April 5th, 2012 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Graphic Novels & Comics, News |

The Walking Dead’s Michonne in Playboy

It’s not like we’ve ever needed an extra reason to look at men’s mag Playboy but this month issue features an origin story of fan’s favourite Michonne written and drawn by series creator Robert Kirkman and art regular Charlie Adlard.

Check out the strip in its full glory below.

March 29th, 2012 | → 1 Comments | ∇ Graphic Novels & Comics |

Lock & Key Comixology Sale

If you haven’t already delved in to the world of Locke & Key then this handy sale over on Comixology should give you the final push you need. Writer Joe Hill and artist Gabriel Rodriguez have crafted a wonderful story centered on Keyhouse, an old estate filled with magical keys which open doors in to other worlds and grant their users special powers. It’s a delight to read, offering a youthful cast and thrilling adventures, and packed full of great ideas.

Visit the ComiXology site for the Locke & Key sale. Don’t hang about, the clock is ticking.

January 19th, 2012 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Graphic Novels & Comics, News |

London Horror Comic #4

Following a two-year break, horror anthology London Horror Comic returns with Issue #4. The series was initially intended to be complete with Issue #3, but continued fan interest and support prompted creator, writer, and publisher John-Paul Kamath to dive into this deranged world once again. Kamath notes that feedback at many UK comic conventions for the first three issues was “really strong, and being a sucker for punishment, I decided to put out a fourth one.”

The book features 36 pages of self-contained, full-color stories and retails for £3.50. It is currently available at the publisher’s website, www.londonhorrorcomic.com, for £3.50 worldwide. Previews of all four issues are also available at the site.

In issue four: a traveller takes a paranoid train journey on London’s Underground. A super villain has to deal with life in the real world when he becomes a trainee in a local coffee shop. And the terrors of working the night-shift and repercussions of the credit crunch are also covered in three other stories.

You can see a preview of the comic here.

January 13th, 2012 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Graphic Novels & Comics |

Damaged Goods

The upcoming Damages Goods graphic novel from the twisted minds of Richard McAuliffe (writer) and Mark Chilcott (artist) is now available to pre-order on the Markosia website. The creator’s goals were to “come up with something disturbing and nasty” which by all account they seem to have achieved.

A collection of dark, twisted horror stories designed to get into your head and under your skin. Nobody is safe. Nothing is off limits. No one can be trusted.

This tome of twisted and sometimes horrific tales explains why not all damaged goods can be returned!

Damaged Goods is primal horror that permeates your very soul and will be sure to stay with you long after you put the book down!

Damaged Goods will be getting its official launch at the Cardiff International Comic and Animation Expo on the 25/26th Feb 2012.

UPDATE: Check out our review of Damaged Goods here

You can find out more by visting the Damaged Goods website.

December 7th, 2011 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Graphic Novels & Comics, News |

Hack/Slash Holiday Special 2011

As a special christmas treat Hack/Slash creator Tim Seeley has released a free mini comic to encourage new readers to his hit comic series.

You can find this festive 4 page freebie by clicking and releasing your mouse (in that order) just here.

October 13th, 2011 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Graphic Novels & Comics |

Pieces for Mom

Horror writer Steve Niles (30 Days of Night, Criminal Macarbe) has left a little treat for horror fans over on his website. His short story, illustrated by Andrew Ritchie, titles Pieces of Mom is a zombie tale created to shock.

Take a trip over to his website and you can download Pieces for Mom for free. Make sure you read the Steve’s reasons for releasing his work for free. The man has a point.

September 22nd, 2011 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Graphic Novels & Comics, Horror Webcomics |

The Thing: The Northman Nightmare

There are some amazing freebie horror comics to read over on the Dark Horse website and all they ask for in return is for you to sign up for a free account. Doing so will give you access to episodes of Criminal Macarbe, Falling Skies, B.P.R.D. and now a new comic book prequel to the upcoming ‘The Thing’ movie prequel entitled The Thing: The Northman Nightmare.

Taking us into frigid Greenland, the comic introduces us to a group of Norsemen who find themselves caught in a game of survival when they discover a terrifying creature. The shape-shifting monster has the ability to turn itself into a perfect replica of any living being. It can look just like you or me, but inside, it remains inhuman. And it hides somewhere in a desolate village with few human survivors, among them a strange group of women…

The Thing: The Northman Nightmare is written by Steve Niles (Criminal Macabre), with art by Patric Reynolds (Serenity), colors by Dave Stewart (Hellboy) and a cover by Menton3 (Silent Hill). The Thing: The Northman Nightmare comes to readers as a prequel to Universal Pictures’ upcoming prelude to John Carpenter’s classic 1982 film of the same name.

The remaining 2 issues of the comic will be released on September 28th and October 5th.

You can find out more about the movie by visiting the official The Thing Movie site.

