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Stranger Things: Graphic Novels #2
Stranger Things: Six
A prequel comic from Netflix' award-winning series, delving into the mysterious workings of Project MKUltra and the weird science that opened the door to the Upside Down.
Francine, a teenage girl with precognition, has struggled through a lifetime of first by her parents, then by Dr. Brenner of Hawkins Laboratory. Dr. Brenner wants to harness her powers as well as those of the other gifted children that they hold captive at the lab. Wracked by increasingly disturbing visions, she sees an opportunity for her and all the children to escape. But at what cost?
From the pen of Jody Houser ( Faith , Magenta , Max Ultimate Flight ) and featuring art from Edgar Salazar and Keith Champagne ( Black Panther ), Stranger Things comics is essential reading for fans of the hit Netflix series as well as fans of the urban fantasy and horror genres in general.
Collects Stranger Things II issues #1-4.
Francine, a teenage girl with precognition, has struggled through a lifetime of first by her parents, then by Dr. Brenner of Hawkins Laboratory. Dr. Brenner wants to harness her powers as well as those of the other gifted children that they hold captive at the lab. Wracked by increasingly disturbing visions, she sees an opportunity for her and all the children to escape. But at what cost?
From the pen of Jody Houser ( Faith , Magenta , Max Ultimate Flight ) and featuring art from Edgar Salazar and Keith Champagne ( Black Panther ), Stranger Things comics is essential reading for fans of the hit Netflix series as well as fans of the urban fantasy and horror genres in general.
Collects Stranger Things II issues #1-4.
96 pages, Paperback
First published November 26, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 231 reviews
December 4, 2022
***5 stars***
My prayers have finally been heard by the Book Gods 🙌 In this issue, we meet some of the other test subjects from Hawkins labs.
Ever since we were introduced to Kali, aka Eight, in season two of Stranger Things, I desperately wanted to find out about the other kids with powers and now I finally did. There's Six (obvs), Three, Nine and Five. Intrigued yet? :D I won't say what each of them can do, but know that albeit short, this is a very cool story!
Update: these stories are not canon and what we saw in season 4 of the show was completely different in regards to the other subjects and their powers. I'm actually a tiny bit disappointed by the Duffer Brothers and what they chose to write for these kids, but oh well...
My prayers have finally been heard by the Book Gods 🙌 In this issue, we meet some of the other test subjects from Hawkins labs.
Ever since we were introduced to Kali, aka Eight, in season two of Stranger Things, I desperately wanted to find out about the other kids with powers and now I finally did. There's Six (obvs), Three, Nine and Five. Intrigued yet? :D I won't say what each of them can do, but know that albeit short, this is a very cool story!
Update: these stories are not canon and what we saw in season 4 of the show was completely different in regards to the other subjects and their powers. I'm actually a tiny bit disappointed by the Duffer Brothers and what they chose to write for these kids, but oh well...
May 15, 2020
After two garbage miniseries, Dark Horse finally got it right. This is a prequel focusing on some of the other subjects in the MKUltra program. This focuses on Six, a precog, along with a couple of others, Three, and Nine. It's by no means required reading, but it does expand on the mythology of the show. This is the kind of thing I was expecting when Dark Horse started these comic books.
December 8, 2022
OCENA: 3,5 ⭐️
December 5, 2019
You can find my review on my blog by clicking here.
It’s a joy for fans to see their favourite franchise grow and expand into uncharted territory, trying to not only explore new ways to tell stories set in their universe, to reach new potential audiences for their fanbase, but to also obviously make more money. The Stranger Things Netflix TV series saw its fandom grow incredibly quickly since its release, bringing in a modern cinematographic experience where both horror and fantasy happily held their hands together while also drenched with time-period nostalgia to keep you hooked. Following the first comic book story set in the Stranger Things universe, writer Jody Houser returns with a brand-new prequel story for fans to indulge and it is a step in the right direction.
What is Stranger Things: Six about? This four-part story arc is a prequel to Netflix’s most popular original TV series and follows the story of Francine and her mysterious powers that is of utmost importance for Dr. Brenner of the Hawkins Lab where the secretive MK ULTRA project is conducted to no one’s knowledge. Having had to learn to live with her powers of precognition, she has struggled her whole life with individuals, including her family, continuously using her for their own personal desires. It is during her time in the laboratory that she sees a terrible future brewing for her loved ones and for the residents of Hawkins. But what will she do about it?
