Review: Babylon Cove #1

Babylon Cove #1

Written by Rafer Roberts

Illustrated by Joe Eisma

Mad Cave Studios

2026

This is a story about Heather, a no-nonsense career-gal who returns to her picturesque New England hometown for the first time in a decade to attend a family funeral; Dennis, the all-American dreamboat who broke Heather’s heart in high school; Charlie, the late-blooming shy boy who Heather never gave the time of day, and Karthon, the ancient demon with plans to feast on the flesh of everyone in town.

If you ever wondered what would happen if Stephen King were allowed to write one of those Hallmark holiday movies…Welcome to BABYLON COVE.

There’s a certain kind of horror story that works best when it starts small. Babylon Cove #1 understands that completely. Before the strange horror elements fully emerge, the book spends its time building tension through awkward reunions, buried resentment, and the uncomfortable feeling of returning to a hometown that hasn’t forgotten who you used to be.

Written by Rafer Roberts with art by Joe Eisma, the issue follows Heather as she returns to Babylon Cove for her father’s funeral after being away for years. She’s not exactly welcomed home with open arms. It becomes clear almost immediately that she hurt people before leaving town, and those old wounds never healed.

One of the smartest things the comic does is refuse to make Heather instantly sympathetic. She feels flawed, defensive, and emotionally detached in a way that makes the conversations feel messy and believable. The town itself almost feels like another character. Every interaction carries history behind it, and there’s a lingering sense that everyone knows more than they’re saying.

Then the tone begins to shift.

There’s a scene in the convenience store where the issue quietly starts leaning into something much darker. From there, the story slowly introduces a creeping cosmic-horror atmosphere that changes the entire feeling of the book. What initially feels like emotional drama suddenly starts carrying a sense of dread underneath it.

The easiest comparison might be imagining a small-town Hallmark-style reunion story filtered through the sensibilities of Stephen King with a heavy Lovecraft influence layered underneath. It’s an unusual mix, but the comic commits hard enough to the contrast that it becomes genuinely compelling.

Joe Eisma’s artwork helps sell both sides of the story. The character acting feels natural during the quieter emotional scenes, which makes the horror moments land even harder once things start unraveling. Colorist Marissa Louise adds a lot to the atmosphere, especially during the darker sequences where the book starts embracing its more unsettling side.

And then there’s the ending.

Without spoiling anything, the final pages take a sudden turn that pushes the comic fully into cosmic-horror territory and immediately raises the stakes moving forward. It’s the kind of closing moment that makes you want the next issue right away.

What makes the debut especially encouraging is knowing this is planned as a five-issue limited series. The pacing feels intentional, like the creative team already knows exactly where the story is headed instead of simply stretching out the mystery.

Babylon Cove #1 delivers strong character tension, unsettling atmosphere, and a memorable tonal shift that lingers after the issue ends. For a first chapter, it does exactly what it needs to do — it hooks you.

Beam Me Up Scotty

Old punk rocker from Miami who still smells faintly like comic shops and poor financial decisions.