If readers of this fantasy/horror graphic novel catch more than a hint of vintage Vertigo comics, it’s no surprise: The story’s ingredients include an early ‘90s setting, sardonic humor, and baroque displays of demonic evil, along with pop-culture references from the era of Jamie Delano’s Hellblazer.

Set in 1992, the story revolves around a group of high school sophomores and a role-playing game similar to Dungeons & Dragons. Readers are introduced first to the players’ fantasy avatars, and then to the more mundane, human versions of each, with their Breakfast Club appellations of Half-Nerd, Jock, Goth, Full-Nerd and Alternative. They have a rare grimoire, discovered in a flea market and purchased for next-to-nothing that turns out to be far more costly than they reckoned when it causes a rift between reality and a dimension where the game’s magic and monsters are all-too-real.

Author Brandon Auman, an experienced head writer and showrunner for Amazon Prime, Lucasfilm and Marvel Studios, deftly evokes the feel of the barbed but vulnerable camaraderie of the scoobies from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This isn’t to say that Auman is derivative. He displays a distinctive voice and sensibility, especially when conjuring the vulnerable cynicism of book-smart but inexperienced teens. Best of all, his mismatched misfits change and grow larger than the high school stereotypes which initially define them.

Andrea Mutti’s artwork has the necessary range to convey Lovecraftian body horror, emotionally fraught exchanges between friends and would-be lovers, and the occasional obstacle course composed of medieval torture devices. The limited palette works better in some place than others, and the shift between cool and warm tones doesn’t always contribute to the storytelling, but these are minor quibbles.

This is a lovingly produced, immersive offering that, in classic horror fashion, delivers an ending more bitter than sweet, warning us that any victories over evil are temporary at best.

Bonus: Bill Sienkiewicz’s graphically inventive cover and case, artwork by E.M. Gist, Tula Lotay, Isabela Escobar and thumbnails are included.