“It came from the woods, as most strange things do.” says the protagonist in “His Face all Red,” one of the stories in “Through the Woods.” That may be true of the monsters that stalk the pages of these five dread-inducing stories (as well as a short prologue and epilogue), but this collection itself came from the internet – where strange things also happen to come from. Carroll got her start in 2010 producing web comics, and some of the stories in “Through the Woods” appeared first in that format instead of print media.
His Face All Red
“His Face All Red” is the best known of these stories, the one that propelled Carroll’s work to international acclaim and serves as the center-piece of this collection. The short comic is representative of her work (though not, in my opinion, the best in the anthology – see below!) both in the design of the story and in the stunning, storybook style art.
Visually Striking Imagery
Carroll’s art contrasts scenes with soft lines and bright colors against dark images of frantic scratches or smears that feel like the artist is experiencing the same horror that you are. One thing that makes their art stand out so strikingly is their use of bright, primary colors standing out starkly against careful placement of whites and blacks. In “His Face All Red”, the color from which the story draws its name is used with careful strategy. The initial pages use red to imply domestic warmth – rosy cheeks and warm firelight, though the crimson that surrounds our protagonist even in the first panels is darker as he is set apart from the others.. As the story progresses though, the red becomes more and more malevolent. Eventually it washes out an entire frame, representing the flash of a life-altering gunshot on an otherwise still night.
But then as the plot continues from there, carefully driving a feeling of dread into the reader, the red starts to give way to darkness. The last pages are almost completely in shadow as the character descends deep towards the horrible secret that has been building over the entire story, teasing an answer to the mystery that opens in the first line of the comic – “This man is not my brother.”
A mystery, it turns out, that is not solved in the final panels of the comic. All the stories in “Through the Woods” are presented in strikingly beautiful art, with rustic or gothic settings that draw the reader in and make the storytelling feel nostalgic. However, they almost all come to a very similar style of conclusion – namely, they end in an unsolved mystery.
No Answers, Only Echoes
An argument could be made that “A Lady’s Hands are Cold” and “The Nesting Place” both break this pattern somewhat, but even these still leave us on a haunting end note that feels unresolved. While a cliffhanger ending or unanswered questions is not uncommon in horror media, in this collection’s case the lack of resolution feels particularly like an artifact from the internet. The stories are short, beautiful in a way that is intended to be eye catching and abrupt in a way that is intended to leave you reeling. It targets an audience clicking between windows on a webpage, whose attention could be easily pulled away if the story drags or the explanation is unsatisfactory. The unresolved ending is designed to keep you thinking about the story long after you’ve gone back to browsing social media or clearing out your email.
In a book format, however, it creates a series of rising and falling energy that can start to feel repetitive if read straight through. It is hard not to start to predict where the story is going once you’ve seen the pattern play out a few times. Though even if you do predict what this ending is going to be (or what it isn’t going to be) you are still carried along for the ride by the bright and evocative artwork and the immersive settings.
Composing Fear in the Margins
That is not to say that the stories are not compelling or even well written. Up until the twist ending or cliff hanger, they do a masterful job of conveying dread through simple prose that gives them the familiar tone of a fairy tale. My favorite story, “My Friend Janet” does an excellent job of driving attachment to the two protagonists, friends as close as sisters who work together to put on elaborate séances during what appears to be the Victorian occult craze. The story that follows is incredibly compelling despite being brief. Like with the others in this collection, it ends on a cliffhanger with unanswered questions, but it is not an unsatisfying ending.
A Web of Horror
The popularity of Web Horror has not disappeared over the years, and if you enjoy that style of content this collection will not disappoint you. It is neat too, for fans of that genre, to explore a piece that evolved beyond humble digital beginnings. Even if you tend away from short form Horror Web Comics, if you appreciate vivid art and a carefully crafted short story that focuses on the building of dread you will find something to love in “Through the Woods.”