Webcomic Wednesday: Broodhollow

Hello and welcome to Webcomic Wednesday! Each week I take a look at a webcomic and let you know what I think about it. This week I’m checking out another horror comic courtesy of Kris Straub: Broodhollow

Broodhollow is the story of Wadsworth Zane, a highly superstitious, encyclopedia salesman who receives a letter informing him that a distant relative of his has passed away. When he finally reaches the town of Broodhollow, he  starts to succumb to a series of weird occurrences; dreams, visions and hallucinations that lead him to believe that something a bit more sinister is going on in this sleepy town.

Broodhollow draws influences from Lovecraftian horror, with a bit of Twin Peaks mixed in. It has an eccentric cast of characters, each with their own quirks and personality that help to set the tone of the story. Its Lovecraft influences come from the horror, drawing from the human mind as opposed to real life monsters. The constant question of Zane’s sanity, combined with scepticism from his psychoanalyst creates an interesting back and forth for the reader.

Kris Straub’s art style is also a nice touch. The day to day dealings of Wadsworth Zane are cartoony and simple, but not in a bad way – it sets the tone for his daily life, where his interactions are quite unique. When the comic delves into horror, the art style changes to a darker tone that incorporates more detail. It’s not different enough to pull the reader out of the comic, but it’s enough to notice that the events in the horrific parts may not be part of Zane’s world. It’s a subtle way of pointing out that these events may not actually be happening.

You can check out Broodhollow here. It’s an ongoing comic so you should give it a shot. It’s well worth a read.

Have any webcomics you want me to check out? Let me know on my twitter @Pipes815, or send me a message via our contact form.