Unlike Jody Houser’s first attempt at creating a comic book story set in the Stranger Things TV universe by giving us Will Byers’ point of view during the events in season 1, this time around she wasn’t constrained by any of the previously established narratives, allowing her full control over what she wanted to tell. In this story, set in 1978, Francine is at the heart of all the drama with an upbringing filled with neglect and ignorance. The character development is precious, as you feel empathy for her unusual predicament that forces her to please others instead of thinking about her own well-being first. Trust thus becomes a luxury and considering how young she is, she’ll learn the hard way that it isn’t meant to be earned or given naturally. The length of this story doesn’t, however, allow this to have as much depth or impact as it could’ve had.
Following the usual themes of friendship and family, the story doesn’t fail in staying loyal to the show’s nature and in giving fans a decent prequel chapter in this fantastic universe. Artist Edgar Salazar also does an incredible job in this story arc, allowing the art to capture the eerie yet familiar atmosphere of this franchise. The fact that the story also relies heavily on the emotional state of the characters with a lot less dialogue through the giant panels, it’s safe to say that artist Edgar Salazar masterfully captured those expressions. Praise should also be given to inker Keith Champagne and colourist Marissa Louise who have flawlessly given this story arc an artistic edge.
Stranger Things: Six is an original prequel to the hit TV franchise offering comic book fans insight into the paranormal scientific discoveries uncovered in the midst of the Cold War right in Hawkins.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
_______________________
Another short and decent but imperfect prequel to the hit Netflix series.
Yours truly,
Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/
September 2, 2023
Yeah... no. Not to be that bitch but… a small detail that really bothered me in this volume was the kids' numbers being written like 6 and 3 instead of 006 or 003. This is literally just… a straight-up contradiction to the source material, ugh. I know, these comics aren’t necessarily canon (I swear, it's sO hard to find any information on what exactly is canon in the ST universe these days - looking at you, scriptgate) but it's random and minor inconsistencies like these that get on my nerves.
Anywhoooo... reading this was odd, especially now after the S4 release and everything 001-related. It also didn't really feel like Stranger Things to me? This could have easily been an X-Men or a Carrie/Firestarter comic instead. Also, Eleven is blonde which is irritating (unless this was a deliberate reference to that E.T dress-up scene in S1, hmmmm). I know she was blonde in the Terry Ives loop memory thingy (but I have so many theories regarding that/it ties into all the timeline/time travel weirdness) so no, I don't accept this random and unexplained change of hair color...
Anywhoooo... reading this was odd, especially now after the S4 release and everything 001-related. It also didn't really feel like Stranger Things to me? This could have easily been an X-Men or a Carrie/Firestarter comic instead. Also, Eleven is blonde which is irritating (unless this was a deliberate reference to that E.T dress-up scene in S1, hmmmm). I know she was blonde in the Terry Ives loop memory thingy (but I have so many theories regarding that/it ties into all the timeline/time travel weirdness) so no, I don't accept this random and unexplained change of hair color...
July 10, 2020
This is a story about a girl named Six who was in the same place and at the same time as Eleven was being held. The plot of the comic is not related to "Stranger Things". The story is short,
but quite dynamic! The drawings are made in the spirit of the TV series! I advise fans of "Stranger Things"!
but quite dynamic! The drawings are made in the spirit of the TV series! I advise fans of "Stranger Things"!
April 22, 2020
So, is this sort of what it's like to take methadone when you are jonesing for heroin?
Some secondary and tertiary characters from the TV show (Dr. Martin Brenner, Connie Frazier, Kali Prasad) mingle with some new ones for a fairly innocuous prequel about life inside Hawkins National Laboratory. Nothing unexpected occurs -- literally -- as the main character, Six (Francine), has precognitive powers and knows what's coming.
Only one major character from the show has an appearance, and it is very brief, amounting to nothing.
Some secondary and tertiary characters from the TV show (Dr. Martin Brenner, Connie Frazier, Kali Prasad) mingle with some new ones for a fairly innocuous prequel about life inside Hawkins National Laboratory. Nothing unexpected occurs -- literally -- as the main character, Six (Francine), has precognitive powers and knows what's coming.
