Storm Kids: Sacred Hearts

by Steve Niles, Nat Jones (Artist), Sandy King (Editor)

For Chris, Dirk and Shelley, life in their small town has always been quiet. But they have all heard about the Franklin Farm... a place they should never go near. When the three best friends decide to build a tree fort in the woods, they dare each other to go to there in search of wood, and find themselves in a strange world they never expected, setting off a terrible chain of events.

In this place, monsters are created, and an ancient evil from an old family curse is rising within their little town. But in all the chaos, they come to learn that not all monsters are bad. Some are special... some are born with a Sacred Heart...

From his horrific beginnings, this special Monster was born from a broken pact with evil, and somehow a door to a dark world had been opened. With the help of their new Monstrous friend, the kids try to stop the destructive forces happening all around them, and end the curse once and for all.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Horror, Graphic Novels Comics

152 pages, Paperback

First published July 27, 2021

About the author

STEVE NILES is one of the writers responsible for bringing horror comics back to prominence, and was recently named by Fangoria magazine as one of it's "13 rising talents who promise to keep us terrified for the next 25 years."

Niles is currently working for the four top American comic publishers - Marvel, DC, Image and Dark Horse. He got his start in the industry when he formed his own publishing company called Arcane Comix, where he published, edited and adapted several comics and anthologies for Eclipse Comics. His adaptations include works by Clive Barker, Richard Matheson and Harlan Ellison.

Steve resides in Los Angeles in his bachelor pad with one cat. While there's no crawlspace, there is a questionable closet in one corner and no one is quite sure what is hidden in there...but we have an idea.

--from the author's website

Reviews

[Shannara · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I saw John Carpenter’s name on this I knew I had to get my hands on this. I am definitely not disappointed. It met all my creepy and gory expectations. The art was also super great. It was dark and sketchy and there was blood, lots and lots of it...

We don’t really get to know much about the characters yet, but I still wanted to root for them!! As a setup for a series, this was such a good beginning. Omg and the brother,... that was bizarre and you gotta love that great advice that no one ever takes. You kids stay out of the woods!! Bahahaha, that’s like pushing them directly into the cave. I love it!!!

I recommend this to those who like creepy books, a decent amount of violence and blood, or books about monsters.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Storm King Productions for allowing me to read this for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Check out this review and others on my blog https://shannarareads.com/?p=306
Thanks!!!!

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

This starts off as a fine book for all ages with a supernatural tilt. However, there's some very graphic violence in the second half with people getting ripped to pieces. Given that I'd say this is for teenagers and older. It's about some kids who discover a monster while building a fort in the woods. But he's not evil and is actually protecting the town from demons entering through a portal to Hell. Nat Jones's art is solid.

Received a review copy from Storm King Productions and NetGalley

[Briar's Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Carpenter Presents Storm Kids: Sacred Hearts was one of those books where I looked at the cover, judged it, and decided to read it. I do that a lot and it tends to work out for me (in a good way).

This book is a spooky thriller that can stand alone (but I see is also part of a series). I easily understood this book without reading any of the others.

Basically, there's this weird monster who is living in the forest who makes friends with the lead characters. There's some devil worshipping, scary stories and monster fighting that will happen that will put the reader on the edge of their seat.

My summary for my thoughts on this book:
1. The whole "scary, evil thing in the woods" arc has been doing quite well in media lately. Add in the creepy old man and you've got one spooky introduction for a book.
2. The monster isn't super scary to me, he's rather cute. I think that's the point though!
3. Crazy monster fights - yeeeesssss.
4. It's a story of brotherhood.
5. Bloody, gory, R rated galore.

I would like to read more out of this series now! I quite enjoyed this one. It's more of a thriller than a horror, but I will take it!

Four out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Diamond Book Distributors for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

[Amie's Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was drawn to this graphic novel because of seeing "John Carpenter" on the cover. But, that alone would not have been enough to make me love this graphic novel as much as I do.

