IDW; $3.99

Goosebumps Download and Die began by introducing Mitra, Kyra, and Flips – a trio of girls in their early teens whose lives get weird. Mitra was gifted a mysterious new phone that seems to be loaded with a few too many apps. Very bad apps.

The second issue opens as the girls wake up from a slumber party to a note demanding the phone and the surprise that Flips’ hair was cut while they slept. After that bit of weirdness, they spend time working on their school project of developing an app for a local business. Their progress is interrupted by Mitra’s brother Mehrdad and her crush Weather – and both times very strange things happen that seem to be tied to her new phone.

Mitra is ignoring evidence pointing to the phone, even when its filters seem to manifest in real life, but Kyra is very concerned about the sinister device.

Jen Vaughn is doing a great job with this comic. It’s an entertaining look at the age group capturing their charming awkwardness, which appeals to young readers and nostalgic adults. But it’s not just teenage slice of life, this title is called Goosebumps, after all, and it embraces R.L. Stine’s style. There are some genuinely scary moments in horror that isn’t isolated to one element of the genre.

Artist Michelle Wong and colorist Triona Tree Farrell are providing solid artwork ranging from the silly to creepy to downright scary. Plus, they include Goosebumps in-jokes and Easter Eggs nestled throughout the issue, making it even more entertaining.

-Amanda Sheriff