diverging in an interesting way. The town of Shudder-to-Think was an amazingly eerie setting to drop into, becoming even scarier as the narrative unfolds--first as we see more of the monsters, then as we begin to understand the scale of the monstrosity. I liked the characters' narration throughout, and felt that the narrative flowed neatly with the art. The art itself left me a bit conflicted. Some panels are downright messy, making it a bit difficult to tell what's going on (e.g. character expressions were sometimes difficult to read, and not in a way that made me feel like the ambiguity was meaningful). On the other hand, the style worked wonderfully for the more horror-style panels, or those that called for some degree of uncertainty. Definite read.

I have always liked Carmen Maria Machado's writing and this was no exception. However, I don't think her writing style fits very well into the graphic novel format. It was ok, but felt a bit long winded and exposition dumpy. Also, the art style was not my favorite. It wasn't bad, but a bit choppy and messy looking at times. The message within was definitely a hard hitting one so it might be a rough read for some. Overall, this was ok. I'm always down for more women in comics and I would definitely read more by Machado.

The Low, Low Woods is the latest graphic novel in the DC Black Label line. As such, it's a horror story, and it makes no apologies for what it is.
In Pennsylvania there is a town called Shudder-to-Think. It is a town that has earned it's name. Fires blaze under the ground, while those above are afflicted with an illness that takes away their memory. In little pieces at first, and later in large chunks.
El and Vee are the latest victims to this disease, and they're not content to let it run its course. Thus, they're going to find the cause, though they may not appreciate the truth once it has been uncovered.

Warnings: The Low, Low Woods is a seriously dark book. It has strong themes surrounding sexual assault, rape, and abuse. This is not a story for the faint of heart. Seriously.

The Low, Low Woods has got to be one of the darkest graphic novels I've read in quite some time. No, I take that back. I actually think that is is legit the darkest graphic novel I've ever read, which I'd like to think is saying something.
This is a book that doesn't hide from uncomfortable subjects or facts. It explores the darker side of humanity. Set in a small town, it was free to get as dark as it wanted. All while basing the core of it on real events (the mining accidents).
Honestly, this graphic novel started out as a pretty interesting read. I really enjoyed it at first. And then the darkness started setting in. My warning was no exaggeration, and many readers will potentially find it to be highly triggering.
That in itself isn't a bad thing, it's a horror story after all, and it never pretended that anything happening was okay. It's an exploration of trauma and how horrible human beings can be. It discusses all sides of memory, and the reasons why sometimes people prefer to forget. Like I said, not for the faint of heart.
The artwork inside The Low, Low Woods was a perfect compliment. It's dark and gritty, and danced nicely around some of the themes I already mentioned. Nothing graphic is ever shown, only implied. I'm grateful for that.
Personally, I adored the color palette found within these pages, and feel like that alone really set the tone for the entire read. Though maybe that's just me.
One thing I have to say, I'm really curious to see what sort of story will follow-up The Low, Low Woods - looks like it's Daphne Byrne, but I haven't read that one yet. It'll be interesting to see how that one goes.

Strange, unsettling story of two girls who start searching for answers to what they’ve forgotten and uncover the dark secrets of their town.
#Edelweiss #NetGalley #TheLowLowWoodsHillHouseComics

The Low, Low Woods works as both a fairytale and an examination of contemporary sexual assault conversations. Two young girls wake up in a movie theater with lost time. It's clear something sinister happened to them while they were blacked out but they have no idea what it could have been. For the rest of the series, we explore their world, an old mining town with smoking fissures in the Earth, a local witch that never ages, and a strange deer-like centaur that prowls the forest. Machado manages to deftly balance character development and plot delivering a disturbing but ultimately hopeful horror allegory.

4 stars for the story. Very different from the first Hill Comic, this one is more kind of horror fairy tale, less straight up gruesome. Still on the theme of strong female characters which was nice. I found the over all story to be interesting.
3 stars because I did not care of the art at all. I thought the sketchy style was very off putting and inconsistent and took away from the over all story.

The Low, Low Woods is an atmospheric and surreal horror story set in the dying coal town of Shudder-To-Think, Pennsylvania.

