Rain by Joe Hill

Adapted by David M. Booher, illustrated by Zoe Thorogood, colored by Chris O'Halloran

​Honeysuckle and her girlfriend Yolanda are so excited to be finally moving in together. As they pack up the car with all of Yolanda’s things, the dark storm clouds over Boulder open up and let down a deluge - of razor sharp, nail-like crystals that pierce those out in the open. And this isn’t an isolated incident. Over the next few days, the sky drops more crystals all over Colorado, and other parts of the world. Honeysuckle traverses the somewhat post-apocalyptic landscape for survivors and for some answers to what has happened to the clouds.

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This story tears your heart out front the beginning and doesn't let up. With every new storm, I was left wondering who else we were going to lose​, and who else my heart was going to break for. The explanation for the rain itself was a little bit of a let-down, but I've also come to expect messy endings from Joe Hill stories. I've not read the original prose story to compare the adaptation work, but Booher's kept the suspense up in this comic, which was most likely present in the original story. I was instantly connected with Honeysuckle and Yolanda within the first few pages, so the team did a fantastic job of working those two into my heart in a relatively small amount of time.

I loved O'Halloran's coloring work, especially with the landscapes covered in needles. Thorogood has an eye for detail that was showcased in many of the larger panels and in her heartbreaking covers. 

There is a lot of violence and gore on the page as people die from the rain of nails, and there is swearing, smoking, and drinking throughout.

Sara's Rating: 9/10
Suitability Level: Grades 10-12

Publisher: Syzygy (Image Comics)
Publication Date: October 5, 2022
ISBN: 9781534322691 (Hardcover)

​Tags: Rating: 9/10, Suitability: High School, Comicbooks, Horror, Science Fiction, Dystopian, LGBTQ+, Image Comics