Dark Horse; $4.99  

Will Byers is back from the Upside Down, and at first, it’s a huge relief and cause for celebration. But, since no one outside of a small circle know what happened, there’s a lot of speculation about where he was, and why he seems… different. 

Will is back in school and his classmates can’t help but notice how he has changed. The frequent visions of the Upside Down that scare Will make him look like an oddball who has gone into a catatonic state, inspiring the less kind kids to call him Zombie Boy. As Will struggles to cope with the visions and what happened to him, he finally finds an outlet for his feelings. 

Stranger Things Tales from Hawkins 2 #2 gives Will the featured story that didn’t fit into the main storyline in season two of the TV series. It is well written by Derek Fridolfs, who captures the post-traumatic stress that Will is experiencing and shows how much his friends care about his wellbeing. There’s also a clever page that shows how Will spent some of his time in the Upside Down. 

The Tales from Hawkins anthology is a good companion to the TV show with a combination of “what if” scenarios and stories, like this one, that could have appeared on Stranger Things. 

–Amanda Sheriff