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Welcome to the Horror Comic Roundup! Join Decapitated Dan, Billy Dunleavy and friends each week as they review new and old Horror Comics that you will either be dying to read or terrified to check out!
’68 Jungle Jim #2 (Image) Decapitated Dan: Oh man I LOVE THIS SERIES! I can not get over how awesome the concept is, and if you don’t know what I mean by that please go listen to my interview with writer Mark Kidwell on Episode #2 of Monsters &Metal. I will say that this issue was a lot more build into explaining the main cast, but when I got to that tiger scene I was ready to throw some punches to. Zornow’s art is GORE-Geous on every panel. Plain and simple read ’68, this series, the previous 2, the one shots, who cares which ones… READ ’68! – Dying Breath 4.5 out of 5
Apocalypse Man #1 (Sun Bros Studios) Decapitated Dan: Ok #1, this has to be the greatest cover of the year! I’m a sucker for an awesome alligator cover and this book delivered that. I think the best way to sum up this issue is, what a twist. I did not see that coming, and had to read it twice to make sure there was no way to see it coming. Great writing on this book. The concept is great too. What are the eggs damn it?! What are they! I need to know more, I really do, and I need to know soon. The GORE-Geous artwork, which you can easily fall in love with just based on the cover, is perfect throughout the issue. This book is a perfect combination of two talented creators, it just so happens they are brothers. If this is a one shot then I am really happy how it all played out. If this is a mini series or ongoing though, I’m gonna need more really fast. Fantastic stuff, you need to check this book out. Dying Breath 4.5 out of 5
Colonized #2 (IDW) Decapitated Dan: This book puts me in a very tough spot. One the one hand I love the concept and artwork. One the other hand the story just seems to have holes in it, and way too much is going on way to fast. After reading this issue twice, I’m not saying I won’t read anymore of it, I just think it could be simplified a little. How is it Aliens land on earth, and no one is really that terrified? They are all more worried about the zombies. I do love a zombie sheep though, that was awesome along with the cows. Overall it’s not a bad read, but I just think it’s too much going on at the moment. – Dying Breath 3.0 out of 5
FRIGHTFEAST #2 (FRIGHTFEAST Comix) Decapitated Dan: Have you ever listened to a really bad ass Death Metal song, music that has a killer sound but vocals that you probably can’t understand, but just don’t care because it’s awesome? That kid of sums up Fright Feast #2. This book is bad ass balls all over the walls gore-filled horror fun. The artwork is beyond amazing, and I think that the artist needs to start doing every single Death Metal CD cover from now until the end of time. Yeah, the visuals are not for the faint of heart, but I think anyone who enjoys gore horror movies would really dig this book. To lend a hand those movie lovers out there, the story reads like a fantastic B-Movie. I didn’t think that the opening scene really fit into the overall story, but everything else was fang-tastic. If you love underground comics and/or gorey horror films you need to check this book out. Always an awesome job by Creator Mark K. – Dying Breath 4.0 out of 5
Haunted Horror #4 (IDW) Billy Dunleavy: To say that series is great would be an understatement. IDW has brought these age old stories back from the dead, and done a fantastic job with that indeed. You get a whopping seven stories in this issue, and each one had a unique take on something terrifying. The story about the possessed puppet was the one that stood out. It was creepy and the artwork was equally as macabre. Another tale, that involved locusts and harpies, and then one about a man-eating plant, were also very solid. Again, overall the entire book was gold but those stories definitely were head and shoulders above the rest. – Rating 5 out of 5
Decapitated Dan: I’ve said it before, and I will say it again. I think that Yoe, Gussoni and our very own Steve Banes, do an amazing job choosing stories that all work very well together. As odd as it sounds to call old reprints fresh, this book really is a breath of fresh “old” air. The amount of story you used to get for cover price is amazing compared to today’s standards, and this comic will show you why. My favorite story was probably the final story “Terror on the TV”. It might look like a simple concept today, but place yourself in 1954 and think about it, yeah, you crapped your pants. I love this title, I love what it is bringing to the comic public, and all I can say is read it, you will be glad you did. – Dying Breath 4.5 out of 5
Justice League Dark #19 (DC) Billy Dunleavy: I’ve only read a few issues of this series, but when I have, it’s been amazing. The creative team (Lemire, Fawkes, Janin, & Cifuentes) do a fantastic job with the story and visuals. Constantine is attacked, and this causes him to lose his connection with the House of Mystery. He calls on his team (Frankenstein, Madame Xanadu, Deadman) to help, but first they must find the house. To do that, they must coax an unwilling Swamp Thing into helping them! An appearance by the Flash, and then a big reveal of the villain at the end make this book a winner!– Rating 4 out of 5
Ten Grand #1 (Image) Decapitated Dan: Ok, I don’t love detective books, I really don’t. However the concept of this one is great. There was a perfect mix of build and mystery that I can not wait for issue #2 to come out. I’ve always been a fan of JMS’s comic work, and I think this one is bordering on being the next big thing from Image. Lastly those visuals by Templesmith, just melted my eyes right out of the socket. Awesome start! – Dying Breath 4.0 out of 5
The Eighth Seal #1 (Comixology) Decapitated Dan: I don’t know what to say other then, WOW! That scene where she was reading the book just blew me away. The best way to view that scene is to just tap like crazy on your reading device, because it is so animated. MAN I LOVED THAT!!!! I am really loving this concept and the fantastic execution of everything so far. A perfect horror read that I can not wait to read more of! I need more now!!! – Dying Breath 4.5 out of 5
Issue: The Art and Making of Hotel Transylvania Writer: Tracey Miller-Zarneke, Genndy Tartakovsky Artist: Various Publisher: Titan Books Release Date: October 2010 Price: $34.95
“The Art and Making of Hotel Transylvania brings to (undead) life a fresh new spin on the classic horror monsters like Dracula, Frankenstein, the Mummy, Werewolf, and the Invisible Man from Sony Pictures Animation and director Genndy Tartakovsky – creator of Samurai Jack and executive producer and director of Star Wars: Clone Wars animated series.”
Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
Okay everyone, I need you to close your eyes, take a deep breath and prepare for what you are about to read. Yes that is right, it is not a horror comic book review, but a review of a book based on a horror themed movie. AHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! Hey I can read books, as long as they have pictures, and let me tell you, this book has some GORE-Geous visuals. basically what we have here is a breakdown on the art from the movie Hotel Transylvania. Each character in the movie has their own little section that includes some great commentary by Tracey Miller-Zarneke and Genndy Tartakovsky, as well as the designs, story boards and renderings of the cast. I have to say that my favorite part is seeing the whole process and how they went from concept to final design. On a design basis alone, this book is laid out beautifully. I think any fan of the movie would want to have this on their shelf, and I don’t mean just the die-hard fans, I mean every fan. I also think that anyone wanting to get a great behind the scenes look at how much time and work go into an animated film would want to read this one. Some great in-depth coverage of how it all went down. Sadly this reviewer has yet to see this movie. You better believe that my interest was piqued when I saw the trailers, but now I am just dying to go see it. This is a fantastic resource that will make everyone say AHHHH!!!!!!
Artwork: 5.0 out of 5 • Story: 4.5 out of 5
If you would like to buy or know more about The Art and Making of Hotel Transylvania you can find it at http://titanbooks.com
The live action adaptation of the controversial Speed Date from the 2010 edition of Hallowscream, (previously mentioned HERE), is now available to view online, so here it is. It’s probably not for the squeamish among you..
A short Film by Alan Rogers.
Starring Alan Rogers and Gráinne O’Sullivan. Shot and Edited by Shane Robinson.
Sound by Sean Markey. Assistant Director – Vonnie Durran.
Based on a comic written by Derrick Domican.
Music by Luminous Black.
Featuring members of No Drama Theatre.
The drawings in the closing credits are from the original strip and are by Liam Matthew Byrne.
When I were a lad, the BBC released an adaptation of the Chronicles of Narnia. None of this sweeping, multi-million dollar teeny bopper bollocks with Liam Neeson voicing the lion (‘I will find you, White Witch…and I will kill you’) but a budget version, with a brilliantly realised animatronic lion, intense over-acting and people dressed up as beavers that made them look like the dirty bear from Bo’ Selecta. It was great. Until we were introduced to Maugrim, the White Witch’s ‘chief of police’, who just happened to be a werewolf. And then I shit my pants.
Werewolves get a bit of a bum deal in fiction. Maugrim is an example of how werewolves should be; change-your-trousers scary, but there’s not enough of them to make a real dent in today’s horror market, particularly in comics. Ben Templesmith’s Welcome to Hoxford is the stand out example of how to do a werewolf comic (the fan-made film adaptation is totally worth 20 minutes of life). And now, there’s Ferals, a comic that is more Dog Soldiers than Taylor Lautner. Thank God.
The story is seemingly standard werewolf fare. Man meets seductive lady in a bar, they get frisky, she scratches him, he wakes up with long nails, a hairy back and a sudden urge to howl at the Moon. Not so. We follow Officer Dale Chesnutt, who’s called out to a brutal crime scene where they find the body of his friend, torn limb from limb. Drinking himself into oblivion to forget what he’s seen, he meets and beds (well, ‘toilets’ in this instance) the mysterious Gerda (a really well written femme fatale; a totally unpredictable personality) who turns out to be on the run from a secret society of werewolves who have found their way of life to be threatened. Terrorising Chesnutt’s town is ‘The Great One’, a monster who seems intent on killing the ones closest to Dale. But for what reason?
