Credits:
Story: Joe Brusha, Ralph Tedesco, Dave Franchini, Billy Hanson Writer: Billy Hanson Artwork: Renzo Rodriguez Colors: Fran Gamboa w/ J.C. Ruiz Letters: Fabio Amelia This is a take on an urban legend about a mysterious television broadcast that infects a small town and causes illness or death. We start in a small town in Wyoming, 2006. While a father, Marshall, and son, Jacob, and the son’s friend, Davis, are watching TV, the regular programming is hijacked and interrupted with a different broadcast in its place. Across the screen comes a creepy, stretched out and distorted evil looking face. The sound emanating from the television is one of a dark and unnerving nature, a voice spouting commanding statements, almost like warnings. “You have a sickness in you.” “You will see such pretty things.” After viewing the broadcast many people get sick with headaches vomiting, blackouts, dizziness and seizures…and those are the ones that survive. The rest die including Marshall’s son, Jacob. However, Dad and the friend, Davis Mills, do not seem to be affected in any way. Because of this, the doctor overseeing the event and its aftermath, Dr. Zayas, requests to run extensive tests on the two of them. The creepy thing is that this event is never heard of outside the town limits. No breaking news reports about a small town and the mysterious broadcast that wiped it out, no newspaper articles, no phone calls, nothing. And life around the world just goes on like normal. Fast forward to 2018… A zealous reporter named Astrid convinces her boss to let her go investigate the Wyoming incident. She has been digging and found out about the broadcast, having uncovered a string of similar cases within the past few weeks. This leads her to wanting to track down Marshall, one of the non-affected people and get the scoop. Against the wishes of her boss she takes the trip to Wyoming to get her story. She finds Dr. Zayas and begins discussing things with him, revealing her discovery of recent similar cases. He emphatically and condescendingly denies that any such broadcast took place and demands she leave his hospital at once. On her way out, she encounters a man strapped to a gurney, screaming wildly as he tries to jump and grab her. Scared and shocked, a nurse walks up to make sure she’s okay. The nurse also tells her that she found an address for Marshall and she should go talk to him if she wants more information. When she goes to Marshall’s house, he leads her to his basement (ummmm…yeah, HUGE RED FLAG but, moving on…) where he shows her the walls, plastered with polaroid pictures and information about the broadcast. This confirms her suspicions that there IS a broadcast and that something weird is going on. It is at this point that Marshall very clearly warns Astrid and tells her to leave, before she falls into the black hole of obsessing over finding answers. Basically, for her own good, she really just needs to let this go and walk away. But, she does not heed his warning. Soon, Dr. Zayas enters the room and she finds out that he and Marshall are in a sort of business deal together. They sell young bodies to older or elderly people and transplant their memories, personalities, everything to let them take over that younger body. They tell her that the broadcast is a test to see who is viable for transplant and who is not. Those that aren’t affected or minimally affected by the broadcast are perfect candidates for the procedure. Oh, and Davis Mills, the son’s friend, is the mastermind behind the whole transplant scheme, making billions of dollars and living forever. Astrid also finds out one final and very vital piece of information…SHE is the next transplant subject…for Marshall. THE END I loved this issue. The twist at the end was fantastic. It was extremely well written and read swiftly and easily. This is another urban legend I am not familiar with. I did look it up and I guess people really tried to get this story going, so much so that snopes.com had to debunk it. These guys always do a fantastic job but, this was an exceptional issue. It was a tale full of suspense and intensity, adding depth to a looming feeling of foreboding and doom. The cover is awesome as always but, the artwork inside in really good in this issue. The detail in the line work showing the facial expressions and emotions is stellar. I feel that it can be very difficult to accurately draw and portray facial expressions. Just the slightest change and you get a completely different result. With every page turn, this gritty tale builds and builds, keeping your interest and entertaining you simultaneously. I highly recommend you pick this up if you get the chance. It’s definitely worth it. RATINGS Overall 5/5 Story 5/5 Artwork 5/5
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Written by W. Maxwell Prince
Art by Martín Morazzo Colors by Chris O’Halloran Cover A by Morazzo & O’Halloran Cover B by Vanessa R. Del Rey In this issue we have a slightly messed up and demented tale about two ambulance drivers on the night shift. However, these aren’t the kind of people the average person would want to put in control of saving their lives. Their biggest problem is that they steal pharmaceuticals from the hospital the work at. And they take whatever they can get their hands on. They take anything from leukemia meds to pain killers, mixing things like Eszopilone and Escitalopram to create a hallucinogenic high, and a very short one at that. They are so high and so into their stoner-like conversations about how they know the secret to saving the world, pointing out all that is wrong with it, pitying themselves. And they drive around doing this all night long. They are so high that they completely pass the call locations they get radioed for and merely just keep going, oblivious to the death and suffering they are causing. They stop at a diner to eat and even THERE when the injuries are happening right in front of them…and they do nothing. They just keep driving. Then something hits the chick that has actually been the one behind the wheel all night. She slams on the breaks and realizes they have forgotten something incredibly important. The man in the back of the ambulance bleeding out with a knife stuck in his throat. THE END I really thought this was a good comic. The twist at the end was perfect and really made the whole story end with a bang. These two come across as very sad, lonely and depressing high people. They like to complain and point out flaws of other people and the world around them. And with the way they were chatting each other up, it doesn’t seem like they are getting any kind of personal fulfillment from their work. The artwork in this issue is still good like the other issues. This artist has a gentle realism about how he draws the characters. The colors are vivid colors but, they are used in a more muted style (I hope that makes sense). It’s like they are softer versions of the bright colors but not lighter shades. I can finally recommend another Ice Cream Man issue. I think one will be well worth purchasing. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. RATINGS Overall 4.5/5 Artwork 4/5 Story 5/5 Credits:
Creator/Writer/Letterer: Benito Andino III Artist/Colorist: Roman Gubsky I read a fantastic comic book the other day. It was even in digital format and I STILL loved it! Usually, I have a hard time reading digital. I’m just an old fashioned person, I like to have the book in hands, turn pages, etc. However, this was truly a very unique and intriguing comic. First and foremost, is the clown, Tortura. The artistic rendering of this character is only enhanced and bolstered by the writing of his personality. The whole comic is just creepy but, Tortura is, by far, the creepiest thing in the comic. It’s so hard to find an introductory issue of a comic book that really makes you want to read the series. This one happens to be very enticing. We meet a variety of characters, all with their own distinctive traits. And troubles. These characters are really what got my attention. The creator of this comic has really dug deep to come up with something incredibly different for readers. Andino pulls zero punches in the creation of this comic. We start at a comedy club with a gal who is nervous as hell to go out on stage and do her set. Throughout her performance we meet our various characters and how they are woven together in this story. While I like the artwork and it’s definitely very stylized to the artist himself, it’s the story that has peaked my interest so much. In my opinion, it’s very creative. The story is complex with a number of characters making appearances in the first issue but, that made for a very exciting read. There was some kind of action on practically every page. I highly recommend this comic book. Especially for horror fans or someone looking for something new and different. Definitely worth the read!!! Get yours and more at the online store below!!! http://rareformatcomics.storenvy.com/ RATINGS Overall 5/5 Artwork 5/5 Story 5/5 Credits Created, Written and Drawn by Rob Guillory Colors by Taylor Wells Lettering and Logo by Kody Chamberlain This issue focuses mainly of the daughter of local body part farmer Jed. We start with her in a military hospital with a number of injuries including an amputated leg. Her CO comes to her in the hospital with orders to return from Germany to stateside. She initially thinks it’s because she so badly wounded but, then he tells her that they have a mission for her in her hometown. It turns out that mission is to spy on her father and his body part farm and technology and then report back to the government agent in charge of the matter.
You can tell she is really uncomfortable and rather pissy about the whole thing. It sounds like she never had any real plans to return home to start with. So, needless to say, she’s not thrilled about this. It really comes across in her meeting with the agent in a bar. Then, while getting another drink, some sleazebag sitting at the bar starts talking to her as if they are friends. He asks her if Jed is her father and then starts razzing her about how her Dad swindled his Dad and blah blah blah. She tells him to back off, finishes her drink and walks out of the bar. Meanwhile, Zeke, her brother, is reminiscing about the day his father gave him his rifle and then goes outside to shoot wolves and coyotes prowling the farm. When Andy exits the bar, a group of men follow her and start heckling her outside in the parking lot. One man, the bitter boy at the bar, starts screaming at her these insults about her father and her family. Eventually, Andy can’t control herself anymore and she swings on this douchebag…and hard. Then the other fools join and she whoops each one’s ass, one by one. They had no clue she trained military. Jackasses. After the fight at the bar, Andy goes to Monica Thorne’s house, the woman running for Mayor against the current Mayor, Randall Lafayette. It’s a rather encounter. Monica says that she’s been expecting Andy’s visit and they have much to talk about. THE END While this issue didn’t have near the excitement of #3 it was still a good informative issue. It also introduced a lot of things foreshadowing some things to come in future issues. Normally, I have a hard time following a story when they cut back and forth between things happening concurrently or when there’s a lot of flashbacks. But this time, it was done so well it was easy to read and added a little suspense to the whole reading experience. The artwork is still great, very unique and stylized to the artist. It’s almost cartoony in a way. But, somehow, it just fits the premise of the series perfectly. I can’t imagine it being down by any other artist. Also, I give mad props when the creator of the comic is also the writer and artist. I admire that they are part of more than one aspect of creating such a great series. So, go grab your issue of #4. My description here is not as detailed as it could be so, you still have things to learn in this issue. Hope you all enjoy it! RATINGS Overall 4/5 Story 4/5 Artwork 4/5 Credits Costume Party Written by Dave Franchini Artwork by Deivis Goetten Colors by Jorge Cortes Jack-O’-Lantern Written by Terry Kavanagh Artwork by Julius Abrera Colors by Fran Gamboa with J.C. Ruiz Scarecrow Written by Erica Heflin