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Decapitated Dan
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Horror Comic Roundup - 6/25/13
Horror Comic Roundup Image drawn by Travis Wayne Pursell, colors by Decapitated Dan
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!
Billy Dunleavy: Mignola and Golden have brought us another masterpiece in the world of Lord Henry Baltimore! This issue shows an inquisitor, and his “holy” quest to stop whoever he deems evil. He has Hodge in a jail cell for what he says are crimes of evil. In reality, Hodge is a friend of Baltimore’s, and has been corresponding with him at length about the vampires (and othe creatures) infesting Europe. A tragic death of a friend, Judge Duvic is judged, and Baltimore waits in the wings for a confrontation with Duvic! Anyone looking for something new, or just even slightly off the beaten path, give the Baltimore series a shot, because with Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden writing, and Ben Stenbeck and Dave Stewart on art, this book never misses! Rating 4/5
Billy Dunleavy: As “Wasteland” moves to part two, Dr. Corrigan and Iosif talk for the first time in a while, and try to assess what game plan to use moving forward. After the mentioning of Johann, we switch over to the scene of him and his battallion, struggling to survive. They’ve lost quite a few agents to these savage beasts that keep hunting them down, but Johann wont give up. This issue had it all. All out action and destruction, a heartfelt moment between the young boy and Agent Gervesh, some humor to lighten things up a bit, and then a good cliffhanger at the end to get you back for next issue! Two pages in particular stuck out. First, a page with only five rectangular panels that had only eleven words but was sad, encouraging, and creepy all at once. Another page showed the agents arriving at Chicago, and the mass destruction, followed by the disbelief of the agents was fantastic! Kudos to Mignola, Arcudi (writers), Laurence Campbell, and Dave Stewart (artists)! Oh and another great cover by the dude that’s been kicking butt for a while now, Dave Johnson! Rating 5/5
Decapitated Dan: If this book has been this good for a long time, I am going to start kicking myself. WOW what an issue! I never expected to see that (guy) turn into a monster, but he did and it was creepy. The pacing on this story is so fantastic, and it all comes together so well. Tons of scary ass moments, in a world that just seems to have no hope at all. When you add in the GORE-Geous artwork by Campbell you add another dimension of horror that most comics can not achieve. WHY HAVE I NOT BEEN READING THIS!?!?! So good, and now I need more, or at least I need to go back and get some of the older stuff. - Dying Breath 4.5 out of 5.0
Spaced: Winslow is just a guy who has a had a recurring dream all his life, but this is no ordinary dream. This dream has effected him to the point he now currently resides in a mental institution. But, when Winslow’s doctor decides to use a different method to explore the reasoning behind his dream he unwittingly unleashes something that may break Winslow’s psyche forever. The art is great, the characters are interesting and the writing is engaging. When using dreams as the catalyst to a story the possibilities are always endless and writer Nathan Edmondson has a good grasp on this, which should make for a really good mini series.
Decapitated Dan: First of all, I loved the artwork. Caceres does an amazing job of drawing zombies, and to make it even better, he litters this book full of them. The story, which really comes across as more of novel, is long, but really good. I enjoy the concept of what will be going on here, but this issue didn’t really get to the point just yet, as we have to wait for the next issue to get things really rolling. So if you are going to pick this one up, expect a lot of build and backstory, which is needed, but expect things to really get rolling in the next issue. Great start! - Dying Breath 4.0 out of 5.0
Denise Dutton: Vampires. Zombies. Two great tastes…together. But not really; Brooks’ story is still in the gearing-up stages in #1, but we know where this is headed. Vampires will have to get up off their usual way of watching the human race from a distance (unless said vamp is having a snack), and begin to deal with the zombie apocalypse. Now this is a horse of a different color! And the colors on Raulo Carceres’ artwork are lovely indeed, as is the detail in the pencils. “They had always been a joke”, says one of the vamps. Wanna bet it’s not so funny in #2? Big ol’ bonus points for a Twilight smackdown. I think I’m gonna like this series. And a look at George R.R. Martin’s Skin Trade cover in the end pages? Yaaaay! (4.5/5)
Billy Dunleavy: While Corben is a legend in the medium, his love for boobs is sometimes a bit over the top and can hinder the over all story itself. In the case of this book, it didn’t as much as it had previously, but it still seemed cheesy. Corben’s writing however, is very strong in this issue of the final day of the House of Usher! A murder, a betrayal, and Roderick gone completely unhinged, make this book a really solid read. Poe was an excellent storyteller, and this adaptation showcases that immensely. This book was certainly the strongest out of them all! The cover work must be mentioned as well, because it was superbly done by Corben himself! Great use of shadows and stone! Rating 4/5
