Review - The Uninvited App (iPad)

I admit it. I scoffed at the iPad when it was first introduced. I thought it was nothing more than an oversized iPod touch and I was going to be damned if I was going to lay out that kind a money for an oversized iPod. Let's fast forward to me putting my foot right into my mouth so far that my big toe just gave a thumb's up to my proctologist. I love my iPad and over the course of the year it has all but practically replaced my laptop. Among the actual "productive" apps I have, I have a slew of horror themed apps and games to satiate my thirst for macabre. Add in a full library of books and even a horror trivia app and the iPad becomes a "love horror, will travel" device for me. The Uninvited is the first horror anthology magazine for the iPad and when the office here at HorrorFix heard about we couldn't wait to get our little bloodstained hands on it.

I have always been a fan of horror anthology books, magazines and comics. Tales from the Crypt, Eerie, Shock Suspense Stories and Heavy Metal comprised the bulk of my high school study hall reading materials (reprints, gents... I'm old, but I'm not fartin dust yet). I've always loved the idea of being able to explore a wealth of different worlds and styles all within the same binding. So, I ditched second hour home-ec, fired up my favorite contraband smoke under the bleachers and bathed in the electronic glow of Apple's little wonder for my first foray into the digital horror anthology arena.

I have to give The Uninvited kudos for its look and its attention to aesthetics. The Uninvited is a nice looking app and a very graphic centric app for something intended to be read. It is the look of The Uninvited that effortlessly leads you into its electronic pages and lets you settle comfortably within its binary dust jacket. The stories within The Uninvited are every bit as polished as its exterior, and although you might not recognize some of the names, that doesn't detract from its quality.

The Uninvited brings us five horror stories in this, its first issue, two of which are comic book stories. The comic stories, in fact, might be enough of a drawcard to get The Uninvited its audience, but it is its middle addition, The Most Beautiful Girl, that is truly its standout piece. Anthologies, as much as I enjoy them, often make it difficult to let a store or idea linger. Dealing with short stories or episodic tales, by the time the ball gets rolling, its time for it to come to an abrupt halt, making most anthologies a mixed bag for many. If The Uninvited suffers from anything, it is the format itself. The Most Beautiful Girl feels the most complete of the yarns that the app spins and its author (Mark MacKenzie) probably has the firmest grasp of the short story template. The Devil's Eggs (the first of the two comic pieces) should also be mentioned in its accomplished illustrative style and Lovecraftian storytelling.

With more ups than downs, The Uninvited is a nice addition to the App Store and I'm anxious to see what the next installment brings us.

Review - Gore #2

Gore #2 by GG Studios. Written by Alex Crippa. Drawn by Emilio Laiso. $2.99.

First off, the girl on the cover of issue two is the "evil" version of Cinderella. Like I said in issue one, the art is worth getting this title alone.

With that being said, I am glad I was right. In this issue the story seems to come together better. Less "setting the stage" and more telling a story, and it is getting better.

Cinderella is one brutal bitch in this comic, and that is being nice. She calls rats to eat a girl alive after she had cut off the head of her boyfriend and cut off her feet. Definitely not the Cinderella I remember.

The author is getting in his stride and doing a good job at developing the characters in this second installment. If he keeps this up, but the time the series is over he will have a pretty unique story.

The artist once again shines in the title, bringing the "evil" storybook characters to life. The action and panel structure is really thought out and makes the story flow much better than in the first issue.

Seeing as how I really liked the art style of this book, I'm glad that the story has caught up to the art. That is not to say it is still the best thing I have read, but it is getting better.

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originally posted by contributor AnOriginalDick

Review - My Work Is Not Yet Done by Thomas Ligotti

I first heard about the works of Thomas Ligotti after picking up the graphic novel of The Nightmare Factory, based upon his short fiction. So utterly unnerved was I by The Nightmare Factory Volume 1, that I made a mental note to try one of Ligotti’s books, without pictures. My Work is Not Yet Done appealed to me, with its creepy cover. Said cover consists of a white background, with a man in a black suit holding a gun by his side, standing above his own reflection at his feet.