Elements of feminism and malevolence come into play, as two young women El and Vee realize something is terribly wrong in their town. Years ago a fire moved underground into the coal mines, forcing their closures and gutting an already fragile economy. In addition, women began to exhibit strange episodes in which they were losing large portions of their memory. When this seems to happen to the two friends on an evening at the movies, they want answers. Readers then discover there is already a layer of magic, as a strange deer/human hybrid is sighted, skinned men are hiding in the woods, and there are rabbits everywhere with human eyes. There is somewhat of a Paper Girls vibe in this story, further supported that El and Vee ride their bikes everywhere, but late in the story the narrative takes a sharp and confusing turn. A witch who is trying to combat the cruelty of the men in the region, as previous sexual assaults are implied in the story but not seen, but her spells don’t always work the way she intended. The remainder of the story is the young women trying to give agency back to the women affected by the dark magic.

The illustrations by artist Dani are dark with a color palette using a lot of black and red. The panels are varied, often with a large picture with smaller ones layered on top with black gutters. But the lines can be imprecise and lacking details. For example, El who is a larger woman is often drawn blocky. But I did appreciate that the various characters were given a diverse look. There was a lot of dialogue and information given in text boxes, with a small font that made reading challenging.

I have read a previous short story, Blur, by the author Carmen Maria Machado through LeVar Burton Reads, and she is known for her LGTBQ+ storylines in the horror genre. While this story wasn’t exactly to my liking, I like how Hill House Comics is using a variety of authors to reach different audiences. I was pleased to receive an advance copy through NetGalley and I plan on reading more of this label’s graphic novels! (Actual review 3.5/5)

The Low, Low Woods is a creepy tale set in Shudder-To-Think, Pennsylvania. What makes it creepy? Could it be the skinless men, the deer woman, or the rabbits with human eyes wondering in and around the woods? The fact that the coal mines under the town have been on fire for years? What about the way women are prone to lose large chunks of time from their memories or randomly have their bodies open into large sinkholes? Okay, that last one certainly does the trick.

Yes, this tale is fraught with body horror, feminism, and coming-of-age angst. It is an #ownvoices tale of two teenage best friends who happen to be lesbians—one Latinx, one Black—written by Carmen Maria Machado. Their love for each other is strong yet purely platonic. These two girls, El (Eldora) and Vee (Octavia), begin the story waking up in a theater not remembering any of the movie they went to see—not a single thing. They know something has happened to them or that someone did something to them, but they can’t remember what. That seems to be a common occurrence for women of Shudder-To-Think. El and Vee must decide if they really want to find out what happened because it is most likely something awful that would haunt them. But not knowing is its own kind of hell, too. That’s where we jump down into the rabbit hole of this weird little town.

There are many layers of story here—maybe too many for its own good. The ideas are very intriguing but sometimes fizzle out. However, the writer has a unique voice and portrays the teenage girls authentically. The art is also quite good. It is heavily inked and suits the tone of the story well. At times, though, it lacks detail. Comic book artists must decide which panels to devote more time to and which ones to skimp on. There are quite a few where the Greek artist Dani (sometimes stylized as DaNi) cuts corners. At times, it seems a bit sloppy. My biggest problem with the book, however, has to do with what is often not depicted in the panels. Writers and artists must choose what happens in the gutters (the space between panels). Leaving out scenes of sexual assault is, for example, a good choice in this book. However, showing a man standing outside in a tranquil setting in one panel only to be shown lying on the ground bleeding in the next feels a bit odd. What happened to him? It felt like the creators often mishandled story beats like this one. Whether it’s due to the inexperience of first-time comic book writer Machado or artist Dani is unclear. Poor choices concerning which story beats to show and which to leave for the readers to fill in are prevalent throughout and keep this very good story from being a great one.

This is the fourth of five titles under Joe Hill’s pop-up line of horror comics from the mature readers’ DC Black Label imprint that I have read. Even when a particular book like this one doesn’t quite grab me, I still appreciate the talent involved. The line has showcased a very broad range of stories; there is something for every horror fan. While all mature readers can enjoy this one, it will especially appeal to older teenage girls, young women, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. We are fortunate that Machado and Dani (via DC Comics and Joe Hill) have brought us such a provocative story about the importance of diversity, humanity, and memory.

*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Low, Low Woods by Carmen Maria Machado started out a bit confusing. Two teen-age girls leaving a movie theater without any memory of watching the movie. One very angry, El, and the other, Vee, not wanting to know.

They both know something happened. El wants to know what happened. Vee would rather remain in the dark. What exactly is happening to the women of Shudder-To-Think, Pa.?

