JUST BEYOND: The Horror at Happy Landings Review

Writer: R.L. Stine / Artist: Kelly & Nichole Matthews / Boom! Studios If you’re a 90’s kid like myself, the moment you see the name R.L. Stine you instinctively recall Goosebumps and your introduction to the horror genre when you had the ability to read on your own right along side the TV series Are You Afraid of the Dark?. Those two anthology series really sparked an interest in speculative fiction more than horror, but I do think fondly of both series regardless. In particular, I am thankful for the miniature worlds that R.L. Stine was able to create in manageable chunks. I was also very grateful for the Choose Your Own Adventure spin offs as well. So, when I saw the news that Disney+ had ordered an eight episode series of Just Beyond by R.L. Stine, I was intrigued. Then, when I actually started reading the latest middle grade horror graphic novel, I realized that I had to remember it wasn’t a Goosebumps story. This was something new, even if there was a veritable laundry list of familiar/similar elements.

The premise of The Horror of Happy Landings is pretty self-explanatory; a family camping goes awry when some Martians make an accidental pit stop in Ohio. Various shenanigans ensue over the course of a hundred pages. I think the biggest differentiating factor that Just Beyond has from Goosebumps is that Just Beyond is a little bit more fantastical and comical in its approach. The entire premise of The Horror at Happy Landings hinges on a happenstance, which is not en…