Decapitated Dan: I LOVE CORBEN!!!!! Wait let me try again, I don’t want to have a short review here... I LOVE CORBEN!!!! Damn it! I did it again. What I really meant to say was... I LOVE CORBEN!!! This issue was fantastic, and incase you missed what I said last time, I don’t really care for Poe stories. Yet Corben did an amazing job on these 2 issues, and made it much more interesting. The artwork... oh the artwork, it is simply GORE-Geous. Page after page, panel after panel, it was just a pure eyegasm. I did not expect to enjoy this mini, but I am so happy I did. So one last time, let me say it again... I LOVE CORBEN!!!!! - Dying Breath 4.5 out of 5.0
Denise Dutton: An “undead” connecting miniseries that’s a heckuva mouthful of a title. Here you’ve got Samira’s origin story, and can I say that I’m sick to death with *glk* as a drinking blood comic book “sound”? When I read that, in my head I hear vampires choking. Anyway, after the Samira story there’s a tidbit about Van Helsing’s search for Sela. But I’m not invested in this story. I can’t help but think that this series in the Grimm universe is just a way to trot out more hot chicks. And on that note, I can’t stand how they dress Van Helsing like a Steampunk hooker. Plus, The Extinction Parade does vamps much, much better. Much. The good news? The final pages do have me excited for Screwed #1…. (2/5)
Decapitated Dan: Man, I wish I could have reviewed this one as soon as it came out, because HOLY HELL is it an AGHH-MAZING read!! First of all... Bruce Jones people, BRUCE JONES! The story just comes flying out of the gate and never slows down. You talk about a thrill ride, this is it. But, because of that, there is really no good chance to really get to know the cast. It’s not needed though, because the object of a #1 issue is to grab you, and this story did just that. Now let’s talk about how in love with Manco’s artwork I am.... I LOVE IT! There is not a single page in this book that drops the ball, and do you know how hard that has to be to do panel after panel? To be that consistent, oh man... it’s just to damn good looking. Overall a Balls to the Wall read that will just leave you wanting more, needing more, and now you have to wait a bit to get more. Check this book out! - Dying Breath 4.5 out of 5.0
Decapitated Dan: I’m starting to get sad because this is series is now on the final “chapter” if you will. I really did enjoy the letter that Keene put on the inside cover of this issue, so that had me ready to roll right from the start. I like that this issue takes place a little in the future from what happened last time. This is a great build issue, meaning things are really just being setup, but be prepared because Planters is going to unleash hell on some poor bastards. The artwork is fantastic, and that final page is so GORE-Geous. I love this story, and I can not wait to see what is left in store for this cast. I hope all of you reading this, are reading this title. - Dying Breath 4.5 out of 5.0
Locke & Key: Omega #5 (IDW)
Spaced: With Tyler fighting for his life and Kinsey having to make one of the most difficult decisions she has had to make it seems that Dodge’s plan will soon be realized, but in true Locke & Key style will this ending be in Dodge’s favor? The intensity and emotion that this comic has wielded only gets better and this issue is no exception. The ending is drawing near and the showdown between Dodge and the Locke kids is coming to a close and only a turn of the key can decide their fates.
X-Files #1 (IDW)
Decapitated Dan: I will say this about issue #1, it was creepy. However I think it would have been more fun, if it did not involve the TV show. The artwork is nice, and it really adds to the creep factor. I think Mulder and Scully look great in this book. I just don’t get the concept of bringing them back. The show is long gone, and it’s okay that it is. I don’t think it would be easily accessible to someone new, you would have to know a good chunk of the story so far. So for me, good stuff, but I just think it could be better as something not involving known characters. - Dying Breath 3.0 out of 5.0
Decapitated Dan: “Do you know Zombolette? Basically it’s like she is a zombie or something and she lives with an oversized guinea pig named Cameron.” That is the description taken straight off the back of this fantastic collection of short stories. The book is filled with tons of jokes coupled with solid artwork that lends itself so well to the humor. Baccini delivers so much entertainment from page to page, that I found myself stuck in this fantastic world. I can’t lie the joke that stood out to me the most was Cameron (the guinea pig) trying to figure out how to hold a shotgun, it just reminds me of anything with tiny arms trying to use them both at the same time, hahaha! What you get with this book is a comically solid read from start to finish. You can read it in chunks, or be like me and read it all at once. The short stories make it a very accessible read, and one I know I will find myself coming back to over and over again because of the great humor. Fans of Lenore or Johnny the Homicidal Maniac should be just save some time and go buy this book now, because it is right up your alley. A fantastic read combing what I love most, Horror and Comedy Comics. - Dying Breath 4.5 out of 5.0
