Preview: ‘Misty Special 2024′ – Brings Classic Brit Chills Right Up To Date With Gail Simone Leading The Way

by Richard Bruton

Four tales to chill, as Misty, former host of the late ’70s comic, takes centre stage in a new comic masterminded by Gail Simone.

An absolutely gorgeous cover there by Tula Lotay

Misty was a British weekly comic of the late ’70s for young women. And whilst it only lasted just under two years and 101 issues, its legacy is rather huge. Created by writer and editor Pat Mills, it featured spooky tales of the sort found in Brit comics – magic, the supernatural, horror, pacts with the devil, parallel worlds where the Nazis won… you know, just the sort of thing to traumatise the readership. Brit comics of the time were a wonderful weird thing.

It was hosted by Misty, although she never featured in a story – until now…

Misty makes her first ever appearance in a story from the comic that bears her name – Eleven Lonely Deaths – written by Gail Simone, art by Carola Borelli

Simone’s already talked of not just discovering a love for Misty, saying ‘I want to write Misty forever’ over on the 2000 AD Thrill-Cast. Not to mention describing it in interview as ‘It’s like a Twilight Zone but with great hairstyles.’

The four takes all take place at different times in Misty’s life, but they’ve all got a spooky feel, concentrating on murder, revenge, and a heavy hint of the supernatural, not to mention a little bit of birdwatching – always watch out for the birdwatchers. It’s dark, it’s moody, but it’s four really great comics, sensual at times, laden with a sense of women rising up against oppression, violence, murder, and taking their justice and their revenge. It’s a seriously great update to the classic Brit horrors that were found in the originals with Simone’s tales really giving us something for the now, seizing power, a sense of malevolence running all the way through, but also a sense of righteous anger and taking the control back. Seriously great storytelling all the way through from Simone, backed up with art on all three of her stories that’s just perfect for each tale. And Letty Wilson’s fourth tale is a beautiful and perfect end to things.

Now, a little more on each story…

More from Misty in Eleven Lonely Deaths – written by Gail Simone, art by Carola Borelli

‘Eleven Lonely Deaths‘ has Misty meeting a creepy little true-crime podcaster who’s visiting an old crime scene around a lake where eleven women lost their lives at the hands of a vicious strangler. But as much as he knows about the crimes, and he knows far too much, is far to turned on by it all, Misty knows more.

There’s a subtle eroticism from Simone and Borelli here, addressing the sexual power imbalance that so many men take advantage of, only to have Misty completely turn things around in a couple of stunning panels that immediately set things up for a nasty, but quite deserved ending. It’s modern true crime setting contrasts really nicely with Borelli’s lighter style that merely makes the horrors hit harder.

The incredible artwork of Ally Fell in ‘The Pub At The End Of The Road’

Perhaps the most gorgeous of four gorgeous strips in the Misty Special is ‘The Pub at the End of the Road‘, where rising star Ally Fell simply stuns from that very first image to the last page.

It’s Misty back to the introducing duties here and a bit of barmaid work, showing us a tale of times past, ’60s, ’70s… all left a bit deliberately vague, yet quite beautifully so. The landlord of the world’s most dismal pub is Abner Grudd, as vile as his daughter Willow is lovely. Abner’s pub is the sort most Brits have been in – usually just one – where the smell of cigarette smoke clings to the nicotine-stained walls and the locals sit there in silent misery and gloom.

Abner fills his bar with with the one thing that brightens the mood of the locals and opens their wallets…

‘a bit of thigh, a glimpse of cleavage. He only recruits girls. Pays them well enough to forget their pinched bottoms and bruised arms.’

Yeah, he’s a right piece of work is Abner.

Whereas young Willow is beauty and grace and innocence personified. Exactly the sort of downtrodden wretch that the original Misty was full of. But she’s perhaps not quite so innocent, as turns out when her fantastical gifts find a use when it’s time to seek revenge on dear daddy.

It’s another neat little chiller, very much evoking the past in tone and art yet still having such a modern feel to things.

Happy Birthday, Mrs Parker – by Gail Simone and Marianna Ignazzi

Third tale, ‘Happy Birthday, Mrs. Parker’, is a little medical drama to round out the trio of Simone-written pieces, where the staff are not all they seem and there’s darkness behind the caring facade.

Carina, or ‘Angel’ to her patients, might seem like the perfect nurse to all, making her charges the foal point of her world, special presents, making excuses when their families let them down. And then there’s Mika, who really doesn’t like Carina, jealous of how the ‘little angel’ gets treated.

But this is Misty and appearances can be very deceiving. And the staff happen to have a particularly spooky secret that they’re all keen to keep that way.

An angel of death tale that turns everything on its head by the end, Simone’s finale wraps the whole trio of tales up so well, with Ignazzi’s art just such a delight that really captures all the character of the cast whilst also getting over all the requisite chills.

Sam, Sam, Sam… you really don’t know what you’re dealing with here. From the final tale in this Misty Special 2024 – The Cracked Glass by Letty Wilson

And finally, something quite wonderful from Letty Wilson, focusing on the inherent creepiness of reflections and empty houses, and the old favourite from Brit girl’s comics of old of inquisitive kids sticking their noses into things they really shouldn’t.

In this case it’s Sam, who’s noticed that the neighbour’s house has been empty for a little too long, despite their car still being in the driveway and the cat still hanging around. Unable to resist, she breaks in to find that she’s right – mail piling up at the door, food rotting, all signs that the house has been empty for a while.

And then there’s the weird mirror. Oh, Sam, seriously, don’t touch the mirror…

Ooops, too late. From The Cracked Glass by Letty Wilson

The art switches halfway through as Sam steps through the looking glass – well, the mirror – and discovers a nightmare world beyond, where things are dark and twisted, the brightness of the opening few pages gone and everything taking on a green/purple tone as Sam discovers the secrets of the house. But, as with any good tale of this sort, how will she ever get out?

Yep, four cracking little tales to creep you all out perfectly. Misty always used to be the girl’s comic that boys used to read, and this new Misty Special 2024 really does keep all that going, with something for everyone, young and old – just as long as they don’t mind having the chill sent down their spines.

Oh, and do be careful of the birdwatchers…

MISTY SPECIAL 2024 – published by Rebellion and The Treasury of British Comics on 17 July 2024 in the UK with print copies at your local comic shop and the 2000 AD & Treasury webshops and a digital edition available from the 2000 AD webshop. If you’re in the Americas, head to your local comic shop and get them to order it for you – it’s meant to be out on 21 August 2024 and you really don’t want to miss it!

Stories include…

ELEVEN LONELY DEATHS – by Gail Simone and Carola Borelli, colours by Ellie Wright, letters by Jonathan Stevenson.

THE PUB AT THE END OF THE ROAD – by Gail Simone and Ally Fell. Letters by Jonathan Stevenson

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MRS PARKER – by Gail Simone and Marianna Ignazzi. Letters by Jonathan Stevenson

THE CRACKED GLASS – by Letty Wilson