I’m probably not the target audience for a comic like Misty. The late‑70s supernatural comic was aimed at girls, but while hunting for some obscure Halloween reads for the site, I’m glad I picked this one up.
The tale: Rosemary has a moon‑shaped scar, just like her (off‑panel until the final act) grandmother. It’s the sign of telepathic powers. Rosemary’s mother is horrified by those powers.
The setup feels familiar. This is very much a take on Stephen King’s Carrie, published only a few years earlier. The story beats are all there — the school bullies who see Rosemary as a witch, the rising tension, and the big party climax at the end.
The writing from Pat Mills is good. The story is clear, episodic, and straightforward — and I don’t mean that negatively. It works. Whether it’s Norma’s gang taking out Rosemary’s best friend or her mother doing, well, Carrie’s mother things, it’s surprising how much they let through in 1970s comics. You do end up rooting for Rosemary, which is exactly what you want in a story like this.
One thing I really liked is how unmistakably of‑its‑era the story is. The language, the phrasing, the way characters speak — it’s all very late‑70s. And visually, the clothes and styling lock it firmly into that time. Unfortunately, this story (and many others) wasn’t colourised.
Compared with the more “in your face” horror of Scream — which we’ll get to later — Moonchild leans into slower supernatural tension. It’s welcome, and it suits the tone.
I’m not the target audience, but this was a pretty good adaptation of Carrie.