Hack/Slash 15th Anniversary Special
Cover A by Tyler Walpole
Cover B by Tim Seely and Carlos Badilla
 
This issue was a multi-story issue, having three different stories, and funny joke comic section and some very cool extras.
 
Story #1
 “Your Darlings Kill You”
Written by Tom Seely
Drawn by Dan Leister
Colors by Carlos Alberto Moreno Diaz (p.1-10), Andrew Dahlhouse (11-20)
Letters by Crank!
 
This story starts out at a Comicon and goes from there.  It has murder, blood, gore, action, violence and fantastic sarcasm.  The story itself is good as well.  But it definitely read very well.  It involves Cassie and a villain that wants to replace her.
 
Story #2
 “Abyss”
Written and Lettered by Brian Crowley
Art by Jules Shapiro
 
This story was short.  A quick read and almost sad.  Cassie is chilling with Vlad.  She’s asking her friend to kill her when she is ready to die.  I was like, “WTF?”.  How depressing are we trying to get here.  Geez.
 
Story #3
 “System Ready”
Written by Sam Eggleston
Art by Jay A. Defoy
Colors by Addison Duke
Letters by Crank!
 
This was my favorite story out of the three.  It had the best comedic value.  There was plenty of fabulous bloody gore and action.  A quick read with perfect set ups for dirty jokes and dark humor.  Cassie and Vlad are a dynamic pair in this story.
 
“Random Facts”
Compiled by Jeff Bohn and Gregory Ellner
Deign by Crank!
 
This is a collection of random facts about the Hack/Slash series.  There’s always interesting stuff in those kinds of things.
 
“Timeline”
Compiled by Gregory Ellner
Design by Crank!
 
This is a timeline from the first Hack/Slash publication through the years up to current, showing special editions and collections, etc.
 
“Shit My Vlad Says”
Compiled by Jeff Bohn
Design by Crank!
 
This was a funny section.  It’s a section of illustrated Vlad-isms.  It’s really short and it’s great for a laugh.
 
 
Overall, this was a great special issue.  There were good stories and even better sarcastic and dark humor.  The artwork varies but overall, it’s good.  The artwork for the first and third story is the best.  The second story, I’m sorry, it just kind of makes you want to jump off a cliff, especially in the current global and national situation.  That’s why I preferred the humor.  Story two got all serious and dark.  It was like an illustrated Emo journal entry in the middle of a comic book.
 
This one, I have to say, you really are only probably going to like it if you already read Hack/Slash.  It was a slightly more expensive issue than a regular monthly release issue.  Still, if you’re a fan, you should check this out.
 
RATINGS
Overall 4/5
Artwork 3.5/5
Story 4.5/5

Daphne Byrne #1
Chapter 1 “Chosen” 
 
Written by Laura Marks
Art by Kelley Jones
Colors by Michelle Madsen
Lettering by Rob Leigh
 
Cover by Piotr Jabłoński
Variant Cover by Yasmine Putri
 
Daphne Byrne created by Laura Marks and Kelley Jones
 
This was an interesting first issue.  Daphne is a strange and unique young girl.  She is teased relentlessly at school.  It definitely makes the days long and lonely for her.  It’s just Daphne and her mother.  Her father is dead.  And this poor little girl…her mother is just totally obsessed with going to some medium who claims she can speak to people in other worlds.  
 
This mother just feeds this medium money and believes everything the psychic tells her.  One day she takes Daphne with her.  This is where we find out just how different and unique Daphne really is.  We also find out how smart this child is.
 
Daphne challenges the medium to test her validity.  A very smart and slick move on her part.
 
Daphne also figures out that she is the one that can actually speak to and see people from another world.
 
While this was the first issue, so an introductory issue, it was a good issue.  I have a feeling this is going to be a very creepy and eerie series.  Daphne is like an Emo version of Wednesday Addams.  There is a definite chill factor in the way the art and the story are presented.
 
I do think this is going to be a series worth checking out.  Especially if you like paranormal/supernatural type stuff.  All of the stuff that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up…I think this series is going to be chocked full of that and so much more.
 
RATINGS
Overall 4/5
Artwork 4/5
Story 4/5

Writer: Frank Tieri
Artists: Angel Unzueta & Jose Luis w/ Scott Hanna
Colorist: Rachelle Rosenberg
Letterer: VC’s Joe Sabino
 
Cover Artists: Kyle Hotz & Dan Brown
Variant Cover Artist: Skan
 
In this issue we get just a little more information.  But not a lot.
 
First off, Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin, is not only the Mayor of whatever fine little town this takes place in, but he’s also taken the liberty of making himself Interim Warden. (Ummm, can we say power hungry, inferiority complex maybe?)
 
What’s worse is his top executive staff:
 
Green Goblin
Taskmaster
Moonstone
Hobgoblin
Scorpion
 
An entire staff of villains running a prison insane asylum??? No.  This won’t go bad at all.
 
Needless to say, Jameson strongly disagrees with the new staffing arrangements and wants to leave.  But Fisk has that covered and blackmails him to stay.  It just deflates all of John’s aspirations, like letting the air out of a balloon.
 
Grizzly is still feeling like a monumental failure because of his beat down at the hands of Ant-Man and then, just to add insult to injury, Ant-Man offered him a job.  So not only did he kick Grizzly’s ass but then he pitied him so he offered him a job.  So sad.  So Grizz is talking about all of this in group therapy sessions.  But, some of the other non-conformist type inmates consider him a sell-out and decide he needs to be taught a lesson.
 
Then, just to throw in an extra special curve ball for good measure, someone named Dr. Kafka appears at the front gate in the middle of the night.  Only thing is, she’s supposed to be dead.  (Not quite sure they sure offer to let her come inside for tea and scones if you know what I mean…)
 
THE END
 
So, I expect now that the stage is set, in issue three we will start seeing some action.  We better with all these villains locked up together.  Does that even logically make sense?  Let’s put the worst of the worst all together in one prison and I bet you anything not a one of the will conspire to do anything wrong or break the rules.  Not a one.
 
YEAH RIGHT!!!!!
 
The genius who came up with this plan, like the geniuses who came up with the bright ideas of Stalag Luft III in WWII and Alcatraz as a federal prison, should probably just be taken out and shot.  The bullet will be a lot cheaper than what it’s going to cost to fix all the problems that are about to arise from housing these evil morons altogether in one place.  But, what’s the fun in that, right?
 
The writing and artwork are still very well done in this issue and make it worthwhile to read.  I do hope you enjoy these when you pick them up.  So far, I am.
 
RATINGS
Overall 4/5
Artwork 4/5
Story 4/5

Writer: Frank Tieri
Artist: Angel Unzueta
Colorists: Rachelle Rosenberg, Dono Sánchez-Almara
Letterer: VC’s Joe Sabino
 
Cover Artist: Kyle Hotz & Dan Brown
Variant Cover Artists: Kim Jacinto & Rain Beredo, Ryan Brown
 
This is going to be an interesting series, to say the least. Allow me to demonstrate by creating a mental image for you.  Picture this:
 
Ravencroft (just the name is eerie, is it not?).  The mental prison hospital where all the really crazy bad guys and psycho villains are incarcerated.  Now, apparently this place has long existed.  But something happened and now it has been rebuilt, to the max.  No holds barred; no expense spared.  Top of the line and state of the art all the way, through and through, top to bottom.
 
At this psycho sicko pizza party works one Mercedes “Misty” Knight.   She’s been a police officer; something called a Daughter of the Dragon and a Hero for Hire.  (Sounds pretty positive to me.)  Her actual position hasn’t totally been fully defined yet, but she seems to be like some sort of administrator/counselor to the inmates.  This job not only allows her to interact with prisoners and staff, she also acts as eyes and ears for whoever it is that is running this crazy carnival.
 
This includes keeping her sights on Security Consultant Agent John Jameson.  Here’s where I get a little confused.  Jameson is the Security Consultant but he’s also attending group therapy sessions at the hospital with the other inmates looking for reform.  And boy, are they a bunch to behold.  There’s this one guy they call Grizzly, he got his ass spanked by Ant-Man and now he’s having some sort of emotional and mental breakdown because of the slam to his ego and his masculinity that follows being whooped on by an insect that people literally flick off of themselves like little specks of disease.  So, Grizz is feeling a little down in the dumps.
 
But it’s not so much the inmates at this prison that are the problem.  It’s also the staff.
 
THE END
 
Amazingly, this was one of those first issues that made you immediately feel the need to read issue two.  So, I did.  Review for that will be coming shortly.  Unfortunately, not a lot happens in this first issue, it’s an intro issue.  So, we just get to meet the characters and see where it’s all going to go down.  I have to admit though, I think this is gonna be wild.  We’ve got some interesting characters making some major appearances here.
 
I liked this issue.  I wish it moved a little faster but it’s an introductory issue, you know how those can go.  So, here shortly I’ll have the review for #2 posted and that will give you a little more information about the story.
 
Now, for the writing itself.  It’s great.  I also love the way Marvel gives you little reference boxes telling you where to refer to if you want to see when that particular character/plot story line got its first appearance. 
 
The artwork is pretty damn good guys.  I like it, I gotta tell ya.  The covers are different than the inside artists but they still draw quite the eye.  The color palette is fairly muted.  The colorists seem to use the more vibrant colors for impact and emphasis, rather than just using them for striking color and flashiness on the pages.  I’m really excited to see where this series is heading.  A bunch of criminal maniac villains all locked up in one place.  What could POSSIBLY go wrong?
 
RATINGS
Overall 4/5
Artwork 4/5
Story 4/5

Story by Rodney Barnes
Artwork by Jason Shawn Alexander
Colors by Luis Nct
Lettering by Marshall Dillon
Main Cover by Jason Shawn Alexander and Luis Nct
Black Friday Cover by Francesco Mattina
LCSD Cover by Jason Shawn Alexander
 
Okay, as the first issue there really isn’t a whole lot, I can tell you.  You guys know starter issues are difficult because they either have a ton of information or very little stretched through twenty-five or so pages.  This would be the latter.
 
What I have deduced thus far is that we have a father and a son.  Both are cops in Philadelphia.  It’s also very apparent they don’t get along or see eye to eye on pretty much anything.  I don’t know why they would go to work at the same precinct.  You’d think they would try to distance themselves from each other with the kind of animosity that seems to brew between them, but it also seems like they each feel they have something to prove.  To whom, I don’t know.
 
The father is investigating the possible existence of vampires in Philly due to contraction of Yellow Fever.  The thing is, he believes he’s traced the source of the original infection back to former President John Adams.
 
While yes, this seems like a very outlandish idea, you gotta admit, it’s creative.  And farfetched as it may be the writing style is pleasantly unique.  This writer is able to use different writing methods to distinguish changes in time and place, between first and third person, seamlessly, letting it all flow together.  Though it’s obvious some of the dialogue is narrative and some is present tense, it’s so easy to follow and distinguish between the two that you can blaze through this issue in a matter of minutes.
 
The artwork is something I also found to be different on an enjoyable level.  It IS a bit dark in general in color and hard to identify different characters at times, but the artist is still a talented individual and should be given their due credit for good work when it’s deserved.  You can’t ever please everyone with one thing.  So, I give them props.
 
But it’s the story and the dialogue that let you know who is who in each interaction and in each situation brought up as the story progresses.
 
So far this was an interesting enough first issue that I want to continue the series.  I already have the next two or three so I will be reviewing those when I get to them.  But this one DID catch my attention and is now on my radar.  Well done gentleman.
 
RATINGS
Overall 4.5/5
Artwork 4/5
Story 5/5

Writer: Kami Garcia
Artists: Mico Suayan & Mike Mayhew
Letterer: Richard Starkings of Comicraft
Cover by Francesco Mattina
Joker Variant Cover: Mico Suayan
Harley Variant Cover: Mike Mayhew
 
In THIS series, it’s all about Joker and Harley and their interaction with each other, obviously.  Harley holds ill will towards Joker for killing her wife.  Yes, her wife.  The murder fits the same signature of other Joker murders, one of which was their downstairs neighbor and study buddy.  
 
Five years later she is helping the Gotham PD find and capture the Joker.  Now she goes by Dr. Harley Quinn instead of Harleen Quinzel.  Even though she is a valuable asset and has helped close a number of cases for the department, Dr. Quinn is laughed at by the department’s detectives.  None of them take her seriously and they continue to harass her with insults and demeaning comments.  This doesn’t seem to really get to her as she is a tough chick.  She’s a criminal psychiatrist and behavior analyst.  She’s got hard core independence and a take no shit kind of attitude.  And she seems to know her stuff.
 
The Joker has gone underground, off the grid, having vanished after committing a particularly horrific murder.  Therefore, we don’t actually get a Joker appearance in this issue.
 
However, the artwork in this issue is fantastic!!  Some of the panels are black and white and some are in color.  The ones in B&W are phenomenal with a shattering spot on use of shading to accent every facial expression, every wrinkle in the clothes, every shadow.  The bold contrast has a strong impact when put together with the text in those panels.  The color panels, now those look almost like oil paintings and I’m almost certain they used live models for a lot of them.
 
One small problem I did have with this issue, and yes this might be nitpicking, was that the writer gives the wrong definition for criminal insanity.  It bothers me because DR. Harley Quinn is supposed to be really good at her job and she gives this definition while giving a presentation.  I feel like it takes away from her credibility as a character.  So, we’re gonna have another quick little lesson.  
 
First of all, the term ‘insane’ only exists in the legal profession.  Medical and/or mental health professionals don’t use the term ‘insane’.  Now, to be declared “legally insane” you must meet one of the following criteria:
 
You were not capable of determining right from wrong at the time the offense was committed.
 
You were unable to determine and understand the consequences of your actions at the time the offense was committed.
 
The author writes that “a person is considered criminally insane if, at the time of the offense, they were not in touch with reality to know they were committing a crime or if they could not stop themselves”.  This is not only a gross oversimplification, it’s also incorrect.
 
So, now, hopefully we’ve cleared that up.
 
I will say that I did really dig all the true crime references in this issue.  Those were pretty accurate which is why the above problem was so annoying to me.  But it didn’t make me like the issue any less.
 
Any Joker and/or Harley Quinn fan will like this series.  I’ve already got the next book ready to read.  I’ll get the review up once I get through issue two.  But this is definitely a series worth getting.
 
RATINGS
Overall 5/5
Artwork 5/5
Story 5/5

Story and Art by Stjepan Šejić
Letters by Gabriela Downie
Cover and Variant Cover by Stjepan Šejić
 
This is a series from DC Black Label dedicated to the backstory of Harley Quinn and her first interactions with the Joker. 
 
In this series, we meet Harleen Quinzel, before she is Harley Quinn, before she meets the Joker, before her life becomes a circus.
 
We find her as a doctor but not yet working with Joker, not yet trying to decipher the code inside the whacked-out mind in the world of the curious clown.  It’s a biography of sorts, leading up to where she meets Joker and first gets mesmerized by whatever it is about him that appeals to her.

Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artist: Andrea Sorrentino
Colors: Jordie Bellaire
Letters: Steve Wands
 
Cover by Andrea Sorrentino
Variant Cover by Kaare Andrews
 
I have to be honest from the very beginning and tell you right up front I was very disappointed with the first book of this series from DC Black Label.  I figured with what I had seen from the Batman: Damned series and the Harleen series that a series on the Joker would be out of this world.  But it wasn’t.
 
Sadly, the disappointment began with receiving the book itself and just kept going downhill from there.
 
Every comic book I have gotten from DC Black Label so far has been high quality with thick, oversized pages and nice glossy finishes, impeccable artwork and superior writing.  The covers of each book immediately draw the eye to the book itself and almost possess you to buy it, just by their cover art.  
 
This book is thin and flimsy unlike the other books in the Black Label series.  The cover art is plain in comparison to the rest of DC Black Label covers as well.  The paper seems to be of lower quality in general as is the finish on the paper after the work has been done.
 
Next, you open the book and immediately the artwork looks very elementary in comparison to the other Black Label artists’ work.  And the depiction of the Joker is ridiculously tame.  They make him look like a normal guy wearing lipstick.  It just doesn’t seem like what we are used to as the Joker.
 
Then, the writing.  Or lack thereof.  However, you want to put it.  It was simple and basic and repetitive.  Oh my god, so repetitive.  All the Joker seems to talk about is being happy and wanting things to be beautiful, happy and beautiful, beautiful and happy.  Over and over and over again.  It’s positively annoying.  By the third or fourth time I began to silently ask myself, “Is there going to be a quiz at the end of this or something?  How many times do we need to be told Joker wants it happy and beautiful?”  Beyond that, the writer wastes an entire two page spread on the children’s story one of the characters is reading to his son at bedtime.  No, I’m not kidding, I’m being very serious…two…full…pages.  Of a children’s book.
 
Now, the doctor that is reading this children’s book to his kid is the same doctor that, in THIS SERIES, is currently talking with the Joker at Arkham.  This is apparently the doctor that comes along AFTER Dr. Harleen Quinzel, after she fell in love with Joker and helped him escape.  The authorities at the hospital look at that as “losing” one of their doctors and are determined not to let it happen again.
 
But, Dr. Ben Arnell thinks, just like every other doctor to ever talk to the Joker, that he is on the verge of a breakthrough.  (A breakthrough to what?  Observing the mind from totally crazy to completely psychotic?  Lofty aspirations, let me tell ya. “Hi there Mr. Joker sir, yes, now I know for a fact you’re a complete nutjob but, my goal here is to find out just how whacky of a nutjob you REALLY are, if any of it is an act AND if you are truly aware of how crazy you are on ANY level at all.  Would you like to converse with me and tell me all the deep, dark, horrible and personal things you’ve never told anyone ever in your life?  Me.  A perfect stranger to you?” I swear, I just have to shake my head at the ignorance of that approach.)
 
Still, Ben is warned.  He has two more weeks and then he will be moving on to work with another subject.  Ben is not pleased with this information.
 
So, there you have it.  No action.  No witty banter.  No amazing artwork to stun you and distract you from the fact that the story so far could have been written in probably five pages.  No prison breaks.  No love stories.  Nothing. 
 
Just the Joker and his lipstick, his love for happiness and beauty and this Dr. Arnell, who seems to think he’s going to have better luck getting through to the funny man than Dr. Quinzel did.  Awfully arrogant, don’t you think?  We’ll see how it works out for him.
 
RATINGS
Overall 2/5
Artwork 2/5
Story 2/5

Welcome back to the wonderful world of Grimm Tales of Terror!!  Here, we have this year’s Halloween Special issue.  This spectacular release is comprised of three small tales suitable for any Halloween fan.
 
Evil Tattoos
This is the first story.  I already loved it just by the name because I love tattoos.  I have 13.  So, that caught my devilish heart right away.  But this story is about a boy, a little youngster named Dan Ankerman.  And poor little Dan gets bullied at school.  Not only by the standard bullies that call him names, wait for him after school or take his lunch money but, also by certain teachers…like the gym teacher.  All because he can’t make a free throw.  (Maybe basketball is not his sport, he’s short, what if he’s more into baseball or soccer?)  And because he couldn’t make that basket on Halloween, the whole class had to stay late instead of getting out early to go get their costumes ready for Halloween night. 
 
So, as expected, the bully bunch is waiting for Dan after school to rough him up.  He sneaks into a Halloween store to hide out and meets our dear friend “Red”.  While calming him down and trying to make him feel better, she gives him three temporary tattoos, all images of Halloween monsters, grotesque ones at that.  He immediately gets excited and wants to apply one that moment but, Red advises him to wait.  So, he stuffs them in his pocket.
 
Later, he gets accosted by the bully squad and they end up stealing his classroom Halloween party candy bag from him.  But they also steal the tattoos.  Then, just as excited as Dan was, the three bullies immediately put the monster tats on themselves.  Shortly thereafter, the bullies start to not feel so good.  Their stomachs start to hurt and they cry out in agonizing pain.  But why?  And what happens to little Dan?
 
 
Cat and Mouse
 In this story, we meet a young man named Charlie while he is hanging out with his friends.  They are putzing around a Halloween decoration store when they wander into the “Staff Only” area while looking for decorations for the party they are having that night.  That is where Charlie meets Red.
 
Even though they aren’t supposed to be back there and she tells them so, Charlie can’t help but notice a striking oriental décor screen with an amazing art design on it.  He is certain that it is exactly what is needed to add that certain something to the party room to get chicks in the mood for some hot and heavy Halloween hooking up.  But Red explains that it is a very special piece and that it is designed to test the virtue and spiritual purity of those chosen.  She wonders out loud to him that this piece may not be right for a person such as himself.  But he won’t take No for an answer and eventually, he talks her into selling it to him.
 
Later that night at the party, a girl shows up that Charlie has never seen before.  He introduces himself, gives her a drink and, when he feels she loosened up enough, he suggests they go up to his room.  There she freely admits that she’s feeling a little loopy.  Charlie takes that as his cue to give her another drink.  But this time he slips some Rohypnol in it.  Once she’s pliable enough to his liking, he goes for his moment and starts to undress her, in preparation to have his way with her.  But, as he takes off her dress, he sees she has the same marks from the decorative screen on her back in black, like a tattoo.
 
Then she starts talking about how he’s the one and she knew it from the start…typical first date stuff that would make any guy freak the hell out and run for the hills.
 
All Charlie wanted was to get laid on Halloween with a drunk little devil honey.  What the hell did he get himself into?
 
 
The Hunter
 In our final tale we follow a man as he stalks his prey, an unwitting woman who is just going about her day.  He narrates about how he has to watch, learn their habits, their quirks, their routines.  He follows her into a Halloween costume store.  As she is looking for a costume for a party she must go to that night, she meets Red. 
 
After they chat a bit, Red suggests this grotesque mask for the Halloween party.  Admitting that she’s “not very Halloween-y” she is repulsed by the mask and politely refuses.  Red laughs and then takes her to the sexy nurse costumes.  All of this is going on while the stalker waits and watches from a corner doorway of the store.
 
She leaves.  He leaves.  Narration continues with a countdown letting us know the time is coming, that that urge to kill is just boiling over.  So, what happens to the chick?  And the guy?  And do we see this sexy nurse’s costume?
 
As usual, I’m not going to tell you. 
 
I will tell you that I loved, loved, loved this issue.  I always like when they do the special issues with multiple stories in them.  And the Halloween stories are almost always good.  While I didn’t recognize a lot of the names in the credits, they definitely upheld the standard that I have come to expect from Zenescope and Grimm Tales of Terror.
 
The stories were all very well written and even though they were all written by different people, they still flow through the issue very smoothly and with great ease.  They have the perfect balance to them as well.  I don’t want to say too much as not to give anything away.
 
Now, the artwork is also fabulous.  Again, even though it’s three different artists and a bunch of different colorists, everything seems to fit together perfectly, which I think is a major feat in itself.  Every tale includes vibrant color to amplify the impact from each written word.
 
I highly recommend that you pick this up.  They really gave us a treat for Halloween this year!
 
RATINGS
Overall 5/5
Artwork 5/5
Story 5/5

By
Jeff Homan and Benjamin Bartlett
 
Artwork:
Interior by Aaron Bolduc, Cover Design by Steve Lavigne, Cover Ink by Steve Mardo, Cover Color by Steve Lavigne and Aaron Bolduc
 
Additional Design, Graphics and Layouts by Jeffrey Homan
 
Here we are Toking Dead fans!  Issue #2!  Now, if you remember, when we left Duke, Tobi and Piper in issue #1 things were getting intense.  There had been some crazy explosion.  Zombies were everywhere.  The guys had started to mutate and Tobi and Piper had gotten their groove on, even though Piper doesn’t usually go for guys.  Piper had also been bitten on the shoulder during an attempt to flee the area and yet, she’s not showing any symptoms of anything.
 
And now that we are all caught up…
 
In this issue, the guys and Piper start to figure out that their crop of cannabis is slowing the zombies down.  But they are quickly running out of crop.  Tobi and Duke are mutating at a slower, albeit unpleasant, rate and Piper seems to be immune for a reason that I am not going to disclose.  The zombies are quickly figuring out that our three heroes are holed up in the wreckage of their dispensary.  And our heroes are quickly finding out that they are running out of crop.
 
What happens when the zombies eat all of the crop outside?  Will Duke and Tobi become full on zombies?  And what’s the deal with Piper?  Why isn’t she turning?
 
You’ll have to get your own copy to find out the answers to these burning questions.
 
THE END
 
I love this series.  Even though the guys are dealing with some corporate asshat suing them for their creativity and trying to stifle their free enterprise, they are still able to find a way to give us the quality comic book we so desire and deserve as fans.
 
This time, they were able to get the legendary Bill Diamond on board.  Plus, the artwork in this issue by Aaron Bolduc is nothing short of spectacular.  The colors are gloomier, with a more sinister feel, sharper line work and a bolder presence in general.  This is different from issue one where the art was softer and smoother to the eye.  This time, it grabs your eyes and shocks the images into retinas.  
 
Bill Diamond also introduces “the Ziffits” which, if you are at all curious, you can get the issue and find out what they are.  Because I’m not going to spoil EVERYTHING in this one for you.
 
As always, Homan and Bartlett give us a great dialogue to go with the depictions of horror being splashed from page to page.  Without the writing of this series, we would never TRULY get a solid feel for these individuals as characters and they ARE individuals, each unique in their own way.
 
I still maintain this is a badass series that is truly sparking a conversation that is long overdue.  And here’s why.  It is in this issue that they guys start talking about the medicinal effects of marijuana and how it is going to save not only their lives but many others.  The genius is that that information is being put into the context of this zombie apocalypse and they need to figure out how to use the medical marijuana to their advantage and fast if they are going to live to tell the rest of this tale.
 
Get your copy at their Etsy store: HERE
 
Visit The Toking Dead at:
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/THETOKINGDEAD/
 
Instagram: @thetokingdead1
 
Twitter: @thetoking
 
 
RATINGS
Overall 5/5
Artwork 5/5
Story 5/5