Autumn is a number of
things; a coming of age story, a tale of revenge, a study in obsession, and a modern
Gothic horror story. The main characters are not the ancient villain, Hodiah Marlowe, or
the ‘hero’ James Turrell, but the dark labyrinths of the Underground,
rivers and sewer network- its netherworld.
The mysterious killer only strikes when the leaves are falling and the days are becoming shorter- namely during Autumn. The victims are few and far between to start with, but are all centered around the Underground network. Just as the Police are closing in, the murders cease.
This pattern is repeated year after year and is followed with a morbid fascination by James Turrell. He keeps meticulous records of the grisly finds and constructs his own files. He feels a perverse honor at being witness for the first victim of a killer that would go on to eclipse the majesty of Jack the Ripper…a killer whose methods were so revolting that only the scantiest details were allowed out.
When an argument forces him away from home, he seems to have thrown off his dark fetish, but the latest victim of the killer brings about a series of events which leads to a literally explosive climax.
It is a story of obsession as Turrell
seeks to find the answers to the murders but what is the strange connection he shares with
the underground beast? Is he willing to give his life to find out? When he discovers that
it is more than just a morbid fascination, James Turrell is faced with joining the
darkness…forever.
Brief Description: Autumn is a series about a youth who becomes fascinated with a serial killer who strikes every autumn. As he grows into manhood, the boy finally sets out to search out the killer who still stalks the underground.
Key Elements: A psychological horror story of a man obsessed mixed in with the horror of a serial killer.
Association: Will appeal to fans of the genre which is one of the largest and fastest growing segments in literature and film, the hunt for serial killers.
Format: Autumn is a complete story with a beginning, middle, and end.
Additional: A very
atmospheric piece, Autumn doesn’t cop out with an easy ending that sheds lightness of
the world. Autumn was released as a three issue complete series. However, it took
place in London after the second world war. The current treatment has been taken to
modern day.
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