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Where Monsters Lie trade paperbacks #1
Where Monsters Lie
A brand-new meta-horror story that's Cabin in the Woods meets Tucker and Dale vs. Evil .
Haven’t you always wondered what slasher monsters—the masked home invasion family, the mindless unkillable monster, the serial killer trapped in a doll—what they do for those couple of years in-between their murder sprees? They’re at Wilmhurst—a gated community in the middle of nowhere where they relax—or try to—until they get the call to go out and kill again.
Connor Hayes survived his first slasher in summer camp. A handful of years later he barely escaped a psychopath who built torture puzzles for his victims. Since then he’s been training and planning for running into these creatures again. He’s a respected special agent. And now he knows where the monsters lie and he’s planning for war.
Collects Where Monsters Lie #1–#4.
Haven’t you always wondered what slasher monsters—the masked home invasion family, the mindless unkillable monster, the serial killer trapped in a doll—what they do for those couple of years in-between their murder sprees? They’re at Wilmhurst—a gated community in the middle of nowhere where they relax—or try to—until they get the call to go out and kill again.
Connor Hayes survived his first slasher in summer camp. A handful of years later he barely escaped a psychopath who built torture puzzles for his victims. Since then he’s been training and planning for running into these creatures again. He’s a respected special agent. And now he knows where the monsters lie and he’s planning for war.
Collects Where Monsters Lie #1–#4.
104 pages, Paperback
First published October 3, 2023
10 people are currently reading
680 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews
November 16, 2024
Is it good or is it stupid?
I don't know yet. But I'm willing to read the next one.
I've read several novels in the Final Girl genre, some are better than others, but I like the idea.
Basically, they take popular horror films and then tell the story of what it would be like if those stories came to life. They are typically more psycho/slasher than paranormal killers, but the lines do occasionally blur.
And that's kind of what Kyle Starks did here, except his Final Girls are guys.
So the skinny gist is that there's this little suburban neighborhood, tucked away from prying eyes, and that's where these killers go when they aren't off terrorizing the masses. It's very tongue-in-cheek, and opens with a young boy escaping from one of the houses while the killer is off killing other boys. He makes it to the police station and his story sets off alarm bells bringing in special agent Connor Hayes. He was a survivor of TWO massacres and has spent his life training for just this moment.
Crazy things happen and there's a cliffhanger ending.
I can see where he's coming from and I kind of dig it, but it didn't really impress me until the end - and that's what made me want to maybe read more of this title. It could go in a weird but interesting direction.
Or it might just be weird dogshit.
We shall see.
I don't know yet. But I'm willing to read the next one.
I've read several novels in the Final Girl genre, some are better than others, but I like the idea.
Basically, they take popular horror films and then tell the story of what it would be like if those stories came to life. They are typically more psycho/slasher than paranormal killers, but the lines do occasionally blur.
And that's kind of what Kyle Starks did here, except his Final Girls are guys.
So the skinny gist is that there's this little suburban neighborhood, tucked away from prying eyes, and that's where these killers go when they aren't off terrorizing the masses. It's very tongue-in-cheek, and opens with a young boy escaping from one of the houses while the killer is off killing other boys. He makes it to the police station and his story sets off alarm bells bringing in special agent Connor Hayes. He was a survivor of TWO massacres and has spent his life training for just this moment.
Crazy things happen and there's a cliffhanger ending.
I can see where he's coming from and I kind of dig it, but it didn't really impress me until the end - and that's what made me want to maybe read more of this title. It could go in a weird but interesting direction.
Or it might just be weird dogshit.
We shall see.
December 18, 2023
The premise sounded so cool but the execution fell flat.
October 5, 2024
Holy Hell, this comic was so much fun. Horror tropes used in clever ways, with an ending that had me fired up for a return to this world (if one comes, who knows?).
Serial killers living in a gated community are accidentally outed by a victim who got away… and brought the cops back with them.
So much gets turned on it’s head, just to get turned right back. Very fun, very over the top.
Serial killers living in a gated community are accidentally outed by a victim who got away… and brought the cops back with them.
So much gets turned on it’s head, just to get turned right back. Very fun, very over the top.
February 26, 2024
This was SO GOOD. Gorey and funny with lots of plot! You root for the bad guys the whole time and just love the way it all comes together. I loved each bad guy for a different reason they were all so unique and fun!!
