Sunday 10 January 2021

Goosebumps: Secrets of the Swamp #4 – Comic Review

 


Originally published on Set The Tape


Thanks to stunning revelations in the last issue of Goosebumps: Secrets of the Swamp, and a cliffhanger that promised excitement to come, I’ve been eagerly awaiting this issue, and the team on this book have certainly not let me down, delivering what might be one of the best issue of Goosebumps yet.

Thanks to the werewolf’s secret hideaway having been discovered by the vicious wolf hunters in the final moments of the last issue, the heroes of the book are facing some serious danger here, and it’s up to Bree to step up and take responsibility for her part in things. I won’t say what she does, because seeing her come up with a plan is a good portion of the fun of this issue, but I will say that her decisions are a brilliant character moment for her, and really feels like it’s what the whole series has been building towards.

Having spent all her free time fighting monsters in video games Bree is having to face the reality that not only are some monsters real, but they can be good people. This change to her world view could have rocked her to her foundations and left her unable to do anything, but instead she gets to step up and prove herself. It’s a wonderful moment of development for her.

As normal, the art provided by Yasmin Florez Montanez is simply gorgeous, and really makes the characters come to life, especially the werewolves. Whether they’re in their human form or their wolf form they’re all instantly identifiable, and they all stand out from each other and look unique; where it could have been easy for her to simply make generic werewolves that all looked the same she took the time to give each of them character. The panels where they’re mid-transformation, with fur growing out of their skin and their limbs changing shape, are some of my favourite parts of the book, and she manages to make these mid-transformation moments bold and striking.    

Where other Goosebumps series have ended with their third or fourth issue this story is getting to continue, and I’m so grateful for that. I’m excited by the way this issue ends, and am really looking forward to seeing what comes next. Hopefully the book will get more than five issues too, as I’d love to spend more time with these characters, and feel that this is one of the stories where writer Marieke Nijkamp could really deliver some great moments if allowed the space to spend time with the characters and develop them out even more. Whether or not the next issue is the last it looks set to be an explosive one.


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