The latest release from Hellbound Media sees their Mandy the Monster Hunter character face of against her latest foe.
After a suitably sinister introduction to the Spindly Man himself who is part myth, part urban legend, but all monster – it’s the recent disappearance of local kids that sees worrying parents and clueless cops keeping an eye on the shadows for any kind of clue…..when what is really needed is some kind of monster hunter. Cue Mandy returning home aiming for a chance to rest up after her “holiday” but a new case is soon hers to get working on….so that’ll have to wait.
Mandy throws herself into the case and with the help of a friendly Sock Monster she’s soon got her hands on a lead that could bring her face to face with the monster in question. The twists and turns of monster hunting aren’t quite that smooth though and even with her support/advisor Humphrey on hand to work the details and get her handy intel the stories she finds and the trail she’s on becomes a precarious one quicker than you can say “Who you gonna call?”
Writing team Matt Warner & Mark Adams keep the plot as tight as they can given the limitless lives a monster leads and with the strength of Mandy they’re able to balance out the topsy-turvy world of Monster Hunting in just the right way……I’m actually considering it as a career choice tbh. Ending this first issue on a cliffhanger of epic proportions was a slick way to keep the momentum going into the rest of the series too and I’m ever hopeful that will be the case.
They’re joined by Lyndon White on art duties and he adds the detail and colour palette to match the mix of moods on offer. The darkness surrounding our central villain is there, the bright hopefulness our protagonist brings is there, and it all helps punctuate a story of monsters under the bed or in the shadows in a refreshing way. That creative team is rounded off with letterer Nikki Foxrobot who manages a lot of dialogue without letting it overshadow the panels so a massive thumbs up on that.
In the end, this first issue in the Spindly Man series is a double-whammy – it highlights the quality of the creative team involved and brings Hellbound Media to my attention too and with something like this on offer I’m sure it won’t be the last time I pick up another issue of this or their other titles.
Keep tabs on this and the other Hellbound Media titles through their website, Facebook & Twitter pages plus check out what’s happening over on the Mandy The Monster Hunter Facebook page too.
You can also get hold of the first two issues through the campaign link below:
8/10
G-Man
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