On the Banks of the River Jordan
By John Reppion
Reviewed by Charity VanDeberg

You may be familiar with John Reppion’s various, highly-acclaimed comic book projects with wife Leah Moore, but you may not know that he also knows how to create things without so many pictures. In On the Banks of the River Jordan, he uses emails, actual locations, and quotes from genuine books, such as Lancashire Folklore (Harland & Wilkinson, 1867), to illustrate a frightening world that will leave you hoping he just made it all up.

The story begins with an email from Reppion to ghost story author Brian J. Showers. He introduces himself and explains a bit apologetically that he is in the process of turning a mass of research notes on a nearby Victorian park into a story. He asks that Showers allow him to share his research in hopes that it will help him to more easily organize the information. “I am currently at something of a loose end whilst my wife, and day-to-day writing partner, is off visiting her sister…” Showers kindly agrees and Reppion arranges his notes and thoughts in email form.

Despite being presented in the format of modern technological communication, On the Banks of the River Jordan very closely mirrors the style of early gothic tales. Most of the conversation is one-sided. Reppion’s character writes and often receives no response, as Brian Showers’ internet connection is compromised by road work near his house. In a traditional ghost story, this lonely and frightened narrative would be delivered as entries in a journal or letters to a bosom friend, where replies are delayed due to horrific thunderstorms and washed out roads. This old fashioned feel is further accentuated by Reppion’s formal writing style, as evidenced by his easy use of the word “whilst” in the previously quoted passage. It is easy to imagine him sitting alone in his house (castle), face lit by the glow of a computer monitor (flickering candle), sorting through pages of photocopies and handwritten notes (clippings and rubbings), letting out the cat, letting in the cat, and listening to the strange sounds outside his window. After a while, it begins to feel a bit claustrophobic and the reader may be tempted to email a warning to the author.

This is a beautifully crafted ghost story that blends reality and superstition into a seamless world that so closely resembles the real one that you can only hope the noises outside aren’t as nearby as they seem. Presented as a 20-page booklet by Swan River Press in Dublin, On the Banks of the River Jordan is only available online at http://moorereppion.bigcartel.com/product/on-the-banks-of-the-river-jordan-swan-river-press-haunted-histories-7.

It is absolutely worth a read and could one day be a very valuable addition to your collection.

http://www.moorereppion.com/