OF THE EARTH #4: Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Grandma has disappeared into the dark, and Tabby and Thomas try to regroup and catch their breath while understanding what is going on. The two begin to bond while the creature lurks in the darkness, and Tabby is ready to save her grandma, and she isn’t afraid of the dark in Of The Earth #4.

Creative Team: Chris Condon, Charlie Adlard, Andrew Ehrich, Pip Martin, Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

The Story:

I can’t help but feel that Chris and Andrew took some inspiration from Night of the Living Dead in this issue as Tabby and Thomas find themselves barricaded inside the house with an unknown monster outside. We begin to learn some of her backstory, and this one hit home for me as someone who lived with their grandparents briefly as well. We still don’t know what this creature is or its motivations, but there is a layer of possession, and once more the epilogue offers more insight into the story’s inspirations as well. If you’re looking for a badass strong Woman character, Tabby is making herself a name as a fearless final girl in this issue.

The Art:

I love the shift in artwork halfway through this issue as we work with a dimly lit old house, and then suddenly the lights go out, and it’s a whole new game. Martin makes use of the shadows and the darkness as Charlie throws subtle hints and jump scares lurking in the background of the scenes. I still hate Grandma, but it has more to do with how unhinged the team has made her look through the possession. This issue offers us our best look at the mysterious creature swallowing someone whole in a bloody scene, and I love the design. It’s simplistic and feels like it is void of emotion and thought all the same. The lettering switches as the lights go out and aids in the darkness swallowing us whole.

Final Thoughts:

You can feel the various horror genres that inspired Of The Earth #4, and this issue doesn’t shy away from giving us characters who aren’t satisfied with waiting to become victims. In fact, the characters make this story work so well as the team uses the lack of color and darkness to play tricks on our minds, and Chris and Andrew continue to give the reader just a bit more background and explanation. This is a strong horror run that only continues to get better with every issue.

Overall Grade: 9.2/10

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