This is the 4th book in a series, but each novel is a standalone seperate story. This means that you can read them in any order, or just read this one. But, now that I have read one of the novels, I want to read them all.

Even though this is a horror story, it is targeted at the young adult (or full adult) audience. The gore is kept to a minimum and I recommend it for ages thirteen and up.

The story itself will resonate with anyone who has grown up in a small town. Every small town seems to have at least one house or property that is rumored to be haunted or evil. SACRED HEARTS is no different.

In this case, three friends - Chris, Dirk, and Shelley are building a fort in the woods outside of their town. When they realize they need more wood to be able to finish it, they remember seeing an old pile of boards beside the barn on the Franklin farm.

Retrieving that wood sets off a chain of events they could never have expected. Curses, pacts with the devil, and a monsterous creature unlike anything the kids have ever seen are only a few of the surprises awaiting readers.

The entertainment value of this graphic novel is off the charts. It also highlights some basic life lessons such as never judging someone by their appearance, and the value of true friendships.

The illustrations are utterly fabulous. I particularly liked the way the illustrators used dark and light to highlight the difference between the scenes of good versus those of evil.

I highly recommend this graphic novel to everyone who loves a tale of good against evil. I rate SACRED HEARTS as 5 OUT OF 5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

*** Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book. ***

[Permanently_Booked · Rating 5 out of 5]

**Special thanks to Diamond Book Distributor for the gifted e-arc in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All thoughts are my own. **

Loved this one! It’s almost like Are You Afraid of the Dark had a baby with Stranger Things and out popped this bundle of chaos. Three friends, Chris, Dirk and Shelley, live in a small town and just like most small towns, theirs has legends and secrets the townsfolk like to whisper about. But what happens when those myths happen to be true? When monsters do roam the forest and deals can be struck with the devil? Well, this trio is about to find out.

There honestly isn’t much I didn’t enjoy about this graphic novel. The characters gave me that close knit feel that makes your inner kid get nostalgic. I liked that each character had certain traits that fit their actions too. Shelley is bighearted, Chris is the scared comedic relief and Dirk has that calm under pressure charisma. They made a fun trio.

The illustrations fit each scene bringing out the gore, creepy monsters and facial expressions of the characters. I especially like the creeptastic downward spiral of old man Henry. I can't help it, kids and the elderly going natters has always been high on my horror movie glory scale. True to plot, the art follows the trio through the discovery of the Franklin Farm curse and all of it's hidden secrets. You could even close your eyes and see the story play out as a movie.

Definitely a well done graphic novel. Strom Kids is starting to become a favorite to pick up. If you like small town urban legends, slightly gory but engaging graphic novels with a dark side than I highly recommend checking out this series!

[Ray Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve always been a fan of the horror genre but lately I haven’t found anything that would make me go crazy about it. That was until now. From the moment I read “John Carpenter” on the title, I just knew I HAD to read it.

And fam, I wasn’t disappointed at all.

This volume has everything I love about the genre: monsters not so monstrous, wicked humans, strange, evil creatures and of course, characters that show us both good and bad sides of people.

We follow 3 kids who happen to live in a small town where the legend says there is an evil monster, eager to eat them away. And there is some truth in that statement, at least. Decades ago, a wicked man sold his soul to the devil only to break his promise and bury his monstrous son deep in the woods. Now, as you can imagine, this backfired on him.

Years passed by and though this Creature didn’t die as he was supposed to, it surely opened a portal for actual devils. But what would it be for him? Can he remain hidden in the woods or will he pursue this new freedom, the companionship he found with the adventurous kids?

Anyway, I must say that I loved the art and the ambiance was perfect for every chapter. You might have seen the same formula in other stories, but this volume alone has so much potential that I’d love to see this story adapted on the big screen! We surely have an entire crew of people who are great at what they do behind the scenes and it shows. I would totally recommend you to check it out if you’re fan of Carpenter’s work and the horror genre as I am!

