MrBallen Presents: Strange, Dark & Mysterious, The Graphic Stories. MrBallen. Art by Andrea Mutti. Ten Speed Graphic. 2024. $24.99.
I have known a few Navy Seals and they’re all charismatic and full of energy which is what John B. Allen, aka MrBallen, is all about. MrBallen is very likable and enthusiastic and he’s got that Wow factor so very few podcasters truly have, leaving them in the dust. What I always tell my creative friends interested in pursuing a blog, or more, is to be themselves. That is so true of MrBallen. The dude is one hundred percent authentic. Watch an episode of MrBallen and see for yourself, if you have not already. The moment I started to check out one of his videos, I got that high energy vibe. MrBallen can’t sit still and is hyper-focused on whatever subject he’s tackling on his mega-popular YouTube channel, MrBallen: gripping stories most likely having to do with an adventure, perhaps some ghosts and probably a bloody aftermath. A new book is out collecting some of his best stories in a comic book format. So, as a comics expert, if I do say so myself, I wanted to see just how well a comics adaptation would hold up. Well, it takes me back to some of the best comics from my childhood and beyond. Some stuff you just can’t get enough of.
Sometimes you just want a very scary story to give you a chill. You’ve come to the right place. With each passing year, it seems harder to achieve this unsettling feeling within mass entertainment. In this case, the trick is to keep to the facts, and remain hyper-focused, just like MrBallen. Let the story do the work. People don’t have time for much else when it comes to a spooky story, especially one that is based on actual events. So, that’s what you get from MrBallen’s show and that is what you get from this graphic adaptation, with crisp to-the-point artwork with just the right amount of atmosphere and artistry. Yes, this might be a guilty pleasure but it needs to be delivered with style. Artist Andrea Mutti does just that. So, pick your poison from the glorious past, from Tales from the Crypt to Weird Science to True Crime. The best of the best find a way to just roll with it and so it is with MrBallen’s collection of creepy tales.
In fact, maybe more to the point, think of Ripley’s Believe It or Not. Yeah, MrBallen is presenting a new and improved version of believe-it-or-not content for the 21st century and it sure looks like it’s working. Interesting enough how a lot of these stories date back to the turn of the last century. I’m sure MrBallen would have done great as an editor or host on a true crime type of show on the radio or in pulp fiction. Lucky for us, we’ve got him in the here and now to present such stories as “The Valley of Headless Men.” This first story in the book features a Bermuda Triangle kind of spot where generations of greedy gold prospectors go to untimely deaths. Tucked away deep within Canada’s Northwest Territories is a heavily wooded area surrounded by mountains in a very secluded area near a river. It is picturesque as hell but very difficult to leave once you’ve forced your way in. The ultimate reward awaiting anyone who makes it that far is dying a gruesome death. Yep, it’s the sort of story that will satisfy an itch to be spooked.
As I suggest, MrBallen is playing with a proven method of storytelling going back, in our modern era, to pulp fiction but going even further back to ancient folklore. Yes, there’s definitely something for anyone looking for a good scare. This is a great book to enjoy on its own or as a companion to MrBallen’s phenomenally popular show or just to kick back with during the Halloween season.
But let’s end on a high note, shall we? How about the story, “Thorns,” set deep, deep within a scary German forest? Like many of MrBallen’s scary tales, they may have roots going back hundreds of years but can also have taken place fairly recently. Such is the case with Elsa, a young woman who simply wanted to enjoy being a camp counselor. Her story is very simple but also very unsettling. Basically, we get to know her a bit and follow her in an attempt at getting a good night’s sleep out in the woods. That is not to be the case. The whole time, Elsa is fighting off a nightmare about being forced to wear a crown of thorns cutting deep into her head. It’s brutal and it seems to have no end. That is until she wakes up and finds out what is actually going on. Well, you’ll want to read further for yourself. All in all, a fine little Halloween tale as is the case with the rest of this super scary book. Just like its host and creator, MrBallen, this book is the real deal.