Only one major character from the show has an appearance, and it is very brief, amounting to nothing.
January 23, 2020
I would hesitate to call this an essential part of the Stranger Things story. It's a nice look into the MKUltra program, using characters that are at most tangential to the main series (with the exception of Dr. Brenner, whose motivations get a little more fleshing out here). Six has limited precognition abilities, and gets pulled into MKUltra, but has second thoughts. That's pretty much the whole of the story, although the characterizations are interesting, and its exploration of abusive relationships is uncomfortably realistic. But there's only the loosest hints of the Upside Down provided here, and the supernatural aspects are not significant. It's ultimately a story I didn't really think needed to be told, and provides very little expansion to the Stranger Things world. It's okay, but not something I'd recommend going out of your way to read.
June 12, 2022
Stranger Things: Six collects issues 1-4 of the Dark Horse Comic series written by Jody Houser and illustrated by Edgar Salazar.
Serving as a prequel to Stranger Things, Six tells the story of a girl with precognitive abilities who struggles with her powers at Dr. Brenner’s lab.
This is vey generic story with bland character, but luckily it is a quick read. Unfortunately, this book is now non-canon after the events of Season 4 explored Eleven’s time at the laboratory. I wish that the Duffer Brothers were involved with the comics to tell interesting side stories instead of what we have got so far.
Serving as a prequel to Stranger Things, Six tells the story of a girl with precognitive abilities who struggles with her powers at Dr. Brenner’s lab.
This is vey generic story with bland character, but luckily it is a quick read. Unfortunately, this book is now non-canon after the events of Season 4 explored Eleven’s time at the laboratory. I wish that the Duffer Brothers were involved with the comics to tell interesting side stories instead of what we have got so far.
July 30, 2022
4.5 stars!
October 10, 2019
"I'm not one of the babies. 'sides Dr Brenner says I'm special.
Yeah, he says that a lot."
Yeah, he says that a lot."
July 6, 2022
So, I went into this with super low expectations. So I was surprised to find out that this was very good. Like very good.
It was really cool to see a lot more of this facility. Although I’m not sure if it’s Canon because of the recent flashbacks we got in season 4. But, I liked it so who cares.
I recommend!
It was really cool to see a lot more of this facility. Although I’m not sure if it’s Canon because of the recent flashbacks we got in season 4. But, I liked it so who cares.
I recommend!
April 19, 2022
We've met Eleven. Now meet Six. Francine is slightly precognitive, but that 'slightly' is all she needs to attract the attention of Doctor Brenner. Now trapped in Hawkins Lab, Francine realises that all is not as it seems, and her powers might be the only thing that can save her and her fellow captives.
A much better starting point for a mini-series compared to the first volume; Six has some room to breathe within the walls of the Stranger Things story, and it does so pretty well. Getting to see Hawkins Lab from the inside is interesting, especially given that, unlike Eleven, Francine had a lot of experience with the outside world first so she can see where things differ, and how everything's not quite as it seems.
There's a good give and take between the flashbacks and the current day story, establishing Francine and her 'boyfriend's' relationship before everything went wrong, and the creeping dread that something is about to go very, very wrong grows nicely over the course of the mini-series. When it all eventually does, it's with an unexpected tie-in to the series itself, and the ending is both hopeful and tragic all at once.
Edgar Salazar's artwork is fine. It's a bit pedestrian, but there's not really much opportunity for him to go mad with it anyway, given the setting. There are a few bright spots, like the glimmers into the dark future that Francine gets to glimpse, but mostly it's just labs and suburban homes. It does the job, even if that job isn't particularly rewarding.
I doubt we'll ever see these characters in the main Stranger Things canon, but it's nice to know that they're out there, and it does go to show that there are more stories to be told in this universe beyond the ones we're expecting to see.
A much better starting point for a mini-series compared to the first volume; Six has some room to breathe within the walls of the Stranger Things story, and it does so pretty well. Getting to see Hawkins Lab from the inside is interesting, especially given that, unlike Eleven, Francine had a lot of experience with the outside world first so she can see where things differ, and how everything's not quite as it seems.
