The Slasher's Apprentice by Justin Richards, Val Halvorson, Rebecca Nalty, & Buddy Beaudoin

Blurb:

A blend of true crime and slasher horror while subverting the tropes. If you like movies like Scream or Halloween and podcasts like Last Podcast On The Left or My Favorite Murder, you will feel right at home.

Riley, a horror-obsessed podcaster with a slasher villain fixation, is seeking a new career path: Helping her favorite legendary slasher, The Hopton Valley Killer, regain their long-lost notoriety while learning the ropes herself.

Review:

The cover and title caught my attention. The description and absurd premise made me want to read this one badly. I knew I wanted a quick and light read, something familiar but with a twist. 

And The Slasher’s Apprentice delivered! 

Spoilers Ahead! 

What I liked: 

The prologue opens with a podcast narrating the story of a notorious serial killer breaking into someone’s home and murdering their entire family. All except one survivor—a child who was hiding and the killer missed. From there, we follow Riley, a podcaster who runs a podcast titled ‘Knife Life’ and is obsessed with serial killers. She tracks down the infamous Hopton Valley Killer—a mute murderer who’s gone decades evading capture, and continues to terrorize society in a lion mask. 

Riley finds him and blackmails him with evidence. Her ask: she wants to be his apprentice. What follows is a sick and twisted series of murders where Riley acts as an intern to this murderer, constantly providing logistical support, reconnaissance, and unsolicited advice on how to remain relevant in the modern age of social media trends. 

The Slasher’s Apprentice was a delight to read. Slasher films were a guilty pleasure for me growing up. They continue to scratch an itch every other month. I’m biased towards classic slashers, which is a good thing because this graphic novel is full of references to the classics. From the cabin in the woods to drunk teenagers getting offed at parties, to even the final girl trope that gets a nice social media live twist, reading this book brought a twisted sense of comfort because of all the familiar. 

Val Halvorson beautifully realizes Justin Richard’s weird story with illustrations that perfectly balance the realistic gore with palatable comic strip designs. Every panel featuring the killers’ attacks evoke the right sense of terror with their use of color and shades. The non-slasher portions get their neutral treatment with murderous paraphernalia resting in the background. The artwork was what really hooked me, especially because I kept perusing every panel to see if I could catch an extra easter egg or reference. 

The story itself is pretty straightforward, which works in favor of The Slasher’s Apprentice. With the vibes and tone set so perfectly, I’m glad the story delivered exactly what it promised without trying to complicate matters and ending up being pretentious. The simplicity of the story lays the grounds for you to immerse yourself in this world and really engage with the idea of a serial killer’s apprentice—an absurd enough premise to hook you and keep you going. 

A beautiful homage to the slasher genre, this is a story that would adapt brilliantly as an indie slasher film, if any up-and-coming filmmakers are looking to experiment with their craft.

What I didn’t like: 

There’s nothing to not like here, if I’m being honest. My favorite slasher films don’t really have great storylines, but always nailed the vibes. 

That being said, the main story (Riley’s story) does stretch your suspension of disbelief. You can see the twist coming from a mile away, but a lot remains unexplained. If you’re one to feel annoyed at things not fully revealing themselves, you might feel a pinch of dissatisfaction in the end. 

However, that’s about the only minor issue I had with the book. I genuinely enjoyed every other bit. 

In Conclusion:

A sick twist on slasher films, this graphic novel with all its gory artwork evokes the best of the genre. Short, quick paced, The Slasher’s Apprentice hits all the right cords.

TL;DR: 

What I liked: Pretty much everything, slasher film references & tropes

What I didn’t like: A few unanswered questions that stretch your suspension of disbelief.