GremoryLand

A doomed ensemble enters a terrifying amusement park in this satisfyingly gory slasher comic from Rasen (Melvina’s Therapy). Teenage Bekka, a budding social media influencer, gets invited to the opening of the haunted house theme park GremoryLand and reunites five of her old friends to join as her guests. The estranged crew bring their simmering squabbles along. Phone service goes down ominously as they enter the gates, preventing Bekka from starting a livestream—and isolating the party. They trudge on to the first attraction, Happy Family, which starts innocuously as they encounter an animatronic husband and his pregnant wife. But when the group straps into baby carriages to roll along, the wife is beaten by the husband and miscarries—and the scenes escalate into a bloody satanic ritual. As the teens attempt to escape, the park’s sinister Gremory mascot watches on as they’re hunted by chain saw–wielding pandas and other villainous animatronics. Complicated histories and broken bonds are confronted with flashbacks noted by black paneling. The art is solid, with terror-filled antics expertly colored, alternating bold and bleak tones. The teens sometimes feel less authentic than their nightmare opponents, but things end on an effective hook for ongoing volumes. Fans of It will find plenty of creeps to keep them curious for the next installment. (Aug.)