When May accepts a job as a maid at a remote manor house, she never expects to spend her days performing tasks to honor a dead woman’s memory. The unseen master keeps the property maintained while he, his current wife, and the rest of the household staff reside elsewhere. The isolation and solitude begin to prey on May’s mind, and as she becomes more nocturnal, she questions everything she perceives: the mysterious sounds, the bloody marks on her neck, and the sense of being watched. The house is empty, right?
Nina Poulston’s Bats in the Attic: Part One – currently on Kickstarter – explores the traditional intersection of Gothic horror, sapphic romance, and vampirism. It beautifully creates a microcosm where the protagonist grows less reliable while allowing readers to confirm the lurking danger.
Bats in the Attic relies less on storytelling and more on the artwork to immerse readers into May’s bizarre world. The exterior view of the house on page 2 sets the stage for supernatural shenanigans. (Even May feels trepidation but forges ahead because a job is a job.) The majority of the panels are black and white, but items associated with the master’s late wife pop with a burst of red (accents in her painting, the flowers, the decorative pillows, etc.). I was aware up front that the story included vampirism, but the color coding provided additional clues to the late mistress’ true nature.
The detailed wallpaper that draws May’s attention throughout the volume reminds me of the infamous wall covering in the short story, “The Yellow Wallpaper.” While it may function simply as a beautiful backdrop to the eeriness of the house, I would not be disappointed if it has a larger role.
Fans of gothic horror must check out Bats in the Attic because it contains all of the necessary elements while keeping enough secrets to intrigue readers. Will May ever realize why she’s been brought to this house or why she feels watched after dark? Can she hold up to the painful isolation? And most importantly, will the wallpaper drive her mad? (Not really, but I’m slightly obsessed with that wallpaper.)
5 Vases of Wilted Flowers out of 5
Creative Team: Nina Poulson (Writer and Artist), Rob Jones (Letterer)
Publisher: Blue Fox Comics
Support the comic book on Kickstarter.
