Comic book publisher Boom! Studios recently announced the next installment in R. L. Stine’s Go Beyond series of graphic novels, titled Go Beyond: Beast Island. The Goosebumps and Fear Street author is working with Kelly & Nichole Matthews, artists known for Pandora’s Legacy and the webcomic Wishbones, and cover artist Julian Totino Tedesco (Daredevil: Know Fear, Mystik U). Beast Island is releasing this October.
This is the third OGN in the Go Beyond line of middle-grade supernatural horror books. The first, Go Beyond: The Scare School, which followed two kids trapped in a sinister middle school, hit shelves in late 2019. The follow-up, The Horror At Happy Landings, about a pair of children who become possessed by stranded aliens, was announced for a May 2020 release following a preview comic that was given out for the annual Halloween Comicsfest event.
Stine is producing Go Beyond with Boom! Studios’ Kaboom imprint, its all-ages division that publishes original works such as Lumberjanes and A Sparrow’s Roar. Kaboom also releases comics for licensed properties including Over the Garden Wall and Adventure Time, that build on the backstories of established characters or continue where the original works left off. The author previously partnered with Marvel for a Man-Thing series, a character similar in theme to the monsters of Beast Island.
CBR reports that Go Beyond: Beast Island tells the story of a child named Karla and her younger brother Benny. The two kids travel with their researcher uncle to the remote and mysterious Beast Island on a zoological expedition. The trio soon discovers that the island’s unknown species include something far more bizarre and dangerous than they had expected. Author Stine describes the book as evoking old-fashioned horror movies about swamp monsters surfacing from the briny depths, a premise sure to appeal to fans left wanting more after recent works like DC’s Swamp Thing.
Stine’s foray into comics presents a useful opportunity for fans of all-ages comics and parents looking for something appropriate to give to children who devour spooky stories of all stripes. The prolific author’s works are squarely aimed toward children, with storytelling that rarely ages up with growing readers. The Go Beyond line brings the advantages of the comic book medium, with visually engaging art that offers something extra on repeated readings and for adults who otherwise might not find something to enjoy about the preteen-level writing.
Go Beyond: Beast Island will be available in October 2020. Readers can find print copies at their local comics shop, bookstores nationwide, or directly from Boom! Studios online. Digital copies will be available from Comixology, iBooks, Google Play, and other platforms.
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Source: CBR
