The Plot Vol. 1 #1-4: Every Family Has Its Problems

When the first issue of The Plot released September of last year, I immediately labelled it an example of “horror comics at its finest”. With the release of the first trade paperback collecting the first four issues, I can only echo that same sentiment. The first four issues of this series are a wonderfully dreadful haunted story packed with so much heart that you can’t help but care immensely for each of the Blaine family member’s struggles.

The Plot will be your next horror obsession.

To begin, this series finds it’s most powerful success in the harrowing visuals from Joshua Hixson and Jordan Boyd with Jim Campbell’s letters. This isn’t a book about talking heads, it’s a dark mystery with creepy and unsettling terrors lurking just in every nook and cranny of this book. From the near-epic splashes to even the black panels with just lettering, the execution is just top notch. The creative team understands how to use the comics medium as a platform for horror remarkably well, keeping you on the edge of your seat with nearly-unbearable tension and legitimate fear.

As we initially follow Chase Blaine’s troubled return to his hometown and take up his family’s fortune which includes a house filled with secrets, the scares are brief. Once thrust into the role of provider for two kids MacKenzie and Zach after the murder of his brother, the skeletons in his family’s closet begin to truly make themselves known. By the time we reach the end of the first part, its reached a suffocating level of fear that will have you desperately seeking out issue #5.

Vault has made a name for themselves in comics with their penchant for quality, but their work in the horror genre in specific is arguably among the best on shelves today. The Plot is every bit as good as the best horror stories today in movies, TV or otherwise. Chase is a character you can easily get behind and the two kids bring an intriguing generational element into the narrative as we discover more and more about the Blaine family. Their motto, “In order to receive, first you must give” quickly descends into horrifying depths as bog monsters, ghosts and strange events begin to take hold and upend their home and even the small local town. It’s a captivating story that I just can’t recommend enough, and it’s simply a must read for fans of horror comics!

The Plot volume 1 collects the first four issues which is a remarkable setup for the scares to come. You will discover who this family is and dive into the terrors that seem to follow them at every turn. While the first volume does end with a cliffhanger, it’s a story that you shouldn’t miss. Catch up on the series so far with the first volume in stores today, and look for The Plot #5 when it hits stores April 29th!