Review by Ian Keogh

Heathentown is a variation on the classic horror plot of taking someone from one desperate set of circumstances only to drop them somewhere as bad or worse. The unfortunate lead character is Anna Romero, caught digging up a grave in a small Florida town. When her public defender arrives her story unfolds.

Almost any project written by Corinna Bechko (here credited as Corinna Sara Bechko) collaborating with Gabriel Hardman is going to be worth your time, and Heathentown fits that bill, despite being a step away from their usual science fiction. It has the same attention to detail, though, with thought applied to mood, character and locations ensuring a fully rounded immersion in a different world.

It’s a world of darkness, with Hardman’s illustrations placing Anna in a series of ever gloomier locations whether at night or during the day. Hardman also loves detail and the swamp trees and grasslands are beautifully realised amid some gruesome events that Hardman ensures aren’t as explicitly violent as they might be under other hands. The cover coyly shows a mangy pirate, who’s more hidden than seen inside, but on the few occasions he appears Hardman’s design is of a terrifying, ragged figure.

So, when was the last time you saw a mastodon in present day story? To the credit of both creators, the way it’s introduced and appears throughout induces a sense of wonder along with the fear. In wanting to do the right things by a friend Anna uncovers dreadful deeds spanning centuries, and learns that we may consider ourselves masters of the planet, but perhaps we’re not. It’s intelligent, thoughtful and satisfying horror.