I hate to give away too much plot detail, because I think that spoils it for you, the reader. So, I will do what I always do with reviews, and supply only a bare bones description.
What surprised me about My Work is Not Yet Done, is that it is composed of three stories. Nowhere on the cover or the back flap does it mention that there are other stories, apart from My Work is Not Yet Done, the first novella. My major critique of this collection is simply that I had no idea it was a collection when I ordered it. Furthermore, the first novella is 138 pages, while the other two stories are much shorter; I have a Special Plan for This World is 23 pages, and The Nightmare Network is a mere 12 pages.

All of the stories concern office related horror, but The Nightmare Network doesn’t quite seem to fit with My Work is Not Yet Done, and I Have a Special Plan For This World. The Nightmare Network seems more like science fiction than horror, and it hops into the future (I think). I Have a Special Plan For This World is about a tense office that has recently moved into a seedy neighborhood that goes by the foreboding nickname of “Murder Town”. I could lie to you good people, and say that I think these two shorter stories add to the collection, but I don’t. My Work is Not Yet Done is such a powerful tale, that to tack on two stories afterwards merely seems like an attempt to fill out the book. I get it, it might be hard to sell a novella that’s only 138 pages, but the other two stories seem more like an after thought, than an essential part of the book.

All nit picking about the set up of the book aside, My Work is Not Yet Done is one of my new favorite novellas. It deals with an employee that gets fired, who plans to go back to his office, and exact a little revenge with some bullets. However, something happens to him before hand that shifts the narrative into the realm of the supernatural. My Work is Not Yet Done is profoundly nihilistic, and has a bite to it I haven’t been able to find in more popular horror fare.

Ligotti’s style is engaging, and leaves you ill at ease, with just a few short sentences dispersed. So rarely do you find a horror tale with a unique style these days, so when I found such in My Work is Not Yet Done, I smiled and added it to the very top of my bookshelf.

If you want a tale of working in an office, and all the frustration involved therein, spliced with a revenge and supernatural fiction tale, look no further than My Work is Not Yet Done. But make sure you keep the light on; things will be getting quite dark.

Spooky Sean is a guest contributor to Horror Fix. To read more of Sean's review be sure to follow him at http://www.spookysean.com

American Vampire: Survival of the Fittest

American Vampire: Survival of the Fittest by Vertigo/DC Comics. Written by Scott Snyder. Drawn by Sean Murphy. $2.99. Five Issue Limited Series.

Once again Scott Snyder brings a new twist to his new world that is inhabited by his brand of vampire. Still set in the 1940's, this story focuses on Cash McCogan, the former sheriff of Las Vegas and Felicia Book, the daughter of the Jim Book the sheriff that brought Skinner Sweet down when he was alive.

You find out that Felicia was effected by Jim Books blood and isn't a vampire but has some of the abilities that they do. She has been trying to cure herself of the blood that courses through her.

The Vassals of the Morning Star find a botanist that may have found a cure for Vampirism and want them to go get the guy.

Again Scott Snyder brings a very detailed and interesting storyline that delves deeper into the world he is creating with the influence of vampires.

New to the book is Sean Murphy as the artist. Just off a limited series involving John Constantine, he is definitatly an addition to the art team of the book, even to the point that if he tookl over the book as the artist not many would complain. This limited series is a definite read if you want to get even deeper into the world of Scott Snyder or just simply like a really good vampire comic.

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originally posted by contributor AnOriginalDick

Review - 30 Days of Night, Again 1&2

30 Days of Night Night, by IDW. Written by Joe R Lansdale. Drawn by Sam Keith. $3.99.

The biggest thing I noticed while reading these two issues is the lack of script. The story is almost non-existing in the first issue and the second one seems to spend most of it's time trying to tell the reader what should have been in issue one.

