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.