I received an e-book ARC in exchange for an honest review via Diamond Comic Distributors.

[Madara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm in love with the Storm Kids series! Each book is so different and so fun!
Sacred Hearts, even if bloody, is filled with so much heart, love and friendship! I hope to read many more in the series!
The art fits the story perfectly, characters are a bit cookie cutter but it seemed fitting.

Review copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Theediscerning · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much better than the previous title in this range of kids' horror comics I witnessed, this is a much more serviceable look at three kids with ideas of a massive treehouse in the woods. Unfortunately it is too close to the local bogey-house, the one that is the source of all the local ghosts and monsters and gossip of nastiness. And, of course, that gossip is much too close to the truth... It's still not great – the kids are paper-thin and barely there as characters, and have a really weirdly stilted speech, to such an extent this seemed a badly translated foreign original. Neither is the dialogue helped by some really weird emphasis of just the entirely wrong word, which you have to tune out for want of actual clarity. Nobody, but nobody, uses the stresses that the bold font words get here. That aside, the book offers little in the way of originality, but will serve its target audience well – a target audience that ought to be a touch more mature than I first expected, given the gore we get by the end. Three and a half stars.

[Matthew McGhie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Excellent story and art. Only complaint is emphasis on certain words in the dialogue doesn’t make sense as it is. Hopefully will be corrected in final version. Other than that minor thing, an excellent and fun comic. Give it a go if you like horror and horror art.

[Jenn Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

this story follows three kids who build a tree fort in the woods. They find themselves in a new world and a evil is rising in town. They want to stop the curse once and for all. I loved the artwork. All of the darker colors really added to the creepy feel. When we are in the forest at night everything is in shades of blue, so when there is a fight the bright red blood just stands out. Steve Niles also wrote 30 Days of Night and this is just another example of doing horror right. It was a fun read that had me on the edge of my seat because I needed to know what happened next.

Creative Team:
Written by Steve Niles
Art by Nat Jones
Lettering by Janice Chiang
Edited by Sandy King

[Leigh F · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this graphic novel through netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The graphics of this novel were amazing, spot on with what I would have imagined had this not been a graphic novel. The characters were relatable and the story (though it left me wanting more at the end) was well done.

My only complaint... it ended... I wanted more. I’ll be on the lookout for more of these in the future.

[Ashley Dang · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful adventure filled with monsters, friendships, and action. The story follows three friends as they run into a secret creature in the forest and discover that there are more dangers than they had thought! Secrets, the devil, and unexpected friendships all come together in this interesting story! Definitely a great read!

*Thanks Netgalley and Diamond Book Distributors for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[Inah (Fueled By Chapters) · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a quick but fun read, and honestly very engrossing. The story is very straightforward and linear, but the execution was well done.

I love reading thrillers and this one gets really spooky. The graphics and art style really helped the genre be more scary-like.

I just hoped we got to see more of the characters because the pacing of the story was very quick. Although, this could be a setup for a potential series and I'd be interested to see more to the story.

**
For more book reviews, visit my blog: Fueled By Chapters

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A home birth occurs and the father is horrified. He grabs the baby and runs out of the house and buries the baby. Unknown to him, the baby is saved by his son. Chris, Shelley and Dirk have decided to build a tree fort out in the woods. They don’t have the wood so they sneak into the Franklin place to grab wood for their fort. The fort is built. As the three kids go home, they see the towing truck has been smashed on the road. The sheriff sees he crime scene and decides to do a search to find the driver. With the sheriff departments and volunteers searching, they don’t find him". The baby has grown into a Hugh monster looking person. He is wounded when the kids run into him. Shelley convinces them to help her help the monster with bandages and food. They are surprised that he can talk. Will the monster hurt the kids? The devil has decided to go after the monster but will he succeed?

