R.L. Stine’s The Graveyard Club

The town of Graves End is even spookier than Riverdale, but it ought to be. It is hard to imagine the CW show without the years of groundwork laid by children’s and YA author R.L. Stine. He popularized horror for a generation of young readers, placing the scares in the settings they knew best: school, camp, the neighborhood, etc. Stine is still writing—probably more than ever, including graphic novels. With obvious seasonal timing in mind, the first two installments of his latest franchise have been collected in the omnibus The Graveyard Club, illustrated by Carola Borelli, which releases this Tuesday.

Graves End is only distinguished by two things: the multiple cemeteries that define its boundaries and the large flocks of bats that often fill its skies. Bad things tend to happen there, like the disappearance of Parker West’s father. Almost nothing good has happened to West, except maybe his wooing of Patti Olsen, a fellow member of his loose group of pals, who call themselves the Graveyard Club, in honor of the one place they feel comfortable. However, that meant geeky Caleb came out the loser. Yet, the motley crew remains united against the bullying of corrupt Officer Ray-Ray Higgins and his nasty son Billy Roy.

In the first story arc, Revenge Game, their pal Trip convinces the gang to finally go for some serious payback. Of course, that is a dangerous door to open in the horror genre. In fact, it almost costs Trip his life when Billy Roy presumably retaliates. Indeed, thing go dark quickly, in ways consistent with the early season of the aforementioned TV series.

One of the coolest stories, is a shorty, “The Girl in the Graveyard,” sandwiched between the two full length tales. It is a great example of how Stine has “re-purposed” traditional motifs for younger audiences. More importantly, it delivers the kind of atmosphere that fans look for from horror comics.

Following the middle yarn, Fresh Blood continues to dial-up the supernatural elements. West is brooding even harder these days, because the anniversary of his father’s disappearance is fast approaching. It also affects fellow “Club” member Rhonda, since her father also vanished that same night, during their weekly poker night at the now abandoned Dockside Inn. Wanting some answers, they decide to visit the shunned building, naturally agreeing to meet at the dark of night. Of course, it turns out to be a great place for some serious horror business.

The big knock on Stine has been weak characterization, which is still largely true for Graveyard Club. Yet, he understands how to use a sort of shorthand that helps his audience relate to his characters and enjoy their misadventures. Indeed, the Riverside comp is especially apt, because it is easy to think of West as Archie and Trip as Jughead.

Regardless, The Graveyard Club represents nostalgia done right, especially for those who first experienced the horror genre through Stine’s plentiful bibliography. Borelli’s art always looks cool, in a spooky, genre-appropriate kind of way. Maybe Stine’s stories aren’t super deep, but they are fun—and fun has usually been his goal. Recommended for fans of Stine and Archie Horror, The Gravyard Club omni-edition goes on-sale this Tuesday (10/28), wherever books and comics are sold.