Writer David Lapham keeps us guessing throughout this first arc, which ends quite abruptly, leaving you with more questions than answers. Who are the ‘men in black’ that know about the werewolf community? What’s the strange, almost spiritual connection between Chesnutt and Gerda? And why would a werewolf leave a severed penis in the mouth of said victim? (Yes, it’s in there; yes, it’s disturbing).
Lapham isn’t afraid to rewrite the rules, too, which is great to see. The beast is out in the daylight, silver bullets aren’t needed, the werewolf lineage is almost treated like a disease with something bizarre, almost alien, planted in the bodies of those who are ‘on the turn’, so to speak. And behind all this, a strong cast of characters, many of whom you find yourself disliking, Chesnutt included, because they’re all out to screw each other over. This adds to the dynamic of the story, adding an air of volatility to proceedings. Just as well because Lapham, he likes a good dismemberment, he does, and when those heads roll, it could be anybody’s.
And who better to do it than Gabriel Andrade. His work on the Crossed 2013 Annual was outstanding and he’s on excellent form here. His lines and character work are all top notch but it’s the beast itself where he’s excelled. With its almost overly long limbs, hulking body and long-toothed grin, it’s a force of nature that literally tears into anything and anyone it comes across.
What both Lapham and Andrade do very well in this comic is action. There are some brilliant set pieces in this book; the beast ploughing its way into the town’s police station to get at Chesnutt is great as is the final showdown, bringing all the major players together for a climatic bloodbath. It’s good, (not so) clean fun that tweaks the werewolf genre slightly but doesn’t totally reinvent it. The mysterious suited government types are a nice addition and it’ll be interesting to see how this angle plays out. Ferals is about to finish its second arc, expect a volume 2 trade soon. Unless, of course, Lapham and Andrade decide to dismember all the characters. It’ll probably finish then.
Issue: The Lovecraft Anthology: Volume 2 Writers: Various Artist: Various Publisher: SelfMade Hero Release Date: October 2012 Price: $19.95
“A graphic anthology of tales from the renowned master of the eerie. Building on the success of the first volume, it showcases the talents of a new roster of adapters and artists. The anthology includes reflections on the terrible power of art in ‘Pickman’s Model’ and ‘The Picture in the House’, the ghoulish grave robbing of ‘The Hound’ and the otherworldly monstrosities which come ‘From Beyond’. This collection reveals the nightmare worlds of Lovecraft’s imagination, exploring themes of forbidden knowledge and insanity in tale after tale of unsettling horror.”
Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
I have row emit that I am enjoying more and more Lovecraft material these days. I do still consider myself to be a newbie though. This collection contains 9 amazing stories guarantee to give you the chills. Every single story has GORE-Geously stunning and unique artwork. No two stories really look alike. Of course I have to mention that two of my all time favorite artists can be found here, Steve Pugh and Bryan Baugh. I honestly feel that every artist was able to capture the horror of their stories. Speaking of the stories, these are some really creepy and out there tales. One thing that always scares me when reading a Lovecraft adaptation is that I might not get it right away. Yes that happened on two of these stories, but it didn’t take anything away from the overall read. If anything it lends itself to how well they are written. With stories from the amazing Jamie Delano, Pat Mills and Dwight Macpherson, this book really seems to have it all. Okay, so I know you want to know which stories I liked the best, so my top thee are going to be “The Festival”, “The Hound” and “Pickman’s Model”. Every story in the book is great. I think if you are looking to start reading some Lovecraft comics this is a safe pickup. I also think that if you are a Lovecraft fan then this is perfect for you as well. Needless to say this collection is fantastic, and it should be in your horror collection already. So now that you know, go buy it, you will not be disappointed.
Artwork: 4.5 out of 5 • Story: 4.5 out of 5
If you would like to buy or know more about The Lovecraft Anthology: Volume 2 you can find it at http://www.selfmadehero.com/
Rather good, wasn’t it? Unfortunately, it didn’t do well enough at the box office to guarantee a sequel any time soon, but fear not, because you haven’t seen the last of filmic depictions of Mega-City One. There are currently two short live action fan films in the planning stages, (one of which is being made by a producer of DREDD), and an animated short.
You don’t need to worry about waiting ages for those, however, as there has recently been a completed half hour long film doing the rounds at various film festivals and conventions, it has the full blessing of 2000ad publishers Rebellion, it got referenced via background graffiti in the aforementioned DREDD, (see below), and now it’s available to watch for free online.
Judge Minty is based on an old story from the comics and follows a Judge forced to take the ‘Long Walk’ into the irradiated, post-apocalyptic wasteland of ‘The Cursed Earth’.
You’ll like this. There are mutants and flying cars and gore and stuff…
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