Maybe they are just trying to rely on the unique art style that Sam Keith is known for, but it really doesn't carry the book. Sam Keith has always been a "I love his style" or "I hate his style" comic artist. In this book, yes his art does fit the type of story here, but the story itself lacks to bring anything but the stereo-typical vampire art out of him.

I have always liked the concept of 30 days of Night, vampires going to Alaska because of the long nights, but the vampires in this story look like hillbilly punk rockers that follow a crazy bitch that makes them lick the blood they need off the floor. Not to mention the story starts off with Nazi's firing a tomb into a iceberg.....ahhhh when in doubt about whether or not your story is good, bring in Nazi's that has to make it sell.

I'm sure the whole limited series story will explain most of the confusion, or maybe in the series before this one it explained it. But in a rough world of getting readers to pick up your comic, this one relies heavily on the fact you have already read all that has gone before. That is a problem if you want new readers to pick it up.

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originally posted by contributor AnOriginalDick

Review - Hellblazer #280

Hellblazer #280 by Vertigo/DC comics. Written by Peter Miligan, Drawn by Gael Bertrand. $2.99.

Continuing on with the story of Gemma, John is called to an old warehouse that Gemma, with help conjured a demon to get her revenge on him. Even though he didn't do it it was a demon masquerading as him.

The writer is attempting to bring Gemma Constantine into the storyline again, if not to make her a mage like her Uncle John. You see how her life we perfect up until the point the demon raped her looking like John. She had her life on track, had put John and his magick in the past, and was getting on with her life.

Guest artist Gael Bertrand brings a style to the art that brings out characters feelings and torments really well, and even though it isn't as dark as the regular artist, it still is a very good compliment to the story and title as a whole.

Again, Hellblazer is a constant good read that keeps you coming back for John's next crazy encounter. I do have to say, I'm not sure on his recent marriage in the title, but I'm willing to go along with it to see what is in store.

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Review - Hack/Slash #4

Hack/Slash #4 by Image Comics. Written by Tim Seeley. Drawn by Daniel Leister. $3.50.

Ok, I have forgotten how funny this book can be at times. Vlad is under the control of a female slasher and to get him to snap out of it, Cassie lifts up her shirt and shoves her breasts in his face like doing a "motorboat." LOL, for several panels all you read is Vlad saying breasts....

This issue completes the first story arc and lets you know who Samhain really is. Cassie and Vlad fight the female slasher while they try to get back to their friends that is being attacked by another slasher from her past.å

The story continues to be interesting and have fun with the whole horror comic. Tim Seeley continues to produce a good written story that might not be the greatest read in the comic world but delivers more than enough to interest new readers and keep older ones.

Daniel Leister again brings his unique art style to the title and helps bring out the characters emotions extremely well. As well as keep the females sexy and the guys really bad ass looking.

I am really starting to like the new launch of the title under Image. There are parts that could be better, but as a campy, horror, T 'N A, and interesting title, it is in a league on its own.

originally posted by contributor AnOriginalDick

Review - American Vampire #15

American Vampire by Vertigo/DC Comics. Written by Scott Snyder. Drawn by Rafael Albuquerque. $2.99.

Part three in the Ghost War storyline, we find Pearl, masquerading as a nurse on her way to the island, as the Vassal of the Morning Star's group, along with Henry, try to escape the horde of new feral vampire's they just walked into. Locals, or whats left of the locals, help them out but only after Skinner some how gets hurt by the new vampire sect.

The new breed of vampire found on this island are interesting to say the least. They turn anyone bitten into one of them in just a few minutes, and they are fast and feral like a loin.

The story just keeps getting better and better with the appearance of Nazi's at the end and the mystery of the island still not revealed. What secrets the Nazi's are doing there and how the new breed of vampire's fit in, draws you in yet again, making a month too long to wait to see the next part.

Review - Crossed Psychopath

Crossed: Psychopath By Avatar. Written by David Lapham, Drawn by Raulo Caceres. $3.99. Issues 1, 2, 3.

