Hillbilly #1

Eric Powell's Hillbilly Volume One arrives from Albatross with a cover that immediately sets a haunting Appalachian tone — a rugged, axe-wielding figure in a top hat and fur cloak stands atop rocky ground, while the ghostly visage of a massive bear looms from the mist behind him. Powell handles every line and shadow himself, and the result feels like folklore rendered in oil paint, atmospheric and foreboding in equal measure. If dark fairy tales rooted in mountain mythology sound like your kind of read, this 2017 collection is a compelling place to start.