Story itself is dark and moody, expecting nothing less from Steve Niles. I think what worked is the atmosphere and overall unease and dark dreadful feeling. The plot though kind of fell flat. I think Zombie stories are a hard sell, and even more so in comics. This main character coming back to a island, and trying to survive, just didn't click because not a fan of this character.

It gets a bit bogged down in its own mythology but people who love folk horror from the 80's will love this book.

Great artwork throughout, I really enjoyed that aspect of the book. Narrative wise it was a little thin, By no means bad, or low quality, I guess there's just a higher bar set for a Steve Niles narrative. This book feels rushed, with a lack of depth. Or at least less depth than what the potential feels like could be. Did that make sense?

"Brynmore" presents an interesting plot that promises intrigue and suspense. However, the characters fall short, feeling flat and one-dimensional throughout the narrative. Despite this drawback, the story's premise manages to hold attention, offering moments of excitement and curiosity. Readers who prioritize intricate character development may find "Brynmore" lacking, but those seeking a compelling storyline might still appreciate its engaging plot twists and turns.

The watermark made it difficult to read tbh, but these creators have worked on some of my favorite comics so I'm giving them a positive star rating since I trust them :)

This was good. After the breakdown of his marriage a man returns to his home town, but it is a place where he isn’t welcome because one of his ancestors was involved in saving the Island through magic that went wrong. He isn’t welcome in town and when he inadvertently sets the magic off again no one is welcome. The artwork was good too. Nicely horrifying.

I am not a horror fan but I did enjoy this. It is predictable, but enjoyable.

Copy provided via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Ancient family curses? Monsters? What’s not to love! The artwork is very dark and intensely satisfying. Divorced and struggling to stay sober Mark Turner returns home…where he is anything but wanted by the locals. Even though the name of the island is Turner Island, Mark’s efforts to rebuild an old church as his home are anything but welcome. It turns out his family is cursed. And surprisingly that’s not just the backwater local residents being superstitious. He accidentally unleashes said curse, just as he is attempting to reconnect with his estranged daughter, and falling off the wagon. The excitement ensues! The story hits you full force like an epic urban legend and never lets up! I would love to see this in movie form, it’s amazing!

While I liked the eerie elements of the plot, there wasn't too much depth to it or the characters, and Damien Wood's art was a bit too dark to see details (and the watermark on the e-galley from NetGalley wasn't helpful for reading it either).

I wasn't able to read this book. I downloaded it via the app & have tried to download it otherwise. Never would open. I have it on my hold list from my local library, so I will be able to eventually read it. It looks like it is something I would enjoy by the reviews & whatnot though. The star rating is anticipatory.

I felt the story to be lacking in the character development department, but the horror elements were done well and the illustrations were top notch. I just wished there was more depth to the characters.

Another enjoyable read from Steve Niles. He never disappoints. Really enjoyed this story, and the artwork. Can't wait for more from Mr. Niles. #Brynmore #NetGalley

I liked stories about complicated family histories and dynamics, and aisolated settings, and supernatural, so this book hit a lot of sweet spots for me.  It was well-written and really interesting to me.  The art accented the story well, and really helped to bring the story alive.  My only complaint was that I wanted the book to be longer so that I could have more of it.

Brynmore... is a story. About... something. Except is it really?

I, unfortunately, found it to be completely flat. The characters are not at all flashed out. The plot is simple yet completely heavy-handed. Full of tropes that ask the reader to connect to them just because they're widely established. Relationship dynamics are non-existent. The dialogue & the narrator both read like somebody with no writing skill wrote them, which is not me trying to be unnecessarily harsh - it's just how it came across to me.

The only reason I'm giving it two stars - and why I tried to convince myself that maybe it was worth a three - is the art.

I thought that aspect was incredible. I've read some reviews that called the art hard to connect to as well, but I personally felt like it delivered so much more feeling and story than the writing ever even attempted to. It was wide in scope and beautiful to look at; felt almost cinematographic at points, like I was looking at real shots which were carefully story-boarded and painstakingly installed. On top of that, the color reflected the mood and the design PERFECTLY.

I almost wish it this graphic novel was wordless, to be honest. It probably would have gotten a much higher rating from me.

First of all, I want to thank IDW for the advanced copy through Netgalley. I’m trying to expand my graphic novel reading this year and this has been great! Also happy to say the dog doesn’t die!

But that being said I have fairly complicated opinions on this novel. Brynmore has fantastic bones and cool artwork to match but I felt it lacked a bit in lore, substance, and overall needed a good twenty or more pages to flesh it out. Taking place on a small island town a sobered man accidentally awakens an evil curse and plagues it upon the town, gaining guidance from an old put together monster that had once rid of said evil. It’s a cool premise but it felt lackluster in the execution of the zombies and how all at once all the lore is thrown at you and it has no room whatsoever to develop. Another complaint is we don’t get to see the relationship develop between the main character and anyone else, especially not his daughter Sophie who is slapped in there in the last twenty or so pages. It’s a bummer because I really do think with a little more room it would gain a lot! I don’t want to be harsh either, I am a big fan of Niles other work more specifically 30 Days of Night which I think excels in the minimal scary storytelling but this didn’t hit the same. Didn’t dislike it at all but think it needed more room for to breathe.

I also love the artwork it is very cool and I like that Brynmore (the creature) is some sort of tree nature kind of monster. Not what I was expecting! It’s not human, they don’t pretend they really are and the execution is impressive!

Bouncing between two and a half and three so … take what you can get I suppose!

The Artwork in this book is excellent, and the colouring is beautiful, the story on the other hand is a bit basic and uneventful.
*Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.*

Brynmore by Steve Niles and Damien Worm explores the pain and hope that comes with ancestry and generational curses, the kindness of your neighbors and friends, and the horror that lies right under our feet. Damien Worm's art is breathtaking and builds the gothic atmosphere that Steve Niles' story weaves.

Feeling visually experimental and tonally disturbing, Brynmore focuses on Mark Turner, a man with an alcoholic past and generational ties to Turner Island, where he returns home to only to find himself fully unwelcome. Slowly, he learns just why the people of Turner Island dislike him and his family, whether they are correct or wrong in this.

While breathtaking to read and an enjoyable story, Brynmore would have served better to have had a plotline that had been extended or further explored. The relationships and friendships within Brynmore felt lacking, and the history behind the legend and mythology within Brynmore deserved to be explored further. As a reader, the briefly mentioned storyline involving the creature residing on Turner Island was far more interesting than the present day story within the comics.

Thank you Steve Niles, Damien Worm, and IDW Publishing for this advance copy!

Not the same S.Niles I used to read many, many years ago in Alaska.
This story is too long and drawn out. Slow paced. A bunch of fillers. Not as rich as his early works. I like IDW and what they produce, but the story could have been made in 3-issues. Praise to the dog though. Sorry.

A family curse, island named after your family, alcoholic trying to get past it all makes for a really good graphic novel read. Steve Niles is one of my favorite authors and even though this story was shorter it had all the things you’d want in a Steve Nile’s story.

Mark Turner’s family has always had a horrid curse follow them wherever they go. Mark a recently divorced and struggling with alcohol returns to Turner Island as the last living heir. Wanting to make it home again he is remodeling an old church. What he didn’t anticipate was finding a hidden basement and unleashing the metaphorical Pandora’s box which in turn casts the curse all over the island.


Pros: the writing was great. I enjoyed even with how short the story was that you did get a feel for each character that was introduced. That’s hard to do when it is a shorter story.

The illustrations for this book are top notch. Damien Worm did an absolutely fantastic job and honestly the illustrations makes the whole book really truly come to life.


Cons:

I felt the story was incredibly rushed. It was almost as if the author had an idea and just wrote it down without making changes from
Start to finish it was bam bam bam done. I wish there was a lot more build up to the whole story.


Thank you NetGalley for this arc in return for an honest review.

I was excited to read this new story from the team that brought us The October Faction, and I’m always game for a cursed locale.

While the particular curse in Brynmore makes this not quite my cup of tea, it was still a solid story and the art is, of course, gorgeous. I do love the greenman imagery that comes through with Brynmore’s deign as well.

Brynmore has all the atmospheric vibes I love in my horror fiction. It has a small town filled with ghosts of its past, a rag-tag group of people fighting a force they don’t understand, and secrets that tie everything back to the main character. If you’re a fan of Stephen King, Brynmore is for you.

Brynmore tells the story of Mark Turner, a divorcee who has returned to his hometown, Turner Island, for a fresh start. His fresh start should mean renovating an old church into a home and trying to stay sober. It wasn’t supposed to include unearthing a supernatural being in his basement. And Mark definitely wasn’t prepared for zombie-like creatures to emerge throughout town.

Brynmore is one heck of a story. Like a long-lost Stephen King story, Brynmore oozes with small-town horror, supernatural beings, and curses passed down through the ages. It’s a story to read on a rainy night when you could almost imagine it to be true.

Art:

The art in Brynmore is dark and moody, which matches the story well. I enjoyed the depictions of the characters (and the dog), though they're a bit different than I’m used to. The characters are drawn a bit cartoon-like, but this contrasts well with the dark coloring and the overall bleak tone of the story. The look is not overdone, and it doesn’t overtake the story. I enjoyed the art and will look for more comics illustrated by Damien Worm in the future.

Final Thoughts:

Brynmore is a fun and slightly terrifying romp, but there are deeper themes to be found in it as well. I enjoyed the main characters, and the dog companion is quite adorable. If you’re looking for the perfect horror palate cleanser, look no further than Brynmore.

Rating: 4/5 stars

Thanks to IDW for providing an advanced review copy. All the above thoughts are my own.

My blog review on Brynmore will appear on Back Shelf Books on March 13, 2024.