Ok, I haven't really cussed much since I start but I really have to say, This is some Fucked up shit. I have read many horror books, comics and watched movies over the years, some I liked, some were ok, and others sucked. This is below them all. It is so revolting that you can't stop turning the pages because you keep thinking, "oh my god this has got to get better than this." Or, how did they get this printed, barf.

The story, if you can call it that, is about a group of survivors that have not contracted the disease they called "crossed" nicknamed that because of the scar you get over your face. They find a guy that wants them to help him find a girls killers, oh the girl herself he raped her before they killed her. Ya real strong romantic tones there. Anyway, the crossed sodomize each other, rip off others dicks and wear them, carves faces, bodies, etc. and wears them like clothes, and that is the men and women. Hell they walk a dog by dragging it by its intestines. Really, really messed up shit.

This guy that wants the help from them, proceeds to kill off the people helping him, rapes a girl, and cuts off her male friends face and wears it to "make him prettier." Then when the girl tries to get away, he smashes her head with a brick, and cuts off her mouth to use as a......Self pleasure tool (The only nice way I can say it.), while she watches him do it. He even shits in cans and leaves them so the crossed he is looking to kill can follow the group. Oh my god, my eyes are melting out of their sockets.

I have to hand it to the artist though, being an artist myself, if I was handed this crap and had to do it to pay my bills, I would rush through it and forget it was part of my portfolio. But this guy just goes to town, drawing everything in the grossest, graphic, disgusting way that he can. I mean when you see that dick fly, it looks like a dick.....I can't believe I just said that.

After this piece of shit I feel like I need therapy, scrub myself down with a Brillo pad, and become a monk to atone for even opening this comic. I give this comic a one, but I would give it a NEGATIVE five if I could.

Review - Hack/Slash Issues 1-3

Hack/Slash Issues 1, 2, 3 by Image Comics. Written by Tim Seeley, Drawn by Daniel Leister. $3.50

Ah, the guilty pleasure of horror comics; you take a goth girl that likes to barely wear anything to fight off all types of monsters and team her up with a Jason type friend and you have the concept in a nutshell.

In this new relaunch of the title under Image instead of Devil's Due, we find several new characters as well as old favorites. The best of the new bunch is a guy called Samhain, the Pagan word for Halloween. Former hit man for the Black Lamp Society, he now is trying to destroy them with his interesting abilities.

Overall the title hasn't changed much over the course of years. Tim Seeley brings his version of classic horror characters, as well as new ones, as the groups villains but, calls them Slashers instead of monsters/serial killers/etc.. Their powers and back stories are interesting to say the least, some even make you feel sorry for the Slasher.

The artwork is a good fit for the story and brings to life the sexiness of the main character Cassie Hack and the gruesomeness of Vlad and the the other Slashers. The bloody, brains and entrails flying around as well as the fight scenes marks this as a classic horror comic. But the style and design of it, is well thought out and helps bring all the members of this comics to life.

Enough tho, this title might not be for everyone; or might just be a guilty pleasure because of the half-naked female Slashers and Cassie Hack, it's still a original take on the horror genre and well worth a try if you get a chance.

Review - American Vampire #14

American Vampire by Vertigo/DC Comics. Written by Scott Snyder. Drawn by Rafael Albuquerque. $2.99

Part two in the Ghost War series, has Skinner Sweet make a deal with Henry, while back on the coast Pearl confronts the Vassals and tells them to get her on the island to save their men.

At one point in the comic you see Skinner, fresh on the beach in the middle of a war zone, just go bloody. It is only one panel but just the shear evil that Rafael shows in him, reveals just how evil the bastard can be.

Also the islands vampire sect is revealed to the horror of the group going to destroy them.

Snyder has made a winner in this series and I see it having such a cult following as Vertigo's Preacher did in its time.

Review - American Vampire #13

American Vampire By Vertigo/DC Comics. Written by Scott Snyder. Drawn by Rafael Albuquerque. $2.99.

