Everyone has monsters that haunt them. While some are larger than others, and certain beasts cause long-lasting trauma and grief, the pain and struggle are relative to the person going through it. That is until your friend shows up at your door and your monsters not only crisscross—they literally chase you down and make you bleed. Enter the world of Beetle Hands and face your demons to survive.
Created by Herhumanist, the horror series is set in the Heartland, a nightmare realm filled with terrifying monsters, creepy shadow children, and warped versions of the past. After his old friend Kenma returns to his life, Matthew is thrown into a funhouse of fever dreams that mix hideous beasts with supposedly safe places like his own house. A monster seems to have followed Kenma and now the pair must work together to get out alive and back to the real world.
The art is everything in the story. With minimal dialogue mainly reserved for exposition, the series relies on unsettling scares and panels that mimic the twisted realm in which the boys are stuck. It works well to set up an atmosphere of uncertainty and being thrown into a place where nothing makes sense. And yet hiding underneath it are familiar moments from their lives. The real test is not to slay the actual monster, but to overcome the beasts hiding in the darkest corners of the past.
Beetle Hands offers plenty of scares just in time for Halloween. Begin reading here and subscribe for new episodes every Thursday.