El and Vee are best friends, inseparable since they were young children. They met in the woods. The woods they were not to go near. El rescued Vee from the skinless man. The skinless men, the strange, malformed animals, the fire raging beneath them., and those women with a void that opens in their middle sucking in all that is around them.

And the witch. Did I not mention the witch?

This graphic novel is about women taking their power back. Women choosing to remember. Women willing to fight to regain the lives they had lost. When El, Vee, and the witch begin working together, tables are turned.
What exactly happening to the women of Shudder-To-Think, Pa.? You are about to find out and, oh boy, what a rush!

The beginning of this graphic novel had me confused. I wasnt quite sure what was going on. I held in there and was glad I did. Those that abused their power got what was coming to them. The story, at times brutal, does not stray from the harder topics. Although the supernatural is a huge part of this graphic novel, the story could very easily play out in our world. There are many monsters walking around with human faces.

Thanks to NetGalley, DC Black Label, and Carmen Maria Machado for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This is the winner of the Hill House Comics imprint. I've been a fan of Carmine Maria Machado since her collection "Her Body And Other Parties" and The Low, Low Woods fits in with the stories in that collection. The story of a former mining town in Pennsylvania, the residents left behind, and the secrets that are being kept from the women in the town. It is a more sophisticated story than many horror graphic novels I've read. Machado, I think a first time comics writer, does not simplify her story telling at all. It is layered and slowly reveals itself as the book goes on. The art by Dani is beautiful and does an excellent job of telling parallel stories while Machado's narration gives emotional grounding or backstory. I really hope Machado does further work in comics, even if Hill House was a short-lived experiment. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this ebook in exchange for an unbiased review.

The Low, Low Woods is a spectacular read.

It features a diverse cast of characters, moves at a good pace, and has an extremely chilling plot that pushes you onward for answers. The art brings to mind Junji Ito's work at times, but is unique in style.

I enjoyed following El and Vee through the story most of all. Character driven stories are my jam. And there was a line about "deus ex machina" that made me giggle.

I recommend this title wholeheartedly with the caveat that, if you are someone who needs content warnings for potential triggers, this book contains implied sexual assault.

"From New York Times bestselling author Carmen Maria Machado (Her Body And Other Parties, In The Dream House) comes a story so horrifying you won't dare to forget!

When your memories are stolen, what would you give to remember? Follow El and Vee as they search for answers to the questions everyone else forgot.

Shudder-to-Think, Pennsylvania, is plagued by a mysterious illness that eats away at the memories of those affected by it. El and Octavia are two best friends who find themselves the newest victims of this disease after waking up in a movie theater with no memory of the past few hours.

As El and Vee dive deeper into the mystery behind their lost memories, they realize the stories of their town hold more dark truth than they could've imagined. It's up to El and Vee to keep their town from falling apart...to keep the world safe from Shudder-to-Think's monsters."

Collects issues # 1-6."

A wonderfully creepy entry into the Hill House catalog with a coming of age mystery with interesting time jumps that make you wonder if you're in Shudder-to-Think and losing your memories as well.

The Low, Low Woods has a mystery and misogyny at its core. When two friends wake after falling asleep in a movie theater they soon suspect they have missed a portion of their lives. After an encounter with a mutated deer in the woods, you know there is something seriously wrong with the small mining town of Shudder-to-Think, Pennsylvania. (Beyond its name, of course.) A plague forced half its occupants to leave. The stay-behinds have to deal with life on the edge of a haunted wood.

The tale is narrated by Eldora and Octavia, a tough and talented sweary schoolgirl and her bookish friend. Their dialogue feels honest, their friendship deep. Together they undercover the source of their town's horrors and the abuse that led it. With echoes of Stranger Things and Paper Girls, The Low, Low Woods has teenagers as its leads, daring and determined, though this is no tale for the young reader. In every corner a threat lurks, a dog growls, crimson eyes shine in the darkness. It's creepy but grounded by the compassion and candour of its protagonists.
Machado has a sketchier style than Leomacs, with pen-driven hatching, curls and zigzags framing the action. Her style suits the plot which mixes romance with shadowy menace. The washes of Tamra Bonvillain add suitable flames and unearthly glows to proceedings. It's a marvellous, monstrous tale that brings emancipation with its conclusion.

This one wasn't my cup of tea. Unraveling what actually happened in the story was confusing and too many weird occurrences happened to too many characters for me to make the connections.