After two reads and several days to process, the best way to describe Busy Little Bees #1 is “explosive.” I think my jaw is still a bit slack from the read – and that’s the way a horror comic should leave its fans.
The tense ride of the comic starts with the ominous cover and doesn’t let up until the terrifying cliffhanger. The story opens with Myna who appears to be caught in the middle of a breakdown of some sort. She hears sounds that may or may not be real, and her dark surroundings immediately indicate she’s stuck in an asylum. After her introduction, the reader meets her brother, Sebastian, who is driving to visit his sibling. He’s the caring type and the last person who seems to care about Myna’s well-being, an unfortunate situation that feels all too real. The final narrator for our journey is the mysterious Ms. Fumero who throws into question the relationship between Myna and Sebastian.
Marielle Bouleau (writer) is a fresh voice in a male-dominated genre, and she lays out a complex story with plenty of twists and turns. The supernatural aspects are exciting while remaining enigmatic. Bouleau reveals just enough about the characters and plot to keep the reader devouring panel after panel. The artwork is also spot on, with the various sides of Myna jumping off the page, inducing empathy and fear where necessary. The faces of the characters express everything the reader needs to know, and dark shadows and stippling lending to the mounting horror. Told from three points of view, the narrative boxes and lettering are so necessary to lend to the personalities of each character, but also are used to heighten the suspense.
With such an incredible start to the series and its amazing style, Busy Little Bees is sure to become a new favorite series for horror fans everywhere. The rest of the series cannot come fast enough.
Creative Team: Marielle Bouleau (writer), Emiliano Correa (pencils), Willi Roberts (colors), Rob Jones (letters), Simon Birks (editor), Lyndon White (design)
Publisher: Blue Fox Comics
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