Ah the storyline I was hoping Scott Snyder would get too, World War 2. In the first part of the Ghost War, this issue starts a new storyline during 1943, when Pearl's husband Henry Preston is offered to join a group from the Vassals of the Morning Star to rid a Japanese island of a vampire sect.

We see Henry as a older man to the eternally younger Pearl, not taking his age well. Still not having been bitten, he joins the forces in Hawaii but never sees action. Which, being a man of action once, just makes him mad at the world.

Scott Snyder once again delivers a solid story that makes you not want to wait to read the next issue. And with the return of Rafael Albuquerque, the dark moody panels come to life in a way only he can do.

Review - American Vampire #12

American Vampire By Vertigo/DC Comics. Written by Scott Snyder. Drawn by Danijel Zezelj. $2.99

Issue Twelve focus's on Skinner Sweet before he went to California and make Pearl a vampire like he is.

He stumbles across a wild western show, telling the world how the the west "was" only to find a old flame in the show. After giving balls back to the real Cowboys and Indians in the show, he confronts his old flame. Only to then take his first flight in the new aeroplanes.

I liked this story because it showed a different side to Skinner. Not a sappy, I'm really a good guy underneath, but a man almost trapped in time until he finally decides to move on and make the world in his image.

originally posted by contributor AnOriginalDick

review - Hellblazer #279

Hellblazer by Vertigo/DC comics. Written by Peter Milliagn, Drawn by Giuseppe Camuncoli. $2.99

What can you say about John Constantine, he is such a well thought out character, at times you love to hate him.

This comic is one of the long running titles I have read and collected since issue #1. The stories and artist, some good some horrible, have always brought a new twist to the host of characters and storyline of the title.

In this issue, it continues on from a storyline that started when John Constantine got married to Epiphany. John is looking for his lost thumb and Gemma his niece is trying to get revenge on him for something she believes he did.

Peter Milligan has been the writer for the title for awhile now and he has com into his own with his take on the master magician. The story is interesting and new to the mythos of the old bastard.

Giuseppe Camuncoli's art is just amazing. I have loved this artist from the first time I saw his work. The use of shadows and angles moves the reader along the story very well. The demons and hell-spawn that Constantine constantly deals with are drawn with originality.

If you are wanting to try this title out, I might suggest you start at issue 277; the start of this storyline or wait until issue 281 for the new one. Though not always having a horror tinge to it, it is still a extremely good read to add to your collection.

American Vampire TPB Vol.2

American Vampire By Vertigo Comics. Written by Scott Snyder. Drawn by Rafael Albuquerque and Mateus Santolouco. Single Issues $2.99, HC $24.99.

Once again Scott Snyder brings life to the old days of America to life in his horror epic. Comprised of two story lines, 6-9--Devil in the Sand, 10-11 The Way Out, the unique vampire world of Snyder continues.

In the Devil in the Sand, we are given a glimpse at a old breed of vampire that is killing people in the city of Las Vegas, during the construction of the Hoover Dam. Also we see the return of Sheriff Book's Goddaughter and the Child they produced, along with The Vassals of the Morning Star the vampire killing organization that they belong too. Skinner Sweet takes on the name Mr. Smoke and has helped shape what would now be the city of Sin. earl is back as well and her Husband strikes a deal with the Vassals that no harm comes to Pearl if he tells them how to kill Skinner/Pearl's type of vampire. With a twist ending that I honestly didn't see coming, these four issues bring alot to the title.

The second deals with the return of Hattie along with Pearl and her Husband. This is a development story that brings Hattie back as a villain and revels some of Pearl's current life. Well written, it helps define the love and romance of the two and why she hasn't just bit him yet.

Yet again Scott Snyder and crew bring a well thought out story and exceptional art that brings the time and characters to rich life that makes you want to continue reading, curious on what is going to happen next.