September 21st, 2011 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Blah, Graphic Novels & Comics |

Turf Review

Turf is a five-issue comic series from Image Comics written by Jonathan Ross and illustrated by Tommy Lee Edwards. I was slightly dubious about Turf mostly because of my pre-conceptions about writer Jonathon Ross. Generally, I think the guy is a legend, despite his well publicised mistakes, as he wears his geekiness on his sleeve and has a genuine love for comics which rare to see from a celebrity. However, I recently read an interview in Bizarre magazine where Ross was his typical over-confident self, spouting simple ideas like he believed he was a creative genius when really he just sounded like a bit of a knob. The premise for Turf feels fairly haphazard itself – Vampires, Aliens and Gangsters in 1920s prohibition-era New York. It almost sounds like the author threw a load of nouns in to a tombola, gave it a quick spin, and choose 4 at random to create the storyline.

The first 20,000 copies of issue 1 sold out on pre-orders alone and that is probably testament to Ross’s likeable personality and fame. When I picked up the first issue I was fairly unimpressed by the cover art and as i began to read through the pages was filled with dread by the vast amount of text that filled huge sections of the pages. The text itself also seemed to lack any of Ross’s humour, which I initially felt was a huge loss to the potential of the comic. Very little seemed to happen in the first issue as well leaving me feeling a little cold as I had to put in a lot of work reading for very little reward. At least it takes a while to finish unlike most comics which I can finish in minutes.

I’m not the sort to quit after just one issue so continued to plow on through the remaining 4 issues. I’m pleased to report I emerged from the experience with a different outlook to Turf which I now regard as a jolly good read filled with interesting ideas seamlessly blended together to create a strong and fascinating tale. Sure the whole thing feels oddly paced in places and occasionally Tommy Lee Edwards’s artwork feels a little rushed but for a chat show host’s debut comic it’s pretty darn good.

Anti-hero thug and all round bad-guy Eddie Falco is the series’ main protagonist, amongst a cast of very strong characters, and his journey from malicious thug to righteous hero helps to ground the sometimes bonkers plot. There are plenty of fresh ideas which I throughly enjoyed. Falco’s relationship with the alien Squeed, The Orchard, the slow lead up to the final battle and its climax, Tommy Lee Edwards representaion of the flying Vampires. This comic has a lot to offer. Occasionally the scheming vampires and ‘Nooo York’ gangsters seem a little cliche but when rolled together with a splash of alien they make a unique and intoxicating blend.

There was talk of a movie adaptation to be directed by Matthew Vaughan (Kick Ass, X-Men: First Class) but it’s all gone quiet at the moment. There’s certainly room for a second series of Turf which is hinted at the end of the final issue. Can Ross and Edwards deliver again? I certainly hope so.

Turf Cover Gallery

You can find out more on the Turf website www.turfcomic.co.uk

September 6th, 2011 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Graphic Novels & Comics |

The Walking Dead ‘No Way Out’

I’ve written several posts regarding The Walking Dead TV show – updates, show times, behind the scenes stuff. In fact there are way more posts about the TV show than the actual comic. So, it’s about time I took a look at the Kirkman and Aldman zombie epic in its original form compared to the TV show.

I’ve been buying the trade paperbacks since the first volume, ‘Days Gone Bye‘, which was released back in 2006. You may think the title ‘No Way Out’ refers to the position I find myself in now having collected all 14 trade paperbacks, which combined, counts as a whopping 84 individual comics. Writer Robert Kirkman promised us a continuous story and by jolly that’s what we’re getting. No wonder he is the current darling of the comic world having sold so many copies of The Walking Dead to thousands of eager comic fans who loved the idea of an never-ending tale what would happen in the days/years after the zombie apocalypse. No Way Out actually refers to a story arc which runs from issues #80-84.

I will not mention any specifics for those of you who haven’t read it yet, vaguely put, No Way Out covers an event which shatters the peaceful situation in which the survivors were currently living in. Sitting down to tuck into volume 14 I was very excited to catch up with a dose of zombie mayhem. Reading the trade paperbacks means you have to wait for long portions of time until the next is released. Ever since Rick Grimes and his gang had settled in to a walled, secure community the tension has been building. Kirkman is a wily old fox, who has on several occasions in the long running series pulled me back from being disinterested and bored with the meandering storyline, to edge-of-the seat, eye-bulging excitment, thanks to an unseen twist or the brutal massacre of a key group of cast members. I was hoping for good things from No Way Out and I was not dissapointed!

The story arc starts slowly but issues 83 & 84 are quite possible the most exciting, horrific and emotional horror comics this century. It’s restored my faith that The Walking Dead still has something to offer those who have invested their time and money in the series. It’s also confirmed that the TV series will never be as good as the comics. AMC’s show will never show graphic images like that on TV, nor will the budget cover the ideas that are coming out of the comic. Basically, comics rule.

I still care about the TV show. I care because it IS The Walking Dead for those who will never pick up a comic. I care because The Walking Dead represents horror comics being so good that they make it on to TV. However, for those who only want to watch the TV series, you are getting a watered down, commercialized, hollywood-style experience that lacks the magic only the original comic version can supply. Comics are not under the immense pressure to perform that a network TV show is. They do not have to worry about suited corporate losers who only care about ratings and advertising revenue. Sure, a comic will be canned if no-one reads it but a comic just has to be itself, if the premise and characters are good enough the comic will prevail. The fact The Walking Dead comic series is still going is testament to its quality. If the TV show is rubbish then people will think the comic is rubbish. So come on AMC, you better make sure the 2nd series is good…

…and buy the comic as well.