There's a good give and take between the flashbacks and the current day story, establishing Francine and her 'boyfriend's' relationship before everything went wrong, and the creeping dread that something is about to go very, very wrong grows nicely over the course of the mini-series. When it all eventually does, it's with an unexpected tie-in to the series itself, and the ending is both hopeful and tragic all at once.
Edgar Salazar's artwork is fine. It's a bit pedestrian, but there's not really much opportunity for him to go mad with it anyway, given the setting. There are a few bright spots, like the glimmers into the dark future that Francine gets to glimpse, but mostly it's just labs and suburban homes. It does the job, even if that job isn't particularly rewarding.
I doubt we'll ever see these characters in the main Stranger Things canon, but it's nice to know that they're out there, and it does go to show that there are more stories to be told in this universe beyond the ones we're expecting to see.
January 21, 2021
Друга частина мені дуже сподобалася! З неї ми дізнаємося трохи більше про програму, у якій брала участь Одинадцята й інших дітей у програмі. Головна героїня другої частини - Шоста. Суперсила Шостої у тому, що /спойлери/. шоста потрапила у програму, коли /спойлери/. Врешті більшість усього, що хочеться розповісти про другу частину — спойлери.
Але можу сказати без спойлерів, що комікс гарно виданий і добре перекладений. Візуально у ньому прекрасно все, особливо дві сторінки наприкінці книги, на яких зображено /спойлер/.
Але можу сказати без спойлерів, що комікс гарно виданий і добре перекладений. Візуально у ньому прекрасно все, особливо дві сторінки наприкінці книги, на яких зображено /спойлер/.
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April 1, 2021definitely wondering if these characters will feature in the TV series (I kinda hope so)
July 19, 2022
This one was fun. Showed some background of the past lab kids. I really liked the main character and the style of graphics.
May 1, 2022
These Stranger Things graphic novels really remind me of those Marvel One Shot shorts that help connect the MCU, especially in phase One.
"Stranger Things: Six" is very much a prequel to season 1. The story revolves around Francine, a young girl with the ability to see the future. Her powers are quickly abused by her parents who force her to predict winning lottery numbers and sports results for betting purposes.
After moving into a much bigger house in a nicer community, Francine meets her next door neighbour Ricky who helps her get away from her parents and control her powers.
Enter Dr. Brenner and the Hawkins Lab. Now known as "six," Francine begins to learn how to control her powers and meets many other "special children" in the facility. After witnessing an accident, which leaves a lab worker dead and the child known as "nine" left in a coma, Francine decides to escape the lab with the help of "three." I won't spoil the ending here, you'll have to read it yourself to find out Francine's fate.
I have to say, I really enjoyed this story. It really helps expand the greater world of Stranger Things and gives the reader/viewer additional insight into the inner workings of Dr. Brenner and the MKUltra Program at Hawkings Lab.
"Stranger Things: Six" is very much a prequel to season 1. The story revolves around Francine, a young girl with the ability to see the future. Her powers are quickly abused by her parents who force her to predict winning lottery numbers and sports results for betting purposes.
After moving into a much bigger house in a nicer community, Francine meets her next door neighbour Ricky who helps her get away from her parents and control her powers.
Enter Dr. Brenner and the Hawkins Lab. Now known as "six," Francine begins to learn how to control her powers and meets many other "special children" in the facility. After witnessing an accident, which leaves a lab worker dead and the child known as "nine" left in a coma, Francine decides to escape the lab with the help of "three." I won't spoil the ending here, you'll have to read it yourself to find out Francine's fate.
I have to say, I really enjoyed this story. It really helps expand the greater world of Stranger Things and gives the reader/viewer additional insight into the inner workings of Dr. Brenner and the MKUltra Program at Hawkings Lab.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2022
Szybko się czyta. Ciekawy dodatek do serialu, ale nie jest to nic powalającego.
June 23, 2022
This one was a bit shorter but talked more about when eleven and her sister were little but had more people with different abilities which is kinda of cool
July 25, 2025
It was interesting to learn about another character from Stranger Things. I see a possible spin-off. However, it felt like the romance took half of the comic and her behaviour was annoying - I want him - I don't want him. Definitely, something for teenagers.
July 4, 2025
Better than the first comic, not as good as "Into the Fire". The art was good and I liked the characters well, enough. I also liked how it set "Into the Fire" up and foreshadowed a lot of events from that one.
June 13, 2022
Well... damn. Definitely not canon, but it's a super interesting story line. It also further illustrates the sketchy nature of Dr. Brenner and the people at the lab. What lengths will they go to for their "answers", for their experimentation? They take desperate, broken kids and families and take advantage. Even if it is for some "greater good", for some better understanding of the human mind, there is a dark underbelly and an even darker risk to what they are doing.
September 27, 2020
Und wieder bin ich begeistert!
Telil zwei der Reihe erzählt uns die Geschichte von Sechs. Und wieder können wir einen kleinen Blick auf Elfie erhaschen ♥️
Die Vorgeschichte der Serie im Comic Stil.
Telil zwei der Reihe erzählt uns die Geschichte von Sechs. Und wieder können wir einen kleinen Blick auf Elfie erhaschen ♥️
Die Vorgeschichte der Serie im Comic Stil.
July 16, 2023
I wish I'd read this eariler. Given how season 4 went, this strain of the Stranger Things comics definitely isn't canon anymore. But it's still a really good read.
I liked this look into other subjects of Brenner's, and the character moments are strong. The way Six uses her foresight power is great and those ending pages - ooh ooh, that's good stuff.
But... again, I can't draw, so I hate saying this, but I really didn't like the art style in here. It's honestly the default style that the ST graphic novels have been using. The characters' faces always look so blobby and ugly.
Besides that, though - I liked the use of panels and memories in here. It was neat. And I liked how the climax at the end was happening during a critical moment from the show. It's very Star Wars-y to have multiple giant events occurring at the same time. I'm a fan.
4/5 stars.
A ROJ3 read
I liked this look into other subjects of Brenner's, and the character moments are strong. The way Six uses her foresight power is great and those ending pages - ooh ooh, that's good stuff.
But... again, I can't draw, so I hate saying this, but I really didn't like the art style in here. It's honestly the default style that the ST graphic novels have been using. The characters' faces always look so blobby and ugly.
Besides that, though - I liked the use of panels and memories in here. It was neat. And I liked how the climax at the end was happening during a critical moment from the show. It's very Star Wars-y to have multiple giant events occurring at the same time. I'm a fan.
4/5 stars.
A ROJ3 read
August 25, 2022
"You're a BAD papa!" - my thoughts during this entire graphic novel.
When I saw this on display at the library, I decided it wouldn't hurt to give it a go. I didn't expect to find a new favourite graphic novel! This was really good. We are following Six, a girl in the Hawkins experiments, and her experience at the lab. The story was paced well. We saw some flashbacks and caught a glimpse of some really cool characters. The small crossover moments with the show were great because it told me where we were in the timeline. Definitely recommend if you like Stranger Things.
When I saw this on display at the library, I decided it wouldn't hurt to give it a go. I didn't expect to find a new favourite graphic novel! This was really good. We are following Six, a girl in the Hawkins experiments, and her experience at the lab. The story was paced well. We saw some flashbacks and caught a glimpse of some really cool characters. The small crossover moments with the show were great because it told me where we were in the timeline. Definitely recommend if you like Stranger Things.
April 27, 2025
Tells a complete story of the past and present, with a haunting end. The first "Stranger Things" graphic novel had beautiful graphics, and good enough writing, but also felt a bit lacking. This was a major improvement. I actually would read more about these characters as a series, as they aren't the original characters from the series except for Dr. Brenner, if they decided to do that. Worth a read.
September 9, 2019
I hope we see Brenner in season 4 and that Joyce just punches him in the face.
July 20, 2022
I gave it a 5 star rating
I liked it cause it was very fascinating and I love stranger things and it was a little sad it made me tear up a bit but it was so good and interesting and I loved six and rickys characters and the ending made me sad...
I liked it cause it was very fascinating and I love stranger things and it was a little sad it made me tear up a bit but it was so good and interesting and I loved six and rickys characters and the ending made me sad...
January 27, 2020
Another boring tale set in the Hawkins lab under Dr. Brenner. Unless Netflix is desperate to establish a myriad of powers in the Stranger things universe, I don’t get what these add to the story.
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