Stranger Things: Six
by Jody Houser; pencils by Edgar Salazar; inks by Keith Champagne; colours by Marissa Louise (Dark Horse, 2019)
A bleak graphic novel exploring MKUltra’s backstory through the character of Francine (‘Six’), a teen exploited for her burgeoning precognisance growing up (nuclear holocaust orange–hued flashbacks) and at the lab (straightjacket greys and greens). Stays in keeping without offering anything new.
X’ed Out
by Charles Burns (Pantheon, 2010)
In this confronting homage, Burns shows us what Tintin’s adventures might be like if they took place in a grim alternative reality (think the Upside Down of ‘Stranger Things’). Burns lacks Hergé’s sense of movement and pacing but this remains darkly memorable.
Stranger Things, Season 1
created by The Duffer Brothers (Netflix, 2016)
After a grim, sluggish start — and a prolonged burst of overacting by Winona Ryder — the 1980s styled supernatural sci-fi horror series Stranger Things hits its stride, respecting the attention span and showing that television really can be as captivating as we remember.