I’m also going to be covering an entry from last week that we didn’t pull in time and the first issue of Drumhellar covered here at Shock.
Get ready for some giant anguilliformes, a trippy sex scene and a new scuzzy warlock!
For previous comic book capsule reviews, head to this spot!
Horror Comics Weekly 3
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The Blood Queen
Written by Troy Brownfield
Art by Fritz Casas
Published by Dynamite Comics
Blood Queen starts slow but ends strong. It’s easy to see that Brownfield is drawing from a historical knowledge as well as a love for the fantastic but laced with political intrigue. Casas also creates a sexy lead but leaves so much more to be desired from the rest of the comic. There is definitely potential behind the title, almost a sort of Once Upon a Time meets Dracula at a ren fair, and it will be interesting to see where it goes. It ends up a little wordy at times but if fantasy horror is your thing, Blood Queen might be worth the read.
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Drumhellar #6
Written by Riley Rossmo and Alex Link
Art by Riley Rossmo
Published by Image Comics
Drumhellar is an interesting experience. It’s hard to grasp sometimes, but it’s so beautiful you just can’t stop looking. Issue six is no exception. Especially considering the entire issue is basically 22 pages of a psychedelic sex scene. Seriously. It’s not a great jumping on point if you haven’t read the first arc, as this serves as a bridge between arcs, but it might be one of the most colorful and bright one shots ever drawn. It may not be easy to understand but it sure is pretty to look at.
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House in the Wall: Chapter One
Written by James Tynion
Art by Noah J. Yuenkel
Published by Thrillbent Comics
Part Craven, part Barker, all strange. James Tynion is known for his work on Batman Eternal over at DC, but The House in the Wall is a whole different beast. Ariel Carpenter is a bit of a day dreamer. And within panels, things start to go really in a really weird disturbing direction. It's well written, definitely with vibes of Clive Barker and even Joe Hill, and it's very fast-paced which makes for an enjoyable read. Yuenkel does a lot with empty space, utilizing it properly, something I feel isn't probably used in a lot of horror comics. We get shots of pure dark camera pans in movies, why not in comics? The first chapter of House in the Wall is intriguing. It has us asking multiple questions and gives us no answers but it's just mysterious enough, with well paced writing and solid art, to draw us back in.
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Thomas Alsop #1
Written by Chris Miskiewicz
Art by Palle Schmidt
Published by Boom! Comics
In the first few pages of this comic, I instantly disliked it. It seemed like a Constantine knock-off and had far too many similarities to the recently relaunched Doctor Spektrum. Thomas Alsop is a modern day warlock who is in the spotlight of modern media. He’s cocky, a drunk, and a bit of an unlikeable slob. When we start getting the background on Alsop, that’s when things get interesting. The background of his great grandfather, the mysterious “hand of the island,” and while it’s a bit wordy at times it makes the entire comic much more interesting. When all is said and done, with the watercolor-esque art and the historic origin, it ends up seeming more Mignola than mimicry. If things go right, Thomas Alsop could be another modern day magician we learn to love.
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Sir Edward Grey, Witchfinder: The Mysteries of Unland #1
Written by Kim Newman and Maura McHugh
Art by Tyler Crook
Published by Dark Horse Comics
It’s always scary to tackle a title created by Mike Mignola when you aren’t Mike Mignola. Those are big shoes to fill. Edward Grey is a victorian protector of the crown who specializes in the occult. There have been a few Edward Grey minis before this, and it wouldn’t hurt to read those, but you can still jump in almost completely unknowing and still comprehend everything that is happening. Unland has some fun in its pages, giving you a good read of Edward Grey and the mystery at hand, and then it throws some giant land roaming eels at you. Just for good measure.
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The Twilight Zone Annual #1
Written by Mark Rahner
Art by Randy Valiente, Jose Malaga, and Edu Menna
Published by Dynamite Comics
When The Twilight Zone was rebooted earlier this year by Dynamite and comic book wunderkind J. Michael Straczynski, I was really excited. I am a huge fan of the original television and have been wishing for a reboot for years. After the first three issues, I lost interest. The story just didn’t grab me like the classics did. This annual is no different. Three different stories are told and each tries too hard to push some sort of social agenda. The last story, “The Secret Over-sharer” is the worst of the bunch, taking digs at social media and failing at putting a supernatural twist on it. “Not Faire” and “Takers” aren’t much better, all with hurried art and boring stories, trying to make a message but come off more insulting than moralistic.
