The Wraith by Joe Hill

Three jailbirds are being transferred when an escape plan goes horribly wrong.  With nowhere left to turn, one of the escapees decides to call in a favor and request the assistance of one Charlie Manx.  Manx has a talent for making folks disappear so he offers a solution to their problem – only they may not like where he takes them.

The Wraith is a great companion piece to Hill’s 2013 novel, NOS4A2 and expands on what is already a compelling character in Charlie Manx.  With The Wraith, Hill delves into Manx’s history, detailing what drove him to become the man he is, the origin of Christmasland while establishing a face to the holly, jolly land of terror.

The artistic style of Charles Paul Wilson was very reminiscent of Hill’s long time collaborative partner Gabriel Rodriguez (which of course, is a good thing) – with whom Hill worked with on the critically acclaimed series Locke & Key.  Wilson thanks Rodriguez within the acknowledgements so it’s possible he played a hand in the style chosen.

If you liked Hill’s NOS4A2, The Wraith is not to be missed.  What could’ve easily been a by-the-numbers expansion of the original material feels like a fresh, interesting story from an author who clearly wasn’t done with his creation.