American Vampire TPB Vol.1

First let me say, it's about damn time! I am so sick of the glowy, crying pussy vampires that have been the staple in current movies and media. I don't know when everybody decided that a race of humans that suck blood to survive should be teen models and be so indecisive on how much their soul will suffer by taking the blood of some whiny-assed woman. Now that I have dug my hole to all the fans of those bloody pussies, we can get on with a real set of vampires.
Scott Snyder's creator owned title starring a new kind of vampire called Skinner Sweet, is one of a kind. First off, he got Stephen king to do the back story in these first five issues, detailing Skinner Sweet's origin. Second he got the amazing artist Rafael Albuquerque to bring all the characters to life in a vivid style that makes this title in a league of its own.
Starting out in the 1880's and continuing to 1926, the story is based around the well known killer vampires of old, that are rich aristocrats, that mistakenly make Skinner Sweet a vampire when they attempted to kill him. Here is the unique part, Skinner awakes as a different kind of vampire, one that gets weak and vulnerable when the new moon is up, but can walk in total sunlight. The story continues as Pearl Jones is made a vampire like Skinner, and takes revenge on those that originally killed her.The cast of characters are unique and original for an ages old tale about vampires.
Scott Snyder nails it on the head with gruesome and blood thirsty vampires set in a time frame when America was coming into the modern age. Rafael adds several background images that chill you bones on top of his haunting visuals, and unique character designs. Plus, come on, Stephen King is your writer to flesh out your main characters origin? How could you go wrong.
In my opinion, I give the first five issues of American Vampire by Vertigo, Five out of Five for it's uniqueness and innovative story-telling. This is one you really should be adding to your read list.

Review - Gore #1

Gore By GG Studios. Written by Alex Crippa, Drawn By Emilio Laiso. $2.99

Just a little background to the company and title, this is a Italian Comics company and the title that has been released in the United States. The whole selection of the comics they offer are really unique.

The concept is on the thought that everyone has a bad duplicate somewhere even the sweet and innocent fairy-tales we all know and love. In this comic, a portal has been open in Italy during Carnival and the evil sides to all the fairy-tale characters have come to play.

The art is almost in a animation style, which makes this horror comic somewhat unique, if not a guilty pleasure. Emilio Laiso does a good job in making characters unique and the villains evil. The sketches that are in the back of the book show how much time he spent on getting the Fairy-tale characters just right.

The story is...ok. I know this is the first issue and it is always the hardest to do, because of setting up characters and the story, but I find myself more drawn to the artwork than the story itself. Hopefully this will not be the case in issue two, but even if it is, the art is worth it enough to continue the limited series to its end.

Review - The Walking Dead #85

The Walking Dead by Image Comics. Written by Robert Kirkman, Drawn by Charlie Adlard. $2.99

Two things I need to say first before I give my review. One, I have never read this comic so bare with me as i catch up on it. And, Two, reason why is i have never liked Zombie stuff much. Yes, yes throw the rotten tomatoes and severed heads, but I just never got into the slow moving "Braaaaaaaiinnnssss." horror stuff. And I hate the newer, run like hell, I'm really just a vampire that eats brains instead, newer zombies even more. So that being said, here is my review.

The art in itself is well worth picking this comic up. Charlie Adlard brings the dead to life with his striking depictions of the zombies, and expresses the emotions of the survivors to a fantastic degree. I cant feel the frustration of of the never ending battle as well as the sadness/numbness of loosing friends and other survivors.

Robert Kirkman has not only created a well thought out creation, but I have to admit, he has drawn me into the story in just this first issue that I have read. I am now intrigued on the back story of these characters and how they have survived so long enough to go back and read all the issues before. Pretty good comic to make a guy that hates Zombies want to read it.

Review - Lakewood Memorial by Robert R. Best

If there is one thing you can't fault Best for in his writing it's pacing. Lakeland Memorial, Robert R. Best's first book in his zombie trilogy barrels out of the starting gate and doesn't stop to take a breath until you reach the last page. There is such a headlong forward momentum with this first installment that you'll be reading the second book in practically the same sitting as the first... and that's actually a REALLY good thing. Best gets right to the guts and gore too and doesn't withhold the details, making the ride as fun as it is frenetic at times.