August 24th, 2011 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Graphic Novels & Comics |

Wulf and Batsy Review

I recently came across Wulf and Batsy while researching awesome horror comic artists. Needless to say Bryan Baugh, creator of this delightful little comic series, is a black belt in drawing kick-ass comics. As the title suggests Wulf and Batsy follows the story of a werewolf and a vampiress as they travel across the land looking for a place to call home. The title sums of the essence of the comic as well. Clearly we can tell what the comic is about from the title and the same sort of easy going approach can be found within the simple storylines and sterotypical characters. The author does not make any demands of his readers. There’s no deep emotional undertones about teen angst or soap box moralizing. Instead it’s just a fun filled romp filled with excessive violence and gore that’s a feast for the eyes rather than the brain.

The author himself describes it as,

…the comic book equivalent of a trashy, low budget, exploitation horror movie with cheesy special effects.

Baugh’s style is influenced by old school E.C. horror comics and kids cartoon. The artwork is a rich deep blacks and whites while the style successfully juggles both cute and gruesome images. The lovely Batsy oozes feminine sex appeal while Wulf looks terrifyingly ferocious as he goes about ripping off faces in his aggresive tank like role. The man really can draw, just check out some of the illustrations on his his own website www.cryptlogic.net

Wulf & Batsy’s first story ‘We Have No Home’ is a fantastic introduction to their world. Upon oustaying their welcome at a backwards superstitious village the twosome have to fight off pitch fork wielding locals. We see both the strengths and weaknesses of the title characters and gain a little understanding about their relationship together. The second story ‘Bizarre Experiments’ ramps up the campness as the duo do battle with an evil professor straight from classic horror territory.

This comic series first began back in 2008 with the most recent issue released 2010. Mr Baugh has gone on to work on top horror comics such as Hack/Slash and spends his days working on the Hasbro animated TV series of Transformers: Prime. Will Batsy & Wulf ever make a comeback…only the author knows.

You can find out more by visiting by clicking your mouse device on this word just here.

August 9th, 2011 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Graphic Novels & Comics, News |

Kult

The long running and popular fantasy horror role-playing game Kult was originally created in Sweden by Gunilla Jonsson and Michael Petersén way back in 1991. Notable for its philosophical and religious depth as well as its extreme violence and mature content Kult is a ‘cult classic’ amongst RPG fans.

The story of Kult is set in contemporary times but borrows from gnostic beliefs to present our world as an ‘Illusion’ behind which a darker and sinister ‘Reality’ lurks filled with unspeakable horrors and evil. Characters in the RPG experience an ‘Awakening’, granting them special powers and allowing them to see both parts of existence, including the monsters and terrors that lie beyond. Sounds like it would make an excellent horror comic!

Well it just so happens that Dark Horse is releasing a 4 part mini series set in the world of Kult.

Dark Horse claim

The Kult series introduces this setting anew with parole officer Tomas Zenk, one of the few who can pierce the illusion. As he overcomes monsters sent to kill him, Zenk discovers the true extent of his powers, including the ability to exert control over the machinery of humanity’s enslavement. But will he aid the forces attempting to bring down the illusion . . . or succumb to the temptations of power?

Issue 1 is now available. Find out more, including a 6 page preview, on the Dark Horse website.

August 2nd, 2011 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Graphic Novels & Comics |

10 More Top Horror Comic Logos

Back once again with the ill behaviour we have 10 more of the most horrible horror comic logos ever to crawl from the pit.

1. Ghost Rider

The best of the many incarnations of the Ghost Rider logo. Stunt motorcyclist Johnny Blaze sells his soul to the devil, you know the rest.

2. Witch Doctor

Brandon Seifert & Lukas Ketner’s new horror comic looks set to take the world by storm. Come back soon for a review of this latest offering from Image/Skybound Comics.

3. Psycho

An excellent example of an image as an onomatopoeia. It’s one really angry looking logo!

4. Dead World

The zombies have taken over thanks to King Zombie.

5. Hack/Slash

Popular horror comic series with a cool logo. See the forward slash between the two words? See what they’ve done there? Nice!

6. Eerie

Uncle Eerie himself would be proud of this logo.

7. Hellboy

Mike Mignola’s hell powered hero has a very sophisticated logo.

8. The Vault of Horror

What self repecting horror logo list would be complete without an entry from E.C. Comics.

9. Lady Death

Brian Pulido and Steven Hughes’ kick-ass character Lady Death first appeared in the early 90’s and quickly became every fan boys wettest dream. Great use of font for a simple but effective logo.

10. The Sandman

A very simple and unobtrusive logo. It sits there with its gentle curve, watching…waiting. It has all the time in the world.