The Tormented Issue #3 Review
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
If there’s one thing readers know for sure by now about Ryan Auster, the protagonist of the 5-part horror comic series “The Tormented”, it’s the fact that he is literally haunted by the ghosts of his past, not simply metaphorically like the rest of us regular humans (as if just metaphorically isn’t traumatic enough). And creators Chuck Austen (story) and Patrick Olliffe (art) keep adding new supernatural spirits in his life.
Also Read: The Tormented” Issue #2 Review
While issue #2 of “The Tormented” ended with a malevolent monster looking for Ryan, whose parents were famous paranormal experts, issue #3 begins with Ryan and his crew recording their new ghost-busters show at a haunted hospital. This chapter was heavy on conversations, with an interesting focus on the creative differences between Ryan and his team over use of fake sounds and special effects to spook the viewers. While his producer Brad just wants to a slip-shod hack job that will get them good ratings, but Ryan wants to help Nurse Carstairs, the spirit haunting the hospital. Although, Nurse Carstairs’ intimidating spirit doesn’t look like she needs any human intervention in her afterlife…
This issue wasn’t as fun as the first two of “The Tormented,” but it’s swift, entertaining, and over in a blink. Some characters in the comic book keep saying how Ryan has a lot of charm and personality, which is why the Network only wants him to host the show (also because of his famous dead parents), and I quite like his character too. The guy seems to have a lifetime’s worth of trauma, with vicious ghosts continually finding their way into his life, yet despite all the crazy things happening around him, he manages to retain a good heart. As the story keeps progressing, I still feel like this is a pretty fun comic and maybe 5 issues isn’t enough!
Rating: 3.5 on 5.
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Also Read: Bloody Ishq: This ‘Raaz’ Wannabe Horror Movie Is a CGI Car-Crash (Audio version below)
