Who doesn't like a good spooky tale? This book includes some exclusive or lesser known stories. The stories and quick reads and interesting. However, the artwork is pretty bland and don't seem to add much, I'd rather have more stories. The stories also lack much detail. It feels like they were going for a Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark vibe, but that doesn't completely land. I'm not aware of who MrBallen is outside of this book, so a true fan may love it. As an outsider it was just OK.

Any Mr. Ballen fan will hear his voice while reading this. The narration style is very similar to his videos, and it works very well with the graphic novel format. The illustrations were nice and the colors were fitting.

MrBallen always does an amazing job with his storytelling. This graphic novel was was just as incredible, strange, dark, and mysterious. This has a variety of different stories, and and fantastic artwork. This all works together so beautifully to depict these creepy stories.

As the name suggests, this is a collection of creepy stories of the supernatural by John Allen, a.k.a. MrBallen. Now, this version from NetGalley is not the full version, as some stories were held back until the book's release (1 Oct 2024). Hence my rating is based on the 5 stories I've read.

We start with 'The Valley of the Headless Men', which covered a series of disturbing events in Nahami Valley, Canada. As one can tell from the name, it involved people being killed and... their heads went missing. This wasn't a really scary story to me, but knowing that the tales were based on true events disturbed me immensely.

'Thorns' was my favourite in this collection and HOLY. A twenty-year-old camp counselor by the name of Elsa was sleeping in the woods with her fellow counselors when she had a vivid dream. In the dream, Elsa was immobilized amidst hundreds of people who looked at her in total silence. Elsa was then tortured, and that was bad enough, but the reveal of the source of her dream was even more terrifying! Bravo for this story.

MrBallen presented his personal experience in 'What I Saw in My Room Still Haunted Me'. At sixteen, he went on a snowboarding trip with his close friends, staying at a secluded cabin for the duration of the trip. If 'secluded cabin' wasn't a big enough warning sign, he soon saw a 'thing' in the cabin. I'm rather ambivalent about this story; I felt that it could be shorter, but the ending did surprise me.

I probably like 'Bells Canyon' the least. A wall street banker decided to go hiking in the woods when he was seemingly stalked by a strange man who kept asking him about Bells Canyon. I don't hate this story, but I wished there was a better resolution and it had failed to elicit much feeling from me.

Lastly, in 'Kandahar Giant', a group of Green Berets were attacked in the Kandahar mountain range by a giant. I mean, it's there in the title. I don't know how to feel about this story; it was entertaining, but it also left me with a bit of a mixed feeling about the resolution. There was a deep sense of loss and tragedy, and I couldn't stop thinking about the political background of this tale. Now, of course we have no way of verifying this story; the reports were allegedly filed away as 'Top Secret'. But this is also where I can admire MrBallen, who admitted to his role as only a messenger, saying, "I don't know what's true or what isn't. I wasn't there." I can respect that!

All in all, this collection of graphic stories are quite captivating even if they aren't particularly scary at times. Bonus points for the amazing illustrations by Andrea Mutti; I've attached two of the most impactful images here. I'd recommend this for fans of MrBallen (confession: I've not checked out any of his online content) and for those who are looking for, as the title went, 'strange, dark and mysterious' tales.

I love MrBallen on YouTube and on his podcasts. I'm a fan! This book keeps the vibe from the other channels and I read it to myself with MrBallens voice. I'm sad to see that not the whole book was open but the stories that I could read was gold. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this free eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Who doesn't like scary stories and graphic novels? The art in this book brings the stories to life. It makes the stories even creepier knowing that they are based on true events. I had never heard of MrBallen before reading this, but I will be looking up his stories on YouTube now.

Thanks to NetGalley for sending me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Reading this book was indeed an entertaining escape, and I enjoyed every minute of it. The stories were quick and easy to read, while the illustrations were great with the tales of the mysterious and unexplainable. The book all together was an unnerving and very interesting read, and has made me interested in picking up more graphic illustrated stories similar to this in the future. Mr. Ballen’s Strange, Dark and Mysterious Stories are also a great way to get in the spooky season feels with these nine true events. I loved that I picked this one up and that it’s so easy to read imagining Mr.Ballen’s voice narrating just like in his usual creepy videos. Need this is a physical copy asap!

As a fan of the strange, dark, and mysterious I was thrilled when I learned MrBallen had created a book. These stories a great for people who like a wide range of spooky and eerie tales that are based on real accounts from people around the world. Some of the stories cover strange deaths and disappearances, others have possible ghost and cryptid interactions. While listening to MrBall tell the tales on YouTube and in podcasts are already so illustrative on their own, the art of this graphic novel brings the stories more to life than ever before. I definitely recommend for fans of his or people who just want a spooky quick read.

I'm not going to lie, I was really bummed to see four of the stories missing, but I also 100% get it. The omission of them did not damper my excitement when reading the book. I've been a fan of Mr. Ballen for years. Since right around when he started. I think he's a great storyteller with a lot of talent. When I saw he was making a graphic novel my first thought was 'What a great way to get his stories to another audience!' And boy was I right. The illustrations are perfect with just enough spooky in each one to be right for this book. The stories themselves were of course Strange, Dark, and Mysterious enough to keep my attention until the very end. Heck, I even read the resources and checked some of them out too! Over all, this book is fantastic. It keeps on the edge of your seat and it's totally riveting. I would recommend this book for ages 13+. 5 out of 5 stars.

I was already a fan of Mr. Ballen's youtube channel and all of his strange, dark, and mysterious stories. So when I was given an advanced ebook copy from Netgalley, I was very happy!

I admit, I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy his stories in this format. Part of my enjoyment comes from watching and listening to him tell the stories along with looking at the pics (some real, some not). And, I don't normally read graphic novels. But, when I started reading, I could almost hear him telling the stories in my head (some of them were ones that he's presented on YouTube already). The artwork was engaging, and I found myself really enjoying this book!

