Black-Eyed Kids, Vol. 1

Pruett (X-Men Unlimited) tries his hand at body-snatching horror, but forgets one key factor: a scary story also has to be compelling. Creepiness does still abound, thanks in large part to Kudranski’s uncanny-valley photorealism and colorist Guy Major’s excellent atmospheric work; it’s just the narrative which drags, as we follow an ensemble cast of one-note characters attempting to escape and/or kill malevolent beings who have taken over children’s’ bodies, turning their eyes black. Jim is a divorcee who, along with his new girlfriend, Lana, gets mixed up with the titular kids when his son joins their ranks, killing Jim’s ex and wounding his daughter. Meanwhile, lawman Officer Jones also runs afoul of the kids, and small-time author Meredith is recruited to chronicle their rise to power. The latter storyline is Pruett’s most successful, but still suffers from the dull dialogue that makes the rest of this book such a slog. (Oct.)