So I'm a hard sell on horror comics, and until recently, I'd been a pretty hard sell on Crossgen. The former isn't likely to change, because I still find good horror comics to be an exception to the rule, but the latter has definitely changed, with books like Sojourn, The Path, Way of the Rat and now Route 666 turning me into a pretty devoted follower of Crossgen's titles. Route 666 reminds me of what you might get if you crossed Buffy the Vampire Slayer with Midnight Nation and The Sixth Sense, and that makes for a pretty potent concept. As with most Crossgen books, the first issue is just the tip of the iceberg, and like most of the Crossgen releases of late, I'm dying to see what more lies beneath the surface.
Horror in comics is hard to do. It's even harder when you've got a clear, clean style that makes for easy reading but seems to cast things in a generally bright light. However, Bedard, Moline, Dell and Bell really set up a creepy feeling throughout Route 666, all the more creepy because the rest of the time it looks so normal. The death of Helene is a horrifying image, one that gave me the chills, and the sensation of being alone in the dark that takes place first in Cassie's bedroom and later in the hospital is universal enough to creep me out as well. Bottom line, Route 666 seems to be that rare horror comic that could actually give me some lingering creeps, which is all I ask of a good horror story.
I was actually pretty happy to see Cassie make the transition from student to mental patient, because I thought the one downfall of the early part of the issue was that Bedard's teen dialogue wasn't wholly convincing. However, once we got into more adult characters, including Cassie's parents, the odd Doctor Melchior and the very likable (and probably doomed) Doctor Waterman, I was enjoying the dialogue a lot more. In addition, I liked getting a glimpse of Cassie's life inside a mental hospital, as it is just odd enough to enhance the scare factor, since mental hospitals have a frightening and creepy aspect to them even in real life.
Kudos should definitely go to the art team for their part in building up the atmosphere of the book. Cassie's normal school life is perfectly believable, visually speaking, and though Cassie herself is a little perfectly formed for an average college or high school age girl, I found Moline's work on her expressions to be pretty strong. In addition, the normal scenes, such as the school gym or the brightly lit mental hospital, serve as a great contrast to the crushing bleachers or night visitations that Cassie receives.
Early on, Crossgen received plenty of criticism for being strictly fantasy, but their latest releases have broadened their genre mix considerably, and each one has been a strong addition to their line. Route 666 stands as another intriguing title that is different from what the comics mainstream has to offer, with the superior production values that has become a hallmark of the Crossgen brand.
