Coffin Hill is–while definitely reminiscent of some other comics, book series and movies–its own thing.

Writer Caitlin Kittredge marries some familiar concepts–rookie cop versus serial killer, teenage witches, haunted family–into something relatively fresh. The protagonist, Eve Coffin, is immediately memorable. Her supporting cast is strong. The cast fluctuates as the issue moves from the present back thirteen years. Kittredge’s greatest strength is a little one. She never loses track of Coffin’s partner, who is always in a scene as support and always perfectly so.

Inaki Miranda’s art is fine, but somewhat indistinct. There are emo teenagers, there are regular cops, there’s some blood, there’s some imagery out of Poe. Miranda never does anything new with these elements, but is always strong with them.

Hill ends on a standard haunted house note, but Kittredge earns a lot of goodwill with this first issue. A lot of goodwill.

CREDITS

Forest of the Night; writer, Caitlin Kittredge; artist, Inaki Miranda; colorist, Eva De La Cruz; letterer, Travis Lanham; editors, Gregory Lockard and Shelly Bond; publisher, Vertigo.