LOVED!
LOVED!
March 8, 2024
This was hilarious 😂
April 8, 2024
With Kyle Starks, it’s always fun. And if you add some really nice bloody scenes (lawnmower <3), you know I’ll like it even more.
September 19, 2024
In one of his better bonkers ideas, Starks addresses where all the slashers go in between murder sprees: an idyllic gated community that caters only to the Chuckies and Jasons and Leatherfaces of the world. At some point one victim escaped and grew up to be a supercop with a vendetta. Where Monsters Lie tells the story of what happens when Agent Hayes finally tracks down the killers of Wilmhurst Community.
This is a case of incomplete genius. It's a legit blast watching a battalion of cops go to war with Jigsaw, Jason Voorhees, Chucky, Charles Manson, Michael Myers, Cujo, the Leatherface clan, and Art the Clown. I'm probably missing a couple of references too.
But Starks doesn't do much with his brilliant idea. It's just 104 pages of flying viscera, virtually unhindered by plot. It's decent and it gallops, but it could have been great.
This is a case of incomplete genius. It's a legit blast watching a battalion of cops go to war with Jigsaw, Jason Voorhees, Chucky, Charles Manson, Michael Myers, Cujo, the Leatherface clan, and Art the Clown. I'm probably missing a couple of references too.
But Starks doesn't do much with his brilliant idea. It's just 104 pages of flying viscera, virtually unhindered by plot. It's decent and it gallops, but it could have been great.
January 22, 2024
Beginning the story with a group of teens escaping from a serial killer's house to take refuge at the neighbors' place, only to learn that the neighbors are also serial killers is a great opening hook for a comic series. But everything after the opening scene fell rather flat. A campy horror tale featuring a community of serial killers seems right up Kyle Starks' alley, but I really don't think this idea was developed enough here. There's some play with horror and slasher tropes going on but that's about it. Piotr Kowalski's artwork is perfectly over-the-top with respect to the violence and gore needed for the story, but the lack of characterization for the individual serial killers made the artistic efforts feel wasted here.
October 7, 2023
I knew a bit of what to expect with this book since I’ve read a ton of Kyle Starks’ other books and this one didn’t disappoint! This is fun and wild and full of references to horror franchises that I’ve loved for years. Great, quick, entertaining read!
October 31, 2024
Happy Halloween! My choice for this year is a meta-horror story that gives a tongue-in-cheek explanation of where serial killers go between crime sprees.
Agent Hayes has survived two attempted murders as a child, and because of his trauma, he has been training himself to find and eliminate serial killers. So when a local teen tells him that he alone escaped slaughter when he and his friends snuck into a gated community, Hayes knows he is on the killer’s trail, yet he doesn’t know how many truly reside there.
About a dozen murderers, including a killer clown and an animated ventriloquist’s dummy, are led by an elderly woman who controls the details of their crimes. They uneasily coexist together, yet are a force to be reckoned with when Hayes arrives with a squad of police officers. Let’s just say things don’t go well for the officers, and Hayes has a weak spot that is exploited and points to a sequel.
The art is sketchy and dark, but ably recreates some classic killer tropes. Color is minimally used, with exceptions such as Hayes’s orange mohawk and the red used for the spilled blood. There are a few standout splash pages, but otherwise, it has a standard layout.
This send-up of slasher films had an intriguing concept, yet it fell flat for me. It wasn't a bad read for this spooky season, but I was hoping for more.
This review can also be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2024/10/3...
Agent Hayes has survived two attempted murders as a child, and because of his trauma, he has been training himself to find and eliminate serial killers. So when a local teen tells him that he alone escaped slaughter when he and his friends snuck into a gated community, Hayes knows he is on the killer’s trail, yet he doesn’t know how many truly reside there.
About a dozen murderers, including a killer clown and an animated ventriloquist’s dummy, are led by an elderly woman who controls the details of their crimes. They uneasily coexist together, yet are a force to be reckoned with when Hayes arrives with a squad of police officers. Let’s just say things don’t go well for the officers, and Hayes has a weak spot that is exploited and points to a sequel.
The art is sketchy and dark, but ably recreates some classic killer tropes. Color is minimally used, with exceptions such as Hayes’s orange mohawk and the red used for the spilled blood. There are a few standout splash pages, but otherwise, it has a standard layout.
This send-up of slasher films had an intriguing concept, yet it fell flat for me. It wasn't a bad read for this spooky season, but I was hoping for more.
This review can also be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2024/10/3...
August 24, 2025
I’m always getting overhyped by the guys at War Rocket Ajax. They have a depleted uranium hard-on for Kyle Starks, and every time I take them up on that invitation, I see promise but not *quite* the payoff I’ve been looking for.
It’s like a bridge to the chorus that keeps building to a release, only the release comes out as a minor augmented seventh instead of a good ol major chord.
Kyle, you’ve got a great premise here, and the characters - though not entirely divorced from their inspirations - are fun enough to play with.
I laughed out loud at a couple of moments - and the Puzzle Man scenes were exactly on the nose about how dumb Saw became - but there’s less entertainment here than we deserve. Either go hardcore scary, or give us full Supermansion/Robot Chicken.
Not sure the “family” dynamic was cooked long enough though. A little infighting, a little unexpectedly vanilla impulses from some of the veteran monsters, but not *quite* the meta-commentary I was expecting.
A little more Hachet 1, a little less than Cabin in the Woods. Maybe it’s like Hell House three? A bit derivative, a little more promised than delivered?
And yet I bought both vols 1 & 2 on a whim after Chris and Matt gave me such a good reason to try, so I’ll at least try out the legendarily under-sold vol 2. Let’s see if Starks has any gas left in the tank after taking the idea for a solid lap around the track.
It’s like a bridge to the chorus that keeps building to a release, only the release comes out as a minor augmented seventh instead of a good ol major chord.
Kyle, you’ve got a great premise here, and the characters - though not entirely divorced from their inspirations - are fun enough to play with.
I laughed out loud at a couple of moments - and the Puzzle Man scenes were exactly on the nose about how dumb Saw became - but there’s less entertainment here than we deserve. Either go hardcore scary, or give us full Supermansion/Robot Chicken.
Not sure the “family” dynamic was cooked long enough though. A little infighting, a little unexpectedly vanilla impulses from some of the veteran monsters, but not *quite* the meta-commentary I was expecting.
A little more Hachet 1, a little less than Cabin in the Woods. Maybe it’s like Hell House three? A bit derivative, a little more promised than delivered?
And yet I bought both vols 1 & 2 on a whim after Chris and Matt gave me such a good reason to try, so I’ll at least try out the legendarily under-sold vol 2. Let’s see if Starks has any gas left in the tank after taking the idea for a solid lap around the track.
November 2, 2024
Gruesome, violent, and darkly entertaining.
4/5
4/5
April 13, 2024
Absolutely silly as hell ("what if there was a subdivision for serial killers?") but surprisingly well plotted and paced with solid art. The serial killers are the horror movie kind with extremely goofy kinks. The cop who's gonna bring them all to justice is pretty fun. The backstory for everything is pretty light, but honestly that's probably a good thing here.
Where Monsters Lie is short, sweet, and great for a guilty laugh.
Where Monsters Lie is short, sweet, and great for a guilty laugh.
June 19, 2024
It's got a pretty good premise, even if it is a little absurd. I think it was highly entertaining and has me wanting more. It's not as dark as I was expecting. I liked the idea of this series. There were some really good moments. I just feel like they wasted trying to make a good ending to try and pull a twist that really felt whack to me.
Read
February 13, 2024Deranged. Campy. Gory. If you're into slasher horror and its tropes, this will be a fun little read!
April 26, 2024
Lmfao this was so fun
November 1, 2024
3.5 stars
October 4, 2023
Popular indie comic writer Kyle Starks has brought another creator owned comic to Dark Horse Comics with “Where Monsters Lie.” Starks is an Eisner nominated comic creator with new runaway created hits like “I Hate This Place” and “Sexcastle,” as well as working on nearly 50 issues of the “Rick and Morty” comic.
He doesn’t have an enormous bibliography, but what he has written has already cultivated a rabid fanbase. Starks has a knack for punchy, clever dialogue that that still packs an emotional and layered wallop. Artist Piotr Kowalski has had an incredibly strong run on both indie comics like “The Steam Man,” also at Dark Horse, as well as huge properties like Clive Barker’s “Nightbreed” comics, multiple Stephen King comics, and “Robocop: To Live and Die in Detroit,” just to name a few of the mainstream titles he’s worked on. Kowalski’s gritty yet somewhat cartoonish style lends itself to a multitude of genres and sub-genres and his work speaks for itself as he is able to mold his style into myriad comics.
Colorist Vladimir Popov is another one who doesn’t have a huge comic history, but he has been a part of some very cool books namely Clive Barker’s “Hellraiser: The Dark Watch” at Boom Studios and “The Last Book You’ll Ever Read” from Vault Comics, among other titles. Popov brings a brilliance to the work that can only be described as colorful and bright. No matter how grisly the image on the page, Popov will bring an energy to it that is almost totally unexpected. With this comic, he adds a shining palette of Americana on some horrific illustrations. Closing out the creative team is letterer Joshua Reed. Reed is an experienced letterer and designer across an incredible amount of books, many of which are at DC, Marvel, and smaller publishers like Aspen MLT. He’s worked with some of the biggest and smallest names in comics and can pivot to fit any kind of story put in front of him.
Art by Kowalski & Popov
“Where Monsters Lie” follows a group of serial killers, all of which could have been ripped from the screens dominated by the slasher killer. All of these characters and the town they inhabit feel like they could have been dreamt up by the horror writers of the 70s and 80s. To use names most people know, this series feels like Wes Craven, Stephen King, and David Lynch got together to make a slasher t.v. series.
Starks’s writing blends quirky horror with quaint melodrama to shocking and heartfelt effect. Kowalski gleefully gives us a mix of pulpy grit and small town comfort with each of the characters and small slice of middle America on display. There is almost a cute nature to both the writing and the artwork that lends itself to making us almost feel more sympathetic to these monstrous murderers than their prey.
Right from the first chapter readers are sent spiraling due to their feelings that these killers are the main characters and they should be the center of our universe as well, and feeling the true terror in the fact they are going to bring their terrible wrath down upon many an innocent and unsuspecting victim. The surreal nature of the entire comic is front and center and somehow balances this fantastical world that has gimmicky slasher killers all living together in a small community while the rest of normal society moves on blissfully unaware of the horrid little neighborhood just out of sight. The writing and the art crafts plenty of scares, dark humor, and even ennui. Come for the horror, stay for the bizarre (and totally blood soaked) character study.
He doesn’t have an enormous bibliography, but what he has written has already cultivated a rabid fanbase. Starks has a knack for punchy, clever dialogue that that still packs an emotional and layered wallop. Artist Piotr Kowalski has had an incredibly strong run on both indie comics like “The Steam Man,” also at Dark Horse, as well as huge properties like Clive Barker’s “Nightbreed” comics, multiple Stephen King comics, and “Robocop: To Live and Die in Detroit,” just to name a few of the mainstream titles he’s worked on. Kowalski’s gritty yet somewhat cartoonish style lends itself to a multitude of genres and sub-genres and his work speaks for itself as he is able to mold his style into myriad comics.
Colorist Vladimir Popov is another one who doesn’t have a huge comic history, but he has been a part of some very cool books namely Clive Barker’s “Hellraiser: The Dark Watch” at Boom Studios and “The Last Book You’ll Ever Read” from Vault Comics, among other titles. Popov brings a brilliance to the work that can only be described as colorful and bright. No matter how grisly the image on the page, Popov will bring an energy to it that is almost totally unexpected. With this comic, he adds a shining palette of Americana on some horrific illustrations. Closing out the creative team is letterer Joshua Reed. Reed is an experienced letterer and designer across an incredible amount of books, many of which are at DC, Marvel, and smaller publishers like Aspen MLT. He’s worked with some of the biggest and smallest names in comics and can pivot to fit any kind of story put in front of him.
Art by Kowalski & Popov
“Where Monsters Lie” follows a group of serial killers, all of which could have been ripped from the screens dominated by the slasher killer. All of these characters and the town they inhabit feel like they could have been dreamt up by the horror writers of the 70s and 80s. To use names most people know, this series feels like Wes Craven, Stephen King, and David Lynch got together to make a slasher t.v. series.
Starks’s writing blends quirky horror with quaint melodrama to shocking and heartfelt effect. Kowalski gleefully gives us a mix of pulpy grit and small town comfort with each of the characters and small slice of middle America on display. There is almost a cute nature to both the writing and the artwork that lends itself to making us almost feel more sympathetic to these monstrous murderers than their prey.
Right from the first chapter readers are sent spiraling due to their feelings that these killers are the main characters and they should be the center of our universe as well, and feeling the true terror in the fact they are going to bring their terrible wrath down upon many an innocent and unsuspecting victim. The surreal nature of the entire comic is front and center and somehow balances this fantastical world that has gimmicky slasher killers all living together in a small community while the rest of normal society moves on blissfully unaware of the horrid little neighborhood just out of sight. The writing and the art crafts plenty of scares, dark humor, and even ennui. Come for the horror, stay for the bizarre (and totally blood soaked) character study.
October 27, 2024
This was ridiculous and I'm upset that I wasted my time reading it. I expected "a brand-new meta-horror story that's Cabin in the Woods meets Tucker and Dale vs. Evil." What I got was not even close to that. It was so far in the opposite direction that I wondered if whoever wrote that tagline even read the story.
Seriously. It was riddled with grammatical errors, had a flimsy story, and a stupid ending. This was just dumb.
Seriously. It was riddled with grammatical errors, had a flimsy story, and a stupid ending. This was just dumb.
June 10, 2024
This was a wild ride! I honestly laughed out loud a few times. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series
April 23, 2024
Where Monsters Lie is an absolutely hilarious graphic novel, where the premise is that serial killers and other weird slasher types all live together in a community so they can take care of each other. When one victim gets away, and brings the cops, the town must unite together to kill them all.
It was such a fast read! As a fan of horror movies and slasher films, I really was able to enjoy the silly archetypes of the many characters. I really hope they make a sequel!
Recommend
It was such a fast read! As a fan of horror movies and slasher films, I really was able to enjoy the silly archetypes of the many characters. I really hope they make a sequel!
Recommend
July 12, 2024
Oh this was so much fun! You can rarely go wrong with Dark Horse comics, and Where Monsters Lie is a real treat for horror fans, especially if you’re like me and love slashers. My only complaint is I wish we could have spent more time getting to know the killers before shit went down. Otherwise, this is near perfect. I can’t wait for part 2!
March 20, 2024
This had so much potential, but it just fell flat.
The premise of this is just so interesting and kind of spooky, but then it just goes off the rails and gets stupid. Like it’s not scary and the author added the stupidest humor. I don’t know I was expecting something else.
The premise of this is just so interesting and kind of spooky, but then it just goes off the rails and gets stupid. Like it’s not scary and the author added the stupidest humor. I don’t know I was expecting something else.
November 8, 2024
This was so fun! The kills were perfect and drawn so well. What an interesting "slasher-ish" comic, I really hope it continues because I want to know what happens next! Fingers crossed.
January 29, 2025
Cawpile rating: 9.14
March 8, 2025
Kind of dumb, kind of funny. The kid is the best part. The cop sucks.
May 21, 2025
3.5 rounded up because I really just enjoyed the concept.
A retirement/safe haven community of all of horror's most famous killers (or rather the tropes that define them) is invaded by a cop with vengeance on his mind.
A retirement/safe haven community of all of horror's most famous killers (or rather the tropes that define them) is invaded by a cop with vengeance on his mind.
June 21, 2025
The family that slays together stays together.
March 1, 2025
Not your average comic. 3 1/2 stars for originality. Drawings are really cool. Hope each character has their own comic.
November 2, 2024
"YOU NEVER SHIT WHERE YOU EAT, YOU BUFFOON!"
Just really, really bad. I guess it's also technically successful in a way, seeing as all I was really looking for out of it was some over-the-top brutality and it delivers that in spades. But even that disappoints in its complete lack of creativity and fun. And aside from the gratuitous violence, it's all just a really poorly written graphic novel with zero likable characters and even less sense of storytelling acumen. Oh well...
2.5/10
Just really, really bad. I guess it's also technically successful in a way, seeing as all I was really looking for out of it was some over-the-top brutality and it delivers that in spades. But even that disappoints in its complete lack of creativity and fun. And aside from the gratuitous violence, it's all just a really poorly written graphic novel with zero likable characters and even less sense of storytelling acumen. Oh well...
2.5/10
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