Loving, Ohio by Matthew Erman and Sam Beck. Dark Horse, 2024. 9781506741567. 214pp.
Kids have been going missing in Loving, Ohio, but no one seems to care. The opening pages point to a creepy killer (he seems about to murder someone before) before the story flashes back to five months earlier, when Jesse announces that he’s leaving. This was just before he killed himself.
The remaining four friends mourn Jesse, complaining about the city they live in and the church/cult their parents belong to. They all seem to want out. And then they witness something supernatural at a rock show in a church’s basement, and the story tilts toward horror. It’s a smooth transition, and it ups the stakes as the friends try to take care of each other.
Great graphic novel, particularly if you’re from a place you had to get away from (or still there, hoping to make it out). (Good luck.)
