The Fiction brings in two of the greatest genres ever; horror and fantasy. It revolves around a group of friends; Max, Tsang, Kassie, and Tyler. As kids, these four were inseparable until one day they discovered a new world. It definitely has that Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe vibe, but when you find out that this world is creepy as hell, that feeling soon disappears. When the group was young, Tsang disappears into this world. Afraid to confess the truth to any real adult, Kassie, Tyler, and Max all keep this a secret. And then time moves on. Max moves, while Kassie spends her life trying to find Tsang and get back to that world. Now being grown adults, Tsang and the group never escaped their memories but the emotions come flooding all at once when another member, Tyler, of their group goes missing. It is up to Kassie and Max to find out what really happened in this place and to save Tyler. Diving right into this issue, I and other readers immediately get sucked into this mini-series. You connect with the characters since we have all had that group of friends that just moved on and grew out of the town or of the people. We see a flashback of the kids debating whether to tell the cops or not about Tsang. Kassie, being the clear leader, makes the decision to keep it hidden.

But where this comic really starts is in this different world. Kassie and Max are falling down a rabbit hole, so to speak. Curt Pires starts the issue with some narration. I love when comics end and start with a narrator, possibility one of the characters, reflecting on this event in the present. Depending on what you are writing, it really sets up the mood for the comic. Here, the mood becomes eerie. Speaking of reality and where it exists. And did I mention that in this place the children seem to be disappearing. They are like tiny humanoid blue oceans that drift away with every wave or movement that crashes onto them. The boy who guides Kassie and Max looks like he could fade away and be forgotten at any moment. You don’t know why he is fading away, but all the children are desperate to stay in existence.

Without knowing much about where this plot is headed, you get the sense that there is a disconnect between these once children and the adults of their former town. Otherwise, the purpose the flashbacks seem useless in a way. Or maybe it has to do with this whole kids are innocent but really they’re not. We all have secrets. And I am willing to read on to see what that secret is. The town is holding something back and the group is holding something back. The new world isn’t the only mysteriously creepy thing about this comic.

Score: 3/5

The Fiction #2 Writer: Curt Pires Artist: David Rubin Colorist: Michael Garland Publisher: BOOM! Studios Price: $3.99 Release Date: 7/15/15 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital