You can find all my HHH comic book reviews at HorrorHappyHour
thank you
Gord Locke
I discuss variety of genres , new and old in graphic novels and comics.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
3/10/11 HHH review: The Calling: The Cthulhu Chronicles tpb
The Calling : The Cthulhu Chronicles tpb(boom studios) $14.99 by Michael Allen Nelson , Johanna Stokes art: Chris Possenti
Plot/Premise:
After a series of horrific events, four strangers are left searching for answers to their personal tragedies. But as they struggle to make sense of these terrible occurrences, they are brought together by the discovery of a dark scheme that threatens the existence of everything they have ever known. An unspeakable evil is about to be unleashed onto the world. An evil known only as...Cthulhu.
Gord Says:
I read this as a noob to the Cthulhu lore. Although being a Cthulhu regular or noob doesnt benefit nor detract from the experience. The Calling could easily be a stand alone title.
The opening chapter is sensational. Without giving detailed spoilers , a cruise ship with 1959 passengers all drop dead but there's 1964 bodies...and a life boat is missing. Who the? what the? where the? ...HUH?! the perfect set up.
The follow through was decent enough , Nelson and Possenti get from point A to point B. Character development was mainly focused on one character though there were 4 key protagonists. The problem with a shorter series like The Calling is they become linear , your hand is not only held but guided throughout the story. The story is told and its complete I'll give it that.
The art had its ups and downs for me , there was some good panels here and there but overall I felt it could have been done differently. I didn't think some of Possenti's designs captured significant scenes as well as it could. For example the opening sequence when the mom and her son are hiding with someone/thing pounding on the door... the conclusion to this scene didnt seize the moment in my opinion.
By the end I felt the story had some intrigue , some chills , some hysteria , it had all the elements you need for a good horror comic. It was lacking something but I cant put my finger on it.
You might be disappointed she doesnt appear in this series
The Good:
This was noob friendly. You dont have to know anything about Cthuluhu or love/Cthulhu. The Calling was more about the culture than the actual Cthulhu.
The Bad:
I actually felt this story was using the Cthulhu brand to help give it automatic credibility because the story itself could've easily been told without using the Cthulhu brand.
Verdict: Dig it or Ditch It.
I Dig it. I like using dating analogies.. it's like a date with a pretty girl that doesn't end bad nor finish crazy good but you probably wont date her again but you never erase her number.
Value Rating: $15 cover... I would pay $10/15 for this. I have the 4 issue comic set so I cant speak for the trade and what bonus goodies if any it may have.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
3/3/11 HHH reivew: Beast of Burden : Animal Rites
This week I take a look at Beasts of Burden : Animal Rites (darkhorse comics) $19.99 by Evan Dorkin , art: Jill Thompson
plot/premise:
Welcome to Burden Hill-a picturesque little town adorned with white picket fences and green, green grass, home to a unique team of paranormal investigators. Beneath this shiny exterior, Burden Hill harbors dark and sinister secrets, and it's up to a heroic gang of dogs-and one cat-to protect the town from the evil forces at work.
Gord says:
If you like comic books and you're also a dog/cat lover , then this is what "deflecting blame to victims" and "covering up crimes" are to the catholic church , the perfect compliment to your needs. It's the Goonies except that they're dogs , it's The Watchmen except that its an animal society , it's The Little Rascals except it's a gang of dogs dealing with horrific supernatural stuff that would straighten out Buckwheat's hair. Beasts of Burden's shit does gets real.
You might be saying how the frak is this horror ? its a Disney talking animal story ain't it? . I can assure you this is not a Disney type story. We got zombie dogs , we got werewolves , we got witches , we got angry rats , we got bloodshed , we got eye gouging goo , we got dog on dog violence... hell , somewhere in Philadelphia Michael Vick has an unexplained boner. Though it wont scare anybody , however maybe kids might get a genuine spook fest from it.
The stories are riveting , the characters are lovable , and it looks great overall. For every panel that I was on the edge of my seat , there was a panel I just wanted to tickle their tummies and go " awwwwww poochy goochy dooooo! ". Every dog in this story will have his/her day whether it be finding redemption , courage , friendship , intimacy , a reason to live... it's a coming of age story ... for dogs.
zombie dogs! ... Groovy!
The Good:
To steal a line from Jeff Cannata (Jeff is co host to web series Totally Rad Show) this is " a childern's book for adults ". There's something soothing about this book. I find Jill Thompson's classic style of art to be like comfort food that makes you feel like you're home no matter where you are .. Jill Thompson is "comfort art".
who ya going to call?
The Bad:
The only bad thing I have to say about this series is that it clearly is an on going series and leaves you craving more , there's only this book and 1 one shot floppy(w/Hellboy) currently available. There's no long term plans for more BoB series.
is it just me or is it raining FRIGGEN FROGS!?!
The Verdict: Dig it or Ditch it.
I Dig it lots. Love the adventure , the mystery , the thrills ... the horror elements won't actually scare you but it will entertain you. Does an all out dogs vs zombie dogs battle royal sound awesome? ruff ruff
Value Rating: Of the $20 cover price , I would pay $20/20.. its worthy of a 20 dollar bill. A solid 184 pages and it comes with some extra sketches and scripts.
let sleeping dogs lay ..especially if they're dead
Arooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Thursday, February 24, 2011
2/24/11 HHH review: Morning Glories: For a Better Future vol.1 tpb
I take a look at Image's latest sexy title Morning Glories : For a Better Future vol.1 (image)TPB $9.99 by Nick Spencer , art: Joe Eisma
Plot/premise:
Morning Glory Academy is one of the most prestigious prep schools in the country, but something sinister and deadly lurks behind its walls. When six gifted but troubled new students arrive, they find themselves trapped and fighting for their lives as the secrets of the academy reveal themselves!
the opening page
Gord Says:
Nick Spencer is basically playing 20 questions with himself and we're watching him play caz the questions are crazy and we are curious to see where the hell this is going. I don't know what really to say , there's so much going on in this story , from super natural to psychological thriller to teen drama to slasher to murder mystery , .. etc. Whether Spencer is using cheap parlor tricks or intellectual stimuli , it doesn't matter I dont know how this ends but I want to know.
I really like the fact that Spencer is writing on his own pace and doing this the way he wants to.. he's not cramming things into a short series and hurrying himself up. The further this series moves forward , the deeper and more complicated the plot and characters get. I read this in monthly floppy form and again in its collected form.. it reads much better together , I get the feeling this series will be even better when its complete.
The questions Morning Glories creates within it's storytelling is boundless , it will initiate discussion in your head that will border line schizophrenia. What's the M Night Shylaman twist to the school and characters? What's the big secret behind all of this ? Who's this ,and who's that? What the fuck is that about? what the hell is going on ?... It's magnificent
The Good:
The value for the trade is as good as it gets. Its collects the first 6 comics priced at 3.50 each , over 190 pages.. for TEN BUCKS $10!!!! I recommend highly just based on that. They're clearly using the Crack Dealer business model.. give that first hit for cheap , get you hooked and cash in long term on our addictions. .
Nick Spencer is basically playing 20 questions with himself and we're watching him play caz the questions are crazy and we are curious to see where the hell this is going. I don't know what really to say , there's so much going on in this story , from super natural to psychological thriller to teen drama to slasher to murder mystery , .. etc. Whether Spencer is using cheap parlor tricks or intellectual stimuli , it doesn't matter I dont know how this ends but I want to know.
I really like the fact that Spencer is writing on his own pace and doing this the way he wants to.. he's not cramming things into a short series and hurrying himself up. The further this series moves forward , the deeper and more complicated the plot and characters get. I read this in monthly floppy form and again in its collected form.. it reads much better together , I get the feeling this series will be even better when its complete.
The questions Morning Glories creates within it's storytelling is boundless , it will initiate discussion in your head that will border line schizophrenia. What's the M Night Shylaman twist to the school and characters? What's the big secret behind all of this ? Who's this ,and who's that? What the fuck is that about? what the hell is going on ?... It's magnificent
The Good:
The value for the trade is as good as it gets. Its collects the first 6 comics priced at 3.50 each , over 190 pages.. for TEN BUCKS $10!!!! I recommend highly just based on that. They're clearly using the Crack Dealer business model.. give that first hit for cheap , get you hooked and cash in long term on our addictions. .
The Bad:
I dont have much negative to say about this title.
I dont have much negative to say about this title.
Verdict: Dig it or Ditch it
I DIG IT like Seinfeld , Elaine , George and Kramer dug Melrose Place.
Value Rating: $10/10... I would've paid 15+ bucks for this trade. Best value out there. I paid over $20 for the comics.
Value Rating: $10/10... I would've paid 15+ bucks for this trade. Best value out there. I paid over $20 for the comics.
" You're a little short to be a storm trooper" - Hunter, Morning Glories
Thursday, February 17, 2011
2/17/11 HHH Review: The Waking
This week I get into Zenescope's The Waking (zenescope) tpb $12.99 by Raven Gregory , art: Vic Drujiniu
#3 variant by Eric Basluda/ Neil Ruffino
Plot/Premise:
Gord Says:
I wouldn't be spoiling anything if I said this was a "zombie tale with a twist". For everything that I like about The Waking there were some lesser issues that nagged me while reading this.
Let me say right off the bat that most of my criticisms of this book are a result of the constraint space. This book should've easily been a 6 issue set opposed to the 4. One of the main issues I had was the underwhelming execution of plot points , in how they ended so abruptly and that was a result of not having enough time to extend scenes.
The opposite end of my critique is the back bone of the storytelling and that's the suspense build up. Gregory did a masterful job in building the suspense and stringing me along. Unfortunately as previously mentioned the limited space cut scenes short and somewhat under minded the incredible work Gregory did. It was like playing spin the bottle and waiting for the bottle to stop spinning , the butterflies are exploding , the anticipation is melting your innards , your excitement to see where it stops is too much... then the bottle stops and you get a peck from whomever. Happens so fast you dont get to enjoy it or even notice who it was.
I'm not familiar with Drujiniu's art but he's pretty good , he has a good sense of perspective and playing with angles. He made some scenes move off the pages, in particular ones when the action starts to pick up, There's some good chemistry building here between Drujiniu and Gregory.
The Good:
Everything in general from characters , plot , dialogue ,...etc. You ever hear the expression " jack of all trades , master of none".. The Waking was very good in all areas but didn't knock it out of the park in any specific area. Though if this was 44+ pages longer , who knows...
The Bad:
Aside from not being long enough. The book itself had a 8 page preview for Neverland and some more ads. I'm not a fan of previews and ads.. Im not paying to get a 8 page glimpse of Neverland. However I'm a little more forgiving with indie publishers understanding that they need to promote from within. So I wont be as scathing as I am with Marvel and DC with their selfless preview garbage.
Verdict: Dig it or Ditch it
I Dig it to own it. I dig it like I dig making out with any girl caz.. its any girl. It's original , its well thought out and in the end I had a fun time with this book. Its worthy of shelf space for any collection.
Value Rating: $13 cover price.. I'd pay $10.50/$13 for this.
tpb cover by David Finch. Kids can be the creepiest little fucks on the planet
Plot/Premise:
In the big city, police detectives investigating routine murders discover that the victims of these crimes are coming back from the dead in search of those responsible for ending their lives. Now the detectives are in a race against time to find the source of the recent "wakings" before the victims deal out their own brand of bloody justice. Meanwhile, a father with an incredible ability must choose between avenging his daughter's death - or losing her forever!
from the opening pages The Waking will hook you
I wouldn't be spoiling anything if I said this was a "zombie tale with a twist". For everything that I like about The Waking there were some lesser issues that nagged me while reading this.
Let me say right off the bat that most of my criticisms of this book are a result of the constraint space. This book should've easily been a 6 issue set opposed to the 4. One of the main issues I had was the underwhelming execution of plot points , in how they ended so abruptly and that was a result of not having enough time to extend scenes.
The opposite end of my critique is the back bone of the storytelling and that's the suspense build up. Gregory did a masterful job in building the suspense and stringing me along. Unfortunately as previously mentioned the limited space cut scenes short and somewhat under minded the incredible work Gregory did. It was like playing spin the bottle and waiting for the bottle to stop spinning , the butterflies are exploding , the anticipation is melting your innards , your excitement to see where it stops is too much... then the bottle stops and you get a peck from whomever. Happens so fast you dont get to enjoy it or even notice who it was.
I'm not familiar with Drujiniu's art but he's pretty good , he has a good sense of perspective and playing with angles. He made some scenes move off the pages, in particular ones when the action starts to pick up, There's some good chemistry building here between Drujiniu and Gregory.
Lets get an investigating team on how a dude whom wears tighty whities gets laid
The Good:
Everything in general from characters , plot , dialogue ,...etc. You ever hear the expression " jack of all trades , master of none".. The Waking was very good in all areas but didn't knock it out of the park in any specific area. Though if this was 44+ pages longer , who knows...
You can just hear the windshield wipers
The Bad:
Aside from not being long enough. The book itself had a 8 page preview for Neverland and some more ads. I'm not a fan of previews and ads.. Im not paying to get a 8 page glimpse of Neverland. However I'm a little more forgiving with indie publishers understanding that they need to promote from within. So I wont be as scathing as I am with Marvel and DC with their selfless preview garbage.
Verdict: Dig it or Ditch it
I Dig it to own it. I dig it like I dig making out with any girl caz.. its any girl. It's original , its well thought out and in the end I had a fun time with this book. Its worthy of shelf space for any collection.
Value Rating: $13 cover price.. I'd pay $10.50/$13 for this.
#4 variant cover by Eric Balsuda/Neil Ruffino
As powerful as Hate can be ... Sorrow can be just as strong.
But In the end ..its our love that makes us fall
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
2/9/11 HHH Graphic Novel Review: Locke & Key vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft
This week I take a look at IDW's best kept secret that everybody knows about... I have no idea what that means...
Locke & Key : Welcome to Lovecraft vol.1(IDW) hardcover by Joe Hill , art: Gabriel Rodriguez
plot/premise:
Locke & Key is a dark supernatural tale about three siblings whose lives are thrown into turmoil after a vicious attack on their parents. Sent to live in Keyhouse, the Locke family home in Lovecraft, MA. Tyler, Kinsey, and Bode try to adapt to their new surroundings, but youngest brother Bode won't give up his delusion that some of the doors in Keyhouse are magical portals if you use the right key.
Locke & Key is a dark supernatural tale about three siblings whose lives are thrown into turmoil after a vicious attack on their parents. Sent to live in Keyhouse, the Locke family home in Lovecraft, MA. Tyler, Kinsey, and Bode try to adapt to their new surroundings, but youngest brother Bode won't give up his delusion that some of the doors in Keyhouse are magical portals if you use the right key.
Bode's WTF expression is a perfect compliment to this sensational book
Gord says:
Locke & Key is part of the HP Lovecraft universe but that's not relevant to appreciate this title , its a stand alone series so no worries for noobs like myself. For a brand new series Joe Hill does a fantastic job in laying out the landscape , introducing characters and moving the plot along in limited space and time. I think Hill mastered the skill of multi-tasking his story telling , managing to have his characters move the story along while adding some depth to their characters.
The house itself is just oozing with boundless potential to take this series in so many directions down the road. Each mystical doorway can be activated with a mystical key to act as a portal to various places and time , also can give special abilities like exiting your soul from your body dependant on the doorway and the key... man , this house is just weird but in a good Clockwork Orange kind of weird , not in the OH SHIT Carrot Top looks like a tranny mannequin come to life weird
I found myself caring for the lead characters , the kids in particular , Bode , Kinsey and Tyler Locke. From their adverse beginning to watching them deal with themselves , the house , new town .. the Locke kids aren't douchey as I worried they might be. In particular the youngest Locke , Bode , having little kids as one of the main stars can be trickier than it appears , you could easily end up with this annoying bastard!
The main antagonist is a tragic and cold soul that stains each page with that hollow face. Joe Hill developes a chilling , disturbed person using intricately placed flashback scenes to give the tragic origins of the antagonist , then Rodriguez takes over with his pencil work to make the violent rage and bloodshed come alive. Not to mention the other dark mysterious figure thats a major player that made me feel like doing this after
Hill and artist Gabriel Rodriguez's collaborated work is the back bone to Locke & Key's success. Their chemistry was fantastic.. the flashbacks and switching of characters was so vital and elegantly done that it doesn't get noticed in the aftermath caz we're too busy applauding the end product. I can easily see why Fox picked this series up for a tv series.
Locke & Key is part of the HP Lovecraft universe but that's not relevant to appreciate this title , its a stand alone series so no worries for noobs like myself. For a brand new series Joe Hill does a fantastic job in laying out the landscape , introducing characters and moving the plot along in limited space and time. I think Hill mastered the skill of multi-tasking his story telling , managing to have his characters move the story along while adding some depth to their characters.
The house itself is just oozing with boundless potential to take this series in so many directions down the road. Each mystical doorway can be activated with a mystical key to act as a portal to various places and time , also can give special abilities like exiting your soul from your body dependant on the doorway and the key... man , this house is just weird but in a good Clockwork Orange kind of weird , not in the OH SHIT Carrot Top looks like a tranny mannequin come to life weird
I found myself caring for the lead characters , the kids in particular , Bode , Kinsey and Tyler Locke. From their adverse beginning to watching them deal with themselves , the house , new town .. the Locke kids aren't douchey as I worried they might be. In particular the youngest Locke , Bode , having little kids as one of the main stars can be trickier than it appears , you could easily end up with this annoying bastard!
The main antagonist is a tragic and cold soul that stains each page with that hollow face. Joe Hill developes a chilling , disturbed person using intricately placed flashback scenes to give the tragic origins of the antagonist , then Rodriguez takes over with his pencil work to make the violent rage and bloodshed come alive. Not to mention the other dark mysterious figure thats a major player that made me feel like doing this after
Hill and artist Gabriel Rodriguez's collaborated work is the back bone to Locke & Key's success. Their chemistry was fantastic.. the flashbacks and switching of characters was so vital and elegantly done that it doesn't get noticed in the aftermath caz we're too busy applauding the end product. I can easily see why Fox picked this series up for a tv series.
Bode gives a summary of what Locke & Key is about
Good News:
The series is on going though rather than sold in a on going continuous series , IDW delivers them in 6 issue sets. The collected books are of high quality and look nice on the shelf.
The series is on going though rather than sold in a on going continuous series , IDW delivers them in 6 issue sets. The collected books are of high quality and look nice on the shelf.
Bad News:
Though it does come with some extra art , its only 5-6 pages worth. At the very least they should add the floppy covers for collected editions. It could be worse , they could've thrown in ads for other IDW titles.
Though it does come with some extra art , its only 5-6 pages worth. At the very least they should add the floppy covers for collected editions. It could be worse , they could've thrown in ads for other IDW titles.
The "Jan Brady" of the Locke family , Kinsey making a new friend
Verdict: dig it or ditch it
I dig it like Charlie Sheen digs locking up coked up porn stars in hotel broom closets. On Amazon the hardcover is only $1 more than the soft cover. There's currently 3 volumes available with the 4th just finishing up in floppies(each collected volume consist of 6 issues).
value rating: from its $25 hardcover price.. I feel I would pay $21/25. The actual story is flawless , just needed more extra goodies.
I dig it like Charlie Sheen digs locking up coked up porn stars in hotel broom closets. On Amazon the hardcover is only $1 more than the soft cover. There's currently 3 volumes available with the 4th just finishing up in floppies(each collected volume consist of 6 issues).
value rating: from its $25 hardcover price.. I feel I would pay $21/25. The actual story is flawless , just needed more extra goodies.
If they could only bottle HP Lovecraft's sauce
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Jan.27/11: FVZA
*** NON SPOILER REVIEW***
This week I take a look at Radical publishings' Federal Vampire & Zombie Agency (FVZA) by David Hine , art: Roy Martinez , Wayne Nichols ( tpb released Jun 2010) cover $14.99
FVZA tpb also the cover art for #3
the opening page immediately grabs you by the nuts but not in a hurtful spiteful way , in a 'shit I think she's giving me a hand job' way.
Plot/Premise: (courtesy of FVZA wiki page)
The graphic novel follows the path of the Pecos family , Hugo and his two adult grand childern and their connection to the FVZA. Hugo worked for the FVZA when he was younger then the VZ threat was thought to be under control so they shut down the FVZA. Decades later VZs were back and the government re-activated the FVZA with the help of the Pecos family. As the Pecos family train a new generation of FVZA agents and hunt down VZs they soon discover there's something bigger and more sinister happening and they need to get to work....
This shit gets real.
If you are looking for a gripping , chilling , "realistic" zombie/vampire tale to fondle your brain then look no further. I was hooked and sinkered from the opening page , and it steadily reeled me in page by page.. ok no more fishing analogies.
Usually one shots don't put much emphasis into adding depth to character building but I think the lead characters Hugos and Landra were intriguing in their own rights. Writer David Hines gives everybody purpose , every character you'll come across serves a part in the story one way or another. Its very resourceful story telling.
The painters/colorists Kinsun Loh & Jerry Choo are the unsung heroes for this title. As good as Martinez's pencil work is , it's the lighting and mood that bring the panels to life with its dark spooky tones. The smudgy glare some of the people have could define a scene without any dialogue. There is a career in coloring books after all.
This is definitely more vampire story than zombies though zombies are in the landscape. This is not your modern pretty boy vampires taking off their shirts and fighting over vampire girls story. You can expect throw back vampires via Nosferatu style that bite for survival and kill for pleasure , a war of survival between humans , vampires and zombies , all book ended by the humanistic side .
Landra and Vidal Pecos , siblings in training.
Good News: Aside from everything previously mentioned , the book itself includes some real nice concept art and sketch work.
sample of concept art included in tpb, this one is by Alex Broeckel
Bad News: Its a one shot graphic novel , meaning there's no sequels or continuation though there's definitely room for more. It was originally released as a 3 issue (48 pg each) mini series .. since it is a single shot GN , I felt it could've been a tad longer to add even more depth.
Zombie virus symptoms: bleeding of eyes , nose and mouth.
Verdict: I read this first in the summer then I revisited it again for this review and it made me its bitch again! Dig it or Ditch it? easily.. Dig it . Of its $15 cover , I rate it $12.5/$15. Its 168 pages total , 144 pages for the actual comic , 16 pages for bonus art , ..etc . For an indie company its decent value , better value than other publishers coughMarvelcough.
"I didn't think it would be so hard ...I cant die , Tess...even with my heart ripped to pieces ...how can I still be alive...?" - Jules
nom nom nom
Thanks for checking me out , please feel free to agree , disagree , comment
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)