We're not dealing with government scientists or black ops soldiers for hire here... we're simply dealing with people.. the cause and the core of the zombie dilemma, and we follow a small group as they fight for the very base of objectives: family and ultimately, survival.

**SPOILERS**

The bulk of Lakewood Memorial takes place at the very namesake of the book, Lakewood Memorial Hospital. We follow Angie, a nurse at the hospital as she struggles to complete her shift int the wake of shifty co-eds and an unappreciative boss, only to be thrust into the middle of the zombie epidemic when it hits the hospital; a place that is teeming with the recently dad and dying to begin with. This makes for a great scenario as the employees and patients of Lakewood Memorial struggle to save their skins as they witness their peers and family falling to the epidemic all around them.

We do pop over to Angie's house to see that her children are also doing their best to make their way to their mother encountering their own obstacles in the newly reanimated and very hungry dead.

**END SPOILERS**

It is the intimate nature of the story here that makes Best's efforts so effective. We have a singular ambition that plays well across both settings and works to make us actually care about the cause behind the character's struggles. Best succeeds on building characters that are believable and vulnerable and we fight alongside them as they hack, slash, smash, crush and burn their way across the town of Lakewood. Highly recommended.

Review - Witchdoctor #0

Witch Doctor By Image Comics. Written by Brandon Seifert and Drawn by Lukas Ketner.

This doctor is not your living in a hut, jumping around spitting vodka over you face Witch Doctor, I can tell you that.

The first thing I noticed about the comic as a whole, was its intellectual side. The story is very well written, but in some cases almost too well. The terms and vocabulary used is like a doctors dictionary of sorts and might be hard to grasp for those of us that have no clue what he is talking about. Maybe the old "definition box" at the bottom might help. Other than that, it was a very enjoyable read.

I love when the character Penny Dreadful asks Dr. Vincent Morrow "Does he sparkle?" and he replies, "On a sunny day he burns like white phosphorous. That's....like sparkling." Made me laugh my ass off, knowing that the writer is a man after my own heart.

The art, setting and tools are fascinating and well thought out. The design of the syringe alone is worth checking out this book and I can't wait to see the other paraphernalia these guys come up with.

The writing is new and unique and the art brings new meaning to the horror genre. It is definitely a comic any horror fan should check out.

Review - Clive Barker's Hellraiser #2

BOOM! Studios, Written By Clive Barker and Christopher Monfette, Art By Leonardo Manco. $3.99

Issue two of the series comes out with a bang. The Harrowers seek out one of the gateways to hell to destroy it and they Gateway itself it very inventive. Like all the Gates to hell it is something you would never thing would be one. Kristy is once again playing a major part in the story, being the leader of the Harrowers themselves. The new Cenobites/Demons are very unique and if not completely horrific. It shows how dedicated Clive Barker is to making this re-launch stand alone if not surpass those that came before it.

originally posted by contributor AnOriginalDick

Review - Clive Barker's Hellraiser #1

BOOM! Studios, Written By Clive Barker and Christopher Monfette, Art By Leonardo Manco. $3.99

First off, about damn time. The Hellraiser series has been on the downside for several years now, mostly due to Clive Barker having little or no part of it. Having him come back to put new life into the franchise, is like a teenager getting his/her first car. Awesome.

Clive Barker brings back all the old favorites, Pinhead, Chatterbox, Open-Throat, Harrowers, as well as Kristy. The story centers around Pinhead and the quest he has for a new experience. True to form, it is bloody and innovative on many levels, the kind of story you would expect from Clive Barker. The artist, Leonardo Manco, a seasoned comic artist, brings vivid art that helps define the story and feel of the comic as well as the horror of the Cenobites. All together this makes for a horrific right into the imagination of Clive Barker and the world he created twenty-four years ago.

Whether or not you are a fan of the Hellraiser world, a fan of Clive Barker, or just want to read a fantastic horror comic about flesh and desires; then this should definitely be add to your list of reading material.

A Look Back - Quinn and Vigil's Faust

As an illustrator and a (sometimes)writer I look back on the things that have influenced me and revisit them. I was A freshman in high school when I first heard of the indie comic Faust.

Before the buzz worthy term "viral" had permeated the Internet savvy subconscious of the populace, Faust had it's origins in rumors and whispers. it was a comic that fought to defy the superhero conventions of the popular graphic novel (or comic, as us old timers like to call them) and brought the illustrated horror medium to a very visceral, vivid, and somewhat disturbing precipice. It teetered on the edge of poetry and porn, and seemed to hold disdain for anyone that dared to categorize it. It's prose was aggressive, gentle, and in the end... A rapist. You were never allowed to get to close to it's narrative, although the Stockholm Syndrome kicked in after the first issue and although you still fought your attacker, you did so with the shame of a willing victim. If you didn't turn away from Faust and it's onslaught of gore, sex, magic and blasphemy, you were it's lover, or more accurately, it's pet. I was hooked, mesmerized, enchanted, and, like most of it's fans, defiled...with the stinging kiss of a gauntlet of razors.

Faust, much like it's Goethian predecessor, was a fable of evil and those that turned deals in order to possess the power that often accompanied. It was a classical tragedy that translated surprisingly well to an update that took us to the criminal underbelly of New York and the teeming cockroaches that served as some of it's more deplorable citizens. Faust's New York never took us to the bright lights of Broadway or the boutique windows of SoHo. Writer David Quinn instead invited us to break the mirror the held the city's reflection and squint through the jagged shards, crisscrossing our eyes with the blood of our folly. It was a mean, unforgiving city of stone and serrated metal. It was an assassin which held the brutal ilk of it's kin it's womb. Quinn and co-creator and illustrator Tim Vigil didn't just paint a different new York for us, it aborted it from the womb of the assassin and allowed it to somehow scribble it's ramblings in it's own afterbirth on the city's sidewalks and on the faces of it's inhabitants.

For those of you who haven't plumbed the depths looking for Faust, it is an old story, like I have said. A story that revels in the deceit and lust of it's character's, Faust centers on John Jaspers, a troubled artist/hit man. a character that struggles with his sense of self, but in the glory of a mix of self deprication and murder finds himself reborn. Pitted against the city's villainous "M", Jaspers rebels against his former mentor, painting the city in red on his road to the truth and, ultimately, revenge. Although clothed in the garb of a hero, Jaspers is rarely that one dimensional, struggling with his sanity, his sense of abandonment and even the question of self deification. Jaspers becomes Faust. He is the traveller and all wayward souls are drawn to him, across their journey on the Styx. Jaspers in his rage inadvertently becomes the city's champion, even in the midst of all of his indiscriminate rage. Quinn's Faust cannot stop his rage long enough to become even the anti-hero or the victim... He is simply Wrath, unfiltered.

On a far more layman's analysis, Faust is a huge achievement. Quinn's writing is at times so stream of consciousness that re-reading the panels is akin to retracing one's steps through the chaos of a foggy hangover. A guided tour through the libido of a coked up egotist... And it endures and fascinates.Tim Vigil disappears into the spirits of Wrightson and Windsor-Smith and channels Frazetta for a surrealistic tour of the depths of depravity, and delivers. Rare is it that the b & w medium is so transcendent that every panel delivers on it's hype... Well scour eBay, because it's here.

The real question is wether Quinn and Vigil's psycho vigilante, dark magic, wanton sex epic still holds up to today 's shock weary readers... Well... The epic never really ended. You see, one of the most interesting aspects of Faust is that it never definitively saw it's ending. With it's birth originating in the early 90's, and issue 13 seeing it's publication over a full decade later, Faust is less than three issues away from it's conclusion. Unfortunately, there has been no word on when we might be seeing the last installments. After re-reading the series and it's later ancillaries, published by Avatar comics, I can say that I have a renewed enthusiasm and anxiety to see it happen.

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