The Haunted Mansion Review

Disney Kingdom’s latest graphic novel is “The Haunted Mansion”, based on the classic attraction which can be found at Disney Theme Parks around the globe. Featuring many classic characters like “The Bride” and Madame Leota, plus cameos by many other 999 haunts like the infamous Hitchhiking Ghosts and the Hatbox Ghost.  It was written by Joshua Williamson, and was pencilled by Jorge Coelho and had Jean-Francois Beaulieu as the Colorist, as well as featuring cover artwork by many talented artists including E.M. Gist.

The story focuses on a boy called Danny, who is lured into the Haunted Mansion to save his Grandfather and the ghosts inhabiting the Haunted Mansion from a curse, so they can be free. With this collection bringing together 5 comic books, that were released earlier this year, into one handy book, means the story is nicely wrapped up within this graphic novel. However I’ll be honest, I felt it would have been a little longer, as I would have loved to have spent some more time with some of the characters, but that’s because I was enjoying the story and didn’t want it to end.

There are so many little appearances from different ghosts and characters, which did justice to some like the Hatbox Ghost, who had an important role to the story and hinted at his return to the attraction. While many other characters were reduced to just being in the background, I was disappointed there wasn’t more from the Hitchhiking Ghosts. It’s certainly worth going back through each scene trying to pick out those little touches that show the team behind this have a love for the attraction. And that’s one of the highlights of this book, since that is one of the biggest draws to “Haunted Mansion” fans and it didn’t disappoint me.

One of the other highlights from this graphic novel, is that all the comic book variant covers have been included inside, plus some concept art. This artwork is stunning and really shows off how the Haunted Mansion can inspire artists and those of us which enjoy the attraction. I really also really enjoyed the art style that was used for the main story, especially how the ghosts looked, such as Constance the Bride and Pirate Captain, who are such a vivid blue, that they jump right off the page.

If you are a Haunted Mansion fan, I’d easily recommend you pick this up. The artwork is fantastic and the story is unique, but features those classic characters you’ve come to love over the years. If you’ve never ridden the attraction, then I think the story is still a solid read, but you’ll miss out on some of the feeling and built in history, that can instantly bring a smile to a fan. When I saw the stretching portrait or all the ghosts in the ballroom, I’m instantly remembering the attraction and the feeling it gave me, so those extra elements improve the reading experience for previous theme park visitors.

I’ve been a huge fan of the work that has come out of the Disney Kingdoms division at Marvel, “The Haunted Mansion” is another stunning book, that has been able to bring a theme park attraction to life, with a great story that sprinkles in some Easter eggs and cameos, to deliver a enjoyable read, that left me wanting more.