Ichabod gets a little too obsessed with music. Or: Abbie should really know better than to leave Ichabod Crane on his own for more than ten minutes. It’s winter, and despite the snow everywhere, Abbie and Ichabod seem pretty cozy in Corbin’s cabin. Their domestic moments are absolutely charming. It seems they have some down time, and once Abbie leaves for the night, Ichabod settles in with a puzzle box. He wrestles with it for some time before the box releases some sort of sap and a haunting tune, and then Ichabod is down for the count.

While he sleeps, a robbery occurs across town. Abbie meets Irving at the crime scene, where the thief left the image of a tree on the wall. It’s a very specific tree, drawn in what appears to be sap, and it’s not long before Abbie is back at Corbin’s cabin to find out whether Ichabod had been at the scene of the crime as she suspects. Turns out he had, sort of- he’s been possessed, and it takes both Abbie and Jenny to bring Ichabod back and get rid of the spirit possessing him.

Fans of the show will find that the comic’s timeline is not in step with the show’s. Irving is still Captain, Katrina is in purgatory, and Henry isn’t yet an enemy. Those who don’t watch the show should be able to follow along pretty easily; there are some elements better explained by the show, such as Moloch’s significance, but overall it’s pretty easy to just pick up the comic and read it on its own. And there’s no need to worry about catching up with #1, since each issue is technically a standalone.

Bennett captures the relationship between Ichabod and Abbie perfectly, and writes all of the characters well and in line with the show’s characterization. Coelho’s art is gorgeous, and paired with Bonvillain on colors, I was really stunned by a lot of the panels. This comic balances action and supernatural elements with strong relationships and well-written characters, and while fans of the show will certainly appreciate it more, non-viewers will also enjoy it.

Score: 4/5

Writer: Marguerite Bennett Artist: Jorge Coelho Publisher: BOOM! Studios Price: $3.99 Release Date: 11/19/14 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital