Product Description: Under the weathered skies of America's heartland, and in the wounded hearts of every family in one tiny rural town, a terrible secret has been kept for too many years. Now, a young boy named Trevor must try to keep his younger brother Will from falling victim to the worst fears of a troubled town that can't begin to understand the tragic secret that binds its families together. Some folks would call Trevor's brother a monster. But to Trevor, Will is just another kid trapped in a dark reality he can't comprehend. When the situation moves from bad to worse, and their father threatens to do away with Will, Trevor learns that they're not alone - that "freak" children were born to other families in Gristlewood Valley. Against all odds, and with nothing but love for his brother in his heart, Trevor is going to do whatever he can to get the freak children out of harm's way, if it's not already too late.
Great build up..... ....and then the ending is rushed without any explanation as to why the "freaks" came to be or what really happens after the most lack luster conclusion to a stories i have read. The art and 2/3 of the story are 4 star quality.
Good...save the ending "Freaks of the Heartland" is about a young boy named Trevor whose youngest brother is a mutant, or "Freak" named Will. After discovering that his father wants to kill his brother (and supposedly, other Freaks), he and Will escape, though not without killing their father and wandering into the dark of night. After stumbling upon a forgotten patch of gravestones,both boys discover that there are three other Freaks out there, and it is in Trevor and Will's hands to find them, and to find salvation for them, if they could.
All in all, it is a very good story, with beautiful artwork and some well-fleshed out characters. It grips you well as it shows just how cruel people can be to things they don't understand, or care to even acknowlege. However, this story fails to give a very good conclusion to all of this. In the end, Trevor is now an older man, who now has Will at his side, but it is never clear on what happened to the other Freaks, or if the heartland of stubborn hicks even accepted them back into society. Although it was never clear how the Freaks came to be, other than all of the women in that area were pregnant at the same time after a rainstorn, and gave birth to Freaks, I didn't really mind that part. It was the conclusion I was looking foward to, and it was a shame that it ended so poorly. I recomend this story, but be prepared for a terrible ending.
Disappointing; could have been so much better Steve Niles is today's first name for horror comics, first gaining popularity some time ago with his first 30 Days of Night series. Since then, Niles has churned out many works for various companies, all of which ranging from solid to disappointing. Freaks of the Heartland is no different, as it features a teriffic premise and fantastic artwork, but ultimately fails in it's delivery. The story follows a small town community that finds it's women all giving birth to deformed or freakish children. Soon enough, all the children attempt to run away, with dire results (naturally). Niles doesn't offer anything fresh here, or even try to come up with any sort of inventiveness to the proceedings. The sad part is, the story is ripe to be played around with to make it something really memorable, but once again, Niles just delivers an average story, only this time around it's filled with stereotypical hillbilly talk. The only saving grace of Freaks of the Heartland? Greg Ruth's spectacular artwork is a sight to behold, with his innovative techniques and stark contrasts making for something really special. Ruth's art is the only reason to give Freaks of the Heartland a look, it's just a shame that such fantastic work got wasted on a mediocre story.
terrific art, insufficient story The Booklist/ALA review above really hit the nail on the head. Ruth's artwork is great, at times even beautiful. The story, however, is rather lacking. Niles sketches out an intriguing setup, but just when it's really getting interesting, suddenly and maddeningly wraps things up, with an epilogue set some 50 to 60 years later that explains next to nothing. Not wanting to spoil anything, I won't be more specific, but there are a lot of obvious questions that are raised and then frustratingly ignored. The pictures sure are great, though.
A little different for Niles, but in a good way Having read (and thoroughly enjoyed) many other of Steve Niles' works, I was expecting similar fare in this book. However, instead of the sinister creatures and cutting wit of previous titles, I was surprised to find this to be first and foremost a heartwarming tale of two brothers who find themselves in a bad situation. Plus, freaks -- who can go wrong there? I can't recommend this title highly enough.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Tailipoe
Trevor