The ARC was apparently missing 4 stories that are only available in the published version, which was kind of a bummer (but they didn't want them leaked, so I understand). Does that mean that I'm going to have to buy a copy so I can read those 4 unreleased stories? Yes, yes, it does. But, for now, this broke booknerd is adding it to my Amazon wishlist.

This is really a great read for Spooky Season! I hope he sells a ton of copies and makes even more fans from this project!

5⭐️

As always, I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to have an advanced ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As a long time fan of Mr. Ballen, I was excited to see that he had a book coming out. He has a way of telling a story that has you on pins and needles. Even though I was approved to review this book, it wouldn't allow me to download. Luckily, I had ordered a physical copy for my collection. This book doesn't disappoint. The field of telling spooky stories is extremely tight and Mr. Ballen had created a lane all for himself. The book is beautiful and stunning and it feels like you're watching him on television.

#MrBallenPresentsStrangeDarkMysterious
#MRBALLEN
#NETGALLEY

This is an absolute must-read for anyone who loves the strange, dark, and mysterious! 🌌 With gripping tales, it brings the eerie storytelling of Mr. Ballen to life in a whole new way, all with beautiful illustrations. Each story dives into true events that are both chilling and captivating, making it impossible to put down! The variety of stories keeps you on your toes, and the twists will leave you breathless!

Whether you’re reading it alone with a flashlight or sharing the tales around a campfire, this is perfect for spooky season! I can’t wait to add it to my collection and revisit these haunting stories again and again. 🎃📚

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion! 💫📚

Honestly it’s just super cool that this book exists. If you’re familiar with the name, you’ll probably dig it, if not, you may find a new YouTube channel to check out! Anyhow, the stories MrBallen tells on his YouTube channel translate well to the graphic novel format. The art style is sort of pen and ink/ watercolor. Unsolved mysteries and unsettling tales, I’d read another installment for sure! Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy!

If you’re a fan of the strange, dark, and mysterious delivered in graphic novel format then you’ve come to the right place!

I watch Mr. Ballen’s youtube videos religiously and have for a few years now. I knew I needed to pick this up immediately when he announced it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Clarkson Potter / Ten Speed Press for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my
own.

I will admit, graphic novels are not a typical genre for me, but this was great! This book is comprised of a handful of different short graphic stories. Mr. Ballen is such a natural storyteller and this format for his storytelling is no different. The artwork is beautifully done and has good flow with the dialogue. I’ve already ordered a few copies to gift and I think lots of people will enjoy this one!

Content warnings: violence, blood

This was creepy as hell and knowing it’s based on real life events makes it even more creepier.

I do think I prefer watching his videos more to reading about them, the videos make the stories more scary.

I know my brother wants this book as a gift, I’m definitely going to be pre ordering this now!

Thank you to Netgalley for my arc.

MrBallen Presents: Strange, Dark & Mysterious is the highly anticipated graphic novel from YouTube star MrBallen, offering nine chapters of mysterious tales—though four were held back from the review copy.

While longtime fans may recognize these stories from his channel, the stunning, atmospheric artwork brings them to life in a fresh way. As I read, I could almost hear MrBallen narrating each tale.

This graphic novel is a must-read for fans of the strange, dark, and mysterious, and a perfect introduction for anyone who's new to MrBallen.

Thank you Ten Speed Graphic for sending me a free copy for review consideration via NetGalley.

Mr Ballen has a great storytelling power. Not only did I enjoy the retelling of these spooky and eerie stories but I went online to search for more of his retellings. I also loved the art, the illustrations were spooky and eerie.

A vivid, frighteningly illustrated graphic novel collection of nine strange, dark, and mysterious stories, based on true events, from the mind behind the YouTube channel and hit MrBallen Podcast.
In MrBallen Presents: Strange, Dark & Mysterious, Allen reveals the creepy underbelly of the human experience, charting bizarre and downright terrifying instances of the paranormal, the horrors of the natural world, and the danger of our own minds.

A fantastic collection of stories. Tales that are not commonly known or over told like most anthologies of strange occurrences.
Some of these are creepy as all heck.
My favorite was "Thorns". A story of a camp councilor who dreams she is being tortured. A crown of thorns forced deeper and deeper onto her skull, until she awakens with screams of pain and fear.
What really happens is an even greater nightmare.

All the stories are well told and beautifully illustrated. I enjoyed every one and may have to check out his podcast.

Highly recommended. A perfect book to read out loud at an autumn campfire or during a trip through the corn maze.

Thanks to@netgalley for the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased option.

So to be upfront, I don't do the whole YouTube thing, so had zero clue who this was, I just really like story collections and horror!

I was not too excited to realize this wasn't the full book and only a excerpt, as it's missing some of the graphics.

Now into the meat, this was wild, and I think I may need to check out the YouTube.

The stories and graphics that were there, were absolutely gripping, and couldn't put it down.

4 stars for content

2 stars for it being an ARC and not being able to review the full item.

I've been a fan of MrBallen's YouTube channels for awhile now. I kept hearing about the upcoming graphic novel and was excited.

I couldn't help but read this and hear his cadence and timing. Especially since I've watched most of these stories in video form on one of his channels. I loved having new original artwork to go with the stories as I read them at bedtime. (Horror stories are a comfort at night.)

I love that even MrBallen got illustrated for this graphic novel. The stories are always perfectly detailed, and just the right amount of creepy.

If you loved Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark as a kid (or even now still), you'll love this as an adult. It feels almost like an older sibling sequel to that series, but with allegedly true tales and a more adult tone.

I can only hope that he works on a Run Fool! graphic novel next. (In addition to more tales that he has told.)