Slappy's Tales of Horror (Goosebumps Graphix #4)

Gr 3-6--Adapting various tales from the "Goosebumps" series as short comics, this collection compiles three stories from previous Graphix anthologies (from 2006 and 2007) about an amusement park, swamp werewolves, and ghostly ancestors and adds one new adaptation, the first appearance of Slappy, the evil ventriloquist dummy. Each segment has the hallmarks of the individual artist as he balances comedy and horror, childishness and seriousness: Tolagson's deep shadows and brisk pace keep readers guessing at what is actually perilous, and Hernandez's pen and ink scratches help bridge the gap between mundane and dangerous. The more cartoony styles of Naifeh and Roman may reduce the fear factor, but Naifeh's sense of mood remains top-notch. Because each segment is compressed from a full "Goosebumps" book, there are diverting details and narrative cul-de-sacs to make each story twisty and unpredictable to new readers and even to those familiar with horror tropes. The final twist in each story may not be too surprising, but the path to get there is well paced and finely tuned. VERDICT The visuals add detail and vividity to these stories but somehow also make them more distant and less universal, leaving them an interesting counterpart to readers' imaginations.--Benjamin Russell, Belmont High School, NH