Jennifer's Body surprisingly found an unlikely spiritual successor fifteen years later in a new comic book series: The crawl below. When Karyn Kusama and Diablo Cody's horror comedy, Jennifer's BodyHit theaters in 2009, the film received a rather mixed reception. The film has since gained a cult following despite its poor soundtrack on Rotten Tomatoes, and now a new horror comic is playing with its original concept to tell a new story.
The crawl below by Brian Azzarello and Vanesa R. Del Rey is a new horror series published by BOOM! Studios which follows a woman named Val who attends a music festival in Oslo, Norway. She is described as someone who loves hardcore metal, which leads her to a local group performing.
When offered the opportunity to meet with them, she jumps at the chance – only to realize that it was a terrible mistake. The band turns her into a sacrifice and leaves her dead in the forest. What the band doesn't expect is for Val to rise again, equipped with horrific new abilities to exact revenge on the people who killed her.
The crawl below It's unofficial Jennifer's Body Fans of the sequel have been waiting
The crawl below #1 by Brian Azzarello, Vanesa R. Del Rey, Hilary Jenkins and AndWorld Design
Although not an actual sequel to Jennifer's BodyThe riveting new horror series from BOOM! feels like the definitive answer to what happened after the film's end. Fans will remember that after Jennifer's death, her best friend Needy developed Jennifer's abilities after being bitten by her in a fight. She ends up hunting down the band who unknowingly turned Jennifer into a succubus during the end credits. The crawl below looks like an expanded view of what happened during these creditsonly this time the victim of the band's actions is behind the revenge killings.
Although Needy was a good choice to get revenge on the satanic mob that killed Jennifer the first time, opting to keep the victim in The crawl below Hunting down his killers takes things to the next level. Ultimately, it seems a cross between the concept of Jennifer's Body mixed with classic revenge thrillers. Now the story of The crawl below will have a more personal connection to the violence to come. Furthermore, with Val's new abilities hinted at at the conclusion of the first issue, it's clear that she will have the tools necessary to exact her revenge.
The crawl below Features supernatural powers from another set of gods
Norse mythology takes center stage in Val's story
Different Jennifer's Bodyin which Jennifer is resurrected from the dead thanks to a succubus, Val is restored to The crawl below by “the ancient gods of Norse mythology.” When she wakes up at the end of the first issue, she sees herself adorned with power and also rooted to the ground. This choice to delve into Norse mythology rather than a typical Satanic influence sets the story apart from other supernatural thrillers as it explores a new mythological perspective.
The crawl below has a lot of potential to become the next great independent horror comic.
Norse mythology has a strong basis in nature, so the concept lends itself to distorted depictions of body horroras shown by Val when she wakes up after her death. It will be interesting to see how other gods influence her new set of powers as she seeks revenge on her killers. Maybe she can summon lightning to electrocute someone to death or use Loki's tricks to plan an unlikely end for one of the band members. With only one issue released so far, it remains to be seen how Val will use her connections to the Norse gods. However, there is so much potential for what's to come that future issues cannot be missed.
The underlying themes of The crawl below Shape a unique feminist horror story
Val isn't just fighting for herself
The basic plot description included in The crawl belowThe synopsis of the first issue is absolutely fascinating. This perfectly defines what kind of story Creeper will be mentioning that Val is being guided by the Norse gods on her path of revenge not just for her, but “on behalf of women everywhere.” This motivation establishes her as a kind of folk hero for women, committed to ensuring that others are not victims. Furthermore, it highlights the difficult path women must take to seek justice, highlighting that she can “follow the path of a warrior… or become a giant beyond human recognition.”
The crawl below isn't the only horror comic drawn by Del Rey in 2024; Check it out Excorcism in 1600 Penn #1 by Hannah Rose May and Del Rey, available now from IDW Publishing.
From Norse gods to a feminist tone, The crawl below has a lot of potential to become the next great independent horror comic. However, what makes it a must-read is how much it has in common with the 2009 cult hit horror comedy, Jennifer's Body. Everything fans loved about that film can be found in just the first issue, and with the next issue set for release in late 2024, The crawl below is something that fans of Jennifer's Body should check as soon as possible.
The Crawl Below #1 is now available on BOOM! Studios.
Sources: BOOM! YouTube Studios