Actual rating 2.5

So I've read pretty much all of the Just Beyond graphic novel series. This is the best one in the series, but I still found it off.

I felt like the only character with any sense was made to look bad because they were questioning the actual events that were happening.

I did like the horror, thriller, mystery aspect better in this one, but I didn't feel like we got enough of an explanation. Also, this is supposed to be for a middle-grade audience but I felt that it was too simplistic in the writing and story.

I will say that because these remind me a bit of the Twilight Zone, I am intrigued to watch the show.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a great little story, very age appropriate and I cannot wait to read it to my younger cousin who LOVES all things creepy and weird. It definitely had me feeling nostalgic reading R.L. Stine during spooky month and got me interested in checking out the Disney+ Series! Overall I think this is perfect for its age gap and was another great book from a great author! Thank you to NetGalley and BOOM! Studios for allowing me an early read!!

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

So much fun. I love R.L. Stine. He defined horror for my generation.

Overall a fun little story that definitely has my interest piqued in the Disney+ series. This wasn't anything too spectacular, so I probably won't keep going forward with these comics, but I'm looking forward to giving the show a watch.

What’s better than reading RL Stine at Halloween? An RL Stine comic.

I am not a big fan of comic books in general but this one was quick fun and enjoyable and really got me into the spooky spirit of Halloween.

Ruthie and Ezra Dillon’s dad has bought an old movie studio where horror films were produced in the twentieth century. Their dad and uncle have a lot of fights about the best way to approach the finances and production of films, and the studio itself needs lots of work. They have asked the director of some of the old films to work on a new one, but many things go wrong. Ruthie and Ezra spend lots of time on the lots, after being shown around by the mysterious caretaker, Poe. There are a lot of creepy buildings, and remnants of the films, so when the children uncover the inert body of the animatronic Wolfenscreem, they aren't too concerned. However, we see historic flashbacks to the original designer of the monster, and see the amulet that controls him show up in the movie offices. Don't push those buttons! Of course, several people do, waking the monster and his minions and causing panic. Not only are the new owners fighting, but deep secrets from the past surface in surprising ways. Will Ruthis and Ezra find themselves in danger? And will the movie studio every get up and running?
Strengths: R. L. Stine writes decent horror, but what he really writes best is history. This is a nice homage to cheesy horror movies, and I love that the kids know them and are excited about being at the studio, rather than thinking the movies are cheesy! There's just enough drama, and the villain emerges from an unlikely background, so I enjoyed that.
Weaknesses: I would have liked this a lot more if it had been a novel rather than a graphic novel, and if we could have seen a lot more of the events that when on in the past.
What I really think: I'll probably purchase this. It will definitely be a popular title. It was a little cheesy, though, with Woolfenscreem. I just feel like a novel could have made this a lot scarier. Seeing the pictures didn't have the same impact.


When I first started reading this, it made me think that there was a similar story line in the 2006 Creepy Creatures series of graphic novels by Graphix, but I flipped through them and didn't see anything exactly like this. There has actually been a resurgence of students reading Fear Street books even though the 30 year old prebinds are little more than yellowed piles of paper loosely held together by the bindings, so I should probably purchase the whole Just Beyond series.

R.L. Stine continues to provide scary stories through the medium of graphic novels in the Just Beyond series. This was a quick read and very well-illustrated. The elements of mystery and horror combined in a pleasing way, though I wish there were more information about the amulet or why it worked the way it did. This story had just enough twists that it would keep younger readers guessing and doesn't shy away from a few shock effects.

For fans of Scooby Doo who would like their stories not to end with a neat bow at the end, I would definitely recommend this graphic novel.