The graphic novel is excellent. I must admit that I am fan of John Carpenter. The storyline is expertly written and the illustrations were perfect. This is excellent horror that anyone can read. It is not a gross out story. There is fighting but it is to save rather than destroy.

Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review or any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.

[Jake · Rating 4 out of 5]

You gotta have enough love for the B-Movie kind of schlock that comes from the likes of John Carpenter and Steve Niles. Sometimes a simple premise that keeps your attention is all that keep people from turning away at a moment's notice. Cases like this are where superheroes and horror movie monsters seem almost inseparable. The simple story with a fast paced plot can certainly do that. Sure there are plenty of cliches like people living alone, family curses, and people getting killed by monsters as a result of a family curse, but there's a sense of wonder to it all. Being a kid in a sleepy town will certainly excite someone. With the right make-up and effects this could easily be a decent short film.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Storm Kids: Sacred Hearts’ by Steve Niles with art by Nat Jones is a graphic novel that tells the story of three friends who live in a small town.

Chris, Dirk and Shelley live in a small town and know not to go to the creepy Franklin Farm. When they build a tree fort in the woods nearby, they stumble on a dark secret involving the Franklin Farm and some terror that may threaten their town. Along the way, they find unusual new friends as they try to stop events already in motion.

This is a good read for fans of horror and coming-of-age stories. Steve Niles knows how to craft a spooky story. The art was a little weak, in my opinion, but didn’t detract from my enjoyment of this story.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was horrifically fun. :). So horror for kids can go all sorts of right and all sorts of wrong. There may be some parents who find that this is to “bloody” for their kids, but the story is very well done and I love the graphics. Everyone in town knows there is something off about the Franklin family, and the woods they live in. This story has such heart and such charm for something that would be classified as horror. I do think the ending is a little short and too quickly wrapped up, but kids wanting horror can not go wrong with this book. My nephew is 11 and I would fully let him read it.

[Justin Labelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Storm Kids is a very playful, darkly spooky comic horror thriller.
It's got classic elements and does them justice, from the old spooky house, to a deal with the devil, to some good ol fashion monster mayhem.
It feels like it was a toe touching the water to see if the interest would be strong enough to merit a show or movie, from the reviews here being nearly entirely from free copies, I guess it never met a wider audience.
I found this at my local library and picked it up thinking Carpenter had more involvement, not disappointed but he seems to have been a producer-publisher rather than involved in any writing.

[DJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I see John Carpenter and I immediately want to read it. I was not disappointed by this story. Scared Hearts is part of a series but I have never read any of the others. I had no issues following this story, so it can definitely be read as a stand alone. It's a spooky thriller with a lot of heart. I loved that illustration and the story. I will definitely be checking out the rest of this series!

[Books+Coffee=Happiness Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

I admit I wanted to read this because I’m a John Carpenter fan. I loved the artwork and the storyline held my attention from beginning to end. While the story was mostly predictable, there were some unexpected twists that kept me entertained. The artwork alone is enough reason to add this one to my collection. If you’re looking for horror that’s not overly gory, you can’t go wrong with Sacred Hearts. Great for young adults, and adults who are young at heart.

A gripping, fast-paced read with gritty artwork, Sacred Hearts is a must-have for horror fans!

[Elia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely way too short and rushed, but good until the last few pages, when it just madly sprinted to a finish it wasn't at all prepared for. A decent amount of gore, and ok setup, it also suffered from a lack of character development which is also directly tied in to the brief length.

[Andreea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received this book for free in exchange of my honest opinion.

So much potential, so little development. I liked the horror atmosphere and some of the pages were great, but overall it fell flat for me.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, YA horror story that feels like someone threw Stranger Things, the Monster Squad, and the Incredible Hulk in a blender, added some supernatural elements for spice, and a nice amount of heart to give the story emotional resonance. Art is pretty solid as well.

[Steve Howells · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple fun story with some great art work