Look Into My Eyes... With This Blog About Mad Cave Studios' Comic

Mad Cave is ushering in a new era of comic books with Look Into My Eyes, augmenting storytelling with exclusive digital content accessible through QR codes embedded throughout the comic. 

Now, if you’re like me and a fan of the traditional analogue experience of reading comics, if the idea of eComics gives you the ick, I probably know what you’re thinking right now: no chance in hell. And at first, I was right there with you. I rolled my eyes when the first QR code took me to a simulated social media feed, quickly cast my phone aside, and returned to the story, which I felt was rich enough to stand on its own. 

I got about halfway through the comic when the second QR code popped up and curiosity got the better of me. What the hell, I thought, I’ll bite. After all, what if I’m missing out on something? A clue, a puzzle piece—anything that I might be able to digest and layer on top of the mystery unfolding in the comic itself. FOMO for the win. 

So I went back to the first QR code, buckled up, and begin to scroll. What I found took me by surprise, especially because I was prepared to hate every moment of the experience. 

Sure, the initial social media feed with embedded links to the profiles of some of the main characters (suspects??), felt a little much—perhaps a slightly more discerning editorial eye could have filtered out a bit of the extra noise. HOWEVER, what I ultimately found was the noise was worth wading through, as you immersed yourself in the social circles of Cravenwood. The level of character development and relationship building visible in the social media feed and profiles gives you a more in-depth perspective of the complex social dynamics within this isolated island town, further enriching the story within the physical comic itself. I don’t think this is something that could have been gracefully executed within the limited scope of a comic—I’m talking novel-level development, here. 

In addition to the simulated social media app, you’re given tiny nuggets of foreshadowing, hints at something much larger going on in Cravenwood: pictures of a mysterious creature lurking in the woods, information about a string of disappearances, incriminating text message conversations between characters, a full issue of RJ’s The Twisted Eye zine (now how meta is that?!). 

Honestly, the digital content completely revolutionized my reading experience. It pulled you into Cravenwood, made it real, made you feel like you were there, just behind the screen of your own Knock Knock account. You feel like you’re a sleuth in your own right, gathering and piecing together the clues. This wasn’t just a bunch of extra fluff for the sake of trying to be the “cool” comic book; this was done with calculation and precision to elevate the reading experience. And if you must know, I’m dying for more.