Advance Review: Ghosts Aren’t The Only Thing Plaguing ‘A Haunted Girl’ #3
by Tom Smithyman
Pacing in any story is delicate balance. Give too much of the story away too soon, and readers may not believe they have a reason to stick around for the ending. Delay too much, and the audience could end up being confused and lose interest.
A Haunted Girl has been plagued by some awkward pacing. The first half of the story has focused on introducing teenager Cleo and her dad as they navigate the girl’s depression and return from institutionalization. That is an interesting – and all-too familiar – story for many teens and their parents. While there have been hints that something supernatural has also been stalking Cleo, it’s taken until the limited series’ penultimate issue to reveal it.
Writers Ethan and Naomi Sacks handle that revelation awkwardly. After Cleo runs from some ghosts in a graveyard, a spirit just tells her that there’s an apocalypse coming and she is the only thing that can prevent it. She learns a bit more later in the book, but this tell-don’t-show approach feels clumsy and rushed. We don’t have nearly the level of detail we need about this seemingly manufactured threat.
Still you can appreciate what the father and daughter writing team are attempting here. Naomi has gone public with her own mental health battles, so this story is doubtlessly cathartic for both of them. Their bravery in trying to help others struggling is admirable.
Marco Lorenzana’s artwork works with the story but is nothing extraordinary. His most exciting work is illustrating the ghosts and the Izahami, the big bad. Even those, though, lack a lot of detail. And the ghosts look more like zombies – something even Cleo remarks on. Andres Mossa’s colors don’t stand out much, until a splash page is inexplicably bathed in red. It’s an odd choice that gives weight to a page that feels otherwise unremarkable.
This is one of those series that is trying to do good in the world but is getting caught up in some basic storytelling traps, like bad pacing. With only one issue left, the creative team can’t do much about that, but should instead focus on giving readers some more of the why along with a satisfying conclusion.
A Haunted Girl #3 will be available for purchase on December 13, 2023.
Overview
Some questionable choices around pacing as well as some illustrations and colors make this issue – and largely the series – less than the sum of its parts. Still, the book is trying to shine a light on a difficult and seldom-discussed topic, so it’s worthy of a read.
