Sight Unseen [Hardcover]

Robert Tinnell (Author), Bo Hampton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 4, 2006

Blind neuro-physicist Frank Byron is seeing things... dead things. The tension can be cut with a straight-razor in this brooding tale of supernatural terror penned by Robert Tinnell (The Black Forest) and drawn by Bo Hampton (Castle of the Bat). This book marks Hampton's return to the graphic novel medium after eight years.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...a must have for fans of sinister cinema and...Lucio Fulci...a stunning, page-turning work..." -- Exploitation Retrospect, December 2006

"...hands down the best original horror graphic novel I have ever read!...a classic tale of restless souls..." -- Previews Staff Pick February 2006

"...has the pacing, storytelling and central creative concept that more horror movies today should employ. thoroughly compelling and entertaining read. -- 411mania.com July 3, 2006

"...lots of drama...creepiness...a heaping helping of dark humor...for those who love a good horror story..." -- WildRiverReview.com August 2006

"...most eagerly anticipated original graphic novel for 2006..." -- Rue Morgue, January 2006

"...the marriage between (Tinnell's) great storytelling and Hampton's truly disturbing artwork is horror comics perfection...great, great horror tale." -- Chud.com, June 26, 2006

"If you are looking to be scared by a graphic novel, look no further than Sight Unseen." -- ComicMonsters.com July 14, 2006

"Tinnell and Hampton capture true Horror unlike any other comic creators...blow away...horror filmmakers of the last half-century. -- Comiccritique.com Sept. 2006

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Image Comics (July 4, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582405964
• ISBN-13: 978-1582405964
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,185,934 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A TRULY TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE!, September 9, 2006

By 

Tim Janson (Michigan) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Sight Unseen (Hardcover)

Conveying a palpable feeling of horror in a graphic novel is not easy. You obviously don't have the advantages of other mediums such as film where you can use music and special effects to set the mood, or in a novel where the author can use unlimited descriptive prose. That makes Sight Unseen from Image Comics all the more remarkable because a truly terrifying story is exactly what writer Robert Tinnell and artist Bo Hampton deliver in this hard cover graphic novel.

Frank Byron is a brilliant neuro-physicist and expert in bio-optics...he also happens to be blind. Frank and his research assistant Derek Cook and invented a unique pair of eyeglasses that allow Frank to see the dead, or more precisely the spirits of the dead. Frank's work is purely experimental until his friend Crawford decides to sell the old, decrepit family estate known as "The Birches". The trouble begins when a contractor inspecting the property disappears without a trace. We get to bear witness to the horror the contractor endures with the evil spirits that reside within the house. Hampton's eerie, skin-crawling art sends immediate shivers down the spine.

Frank and Derek begin to investigate the home, along with Franks estranged, and ever PO'ed daughter Molly. Crawford is obviously hiding something when questioned by Frank and soon more disappearances lead them into the sordid history of Crawford's family and of the Birches.

"Sight Unseen" is one of the few graphic horror novels that really succeeds in terrifying the reader. It does so by the deliberate pacing of the story and the gloomy art of Hampton. He manages to evoke images similar to recent Japanese horror films such as Ringu and Ju-On with a spectral villain every bit as evil and horrific as in those films.

The story is complemented by a feature on the creation of the book and comments by the creators. Sight Unseen is a book well deserving of the all the critical acclaim that it has been receiving and I give it my highest recommendation.

Reviewed By Tim Janson

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A horror graphic novel done to perfection., July 18, 2011

By 

UltimateFan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sight Unseen (Hardcover)

Wow! What can I say about this masterpiece of terror? It is everything a horror graphic novel should aspire to be. It truly is flawless. It is a perfect template, in terms of execution, for writers and artists in this medium to follow. I recently read and reviewed the graphic novel "Cut" from Dark Horse Comics, and I gave it 4 stars due to the fact that it did scare me. The reason I didn't give it 5 is that it was so short. This book, on the other hand, both scared the daylights out of me AND had the length and depth that I am always looking for in a graphic novel. Perfection.

The story is basically a ghost story. I would categorize it as horror/suspense. Although I liked it more than "Cut", it really isn't fair to compare them due to the fact that they differ in the kind of horror/suspense story they each represent. "Sight Unseen" is, as I stated previously, a ghost story at its heart. "Cut" is more of a creature feature in a similar vane as the movie, "Jeepers Creepers". I relish both subgenres of the horror medium. But I feel that Robert Tinnell and Bo Hampton did a better job bringing their story to life than the creators of "Cut". But enough about "Cut". This is a review of "Sight Unseen". So I'll dish out a few more worthy compliments to Tinnell and Hampton, and then leave you to read the other reviews shown here -if you haven't already read them- that reinforce the praise I am about to give.

I can't really separate my critique of the writing and artwork, because they compliment each other and work together so seamlessly that I could only do them justice by reviewing them together. The brilliant pace at which these two geniuses weave this supernatural thriller flows along at the perfect speed. It creates a build up of tension that is so palpable that it felt like I needed to check my blood pressure. There is such a wonderful balance of dramatic storytelling(with realistic characters, a twisting and turning plot, and suspenseful situations that keep you riveted to your seat) and genuine scares that if chills were measured like the numbers on a guitar amp, they'd go to 11! I can't describe how close reading this graphic novel is to watching a first-rate horror film. Many horror graphic novels don't create the same ominous atmosphere and mood, nor the jump-out-of-your-seat scenes that movies are able to generate. Music and camera work, among other things, help produce these things in film. "Sight Unseen", however, accomplishes what many horror graphic novels fail to do - to exude those same qualities one finds while watching a seriously scary movie. Going back to "Cut" for just a moment; that book achieves this goal to a degree, proving that it is possible to have a movie-like experience whilst reading a graphic novel. But "Sight Unseen" achieves it in spades!

Lastly, I'd just like to echo what novelist/critic Tim Lucas writes on the back of the book. And that is how this story reaches its place at the top of the horror graphic novel totem pole - scaring us witless in the process, by understanding that fear is based on the following three levels: what is seen, what is not seen, and what is partially seen. Tinnell's excellent writing and Hampton's gorgeously terrifying panels are an example of superb storytelling of the highest order. This book is truly frightening. Unless you have a weak heart, buy it and prepare to sleep with the lights on!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible Story, Phenomenal Artwork, January 28, 2007

By 

George Travlos (Havertown, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sight Unseen (Hardcover)

I picked up this book solely to enjoy Bo Hampton's wonderful artwork, but I was surprised at how well written the story was. You don't think that you'll be spooked by a Graphic Novel, but I read this lengthy book before bed and I have to admit that when I turned the lights out I could have sworn I was hearing things. Incredibly creepy.

No doubt, what draws you to this story is the masterful artwork by Bo Hampton, but the entire book is a treasure. Even the format of the book and it's extra behind the scenes section at the end fit in perfectly. The only thing I have to say negative about it is that I found a few mispellings and grammatical errors in the book. Strange. Usually you don't see that in a Graphic Novel. But that really doesn't affect the intensity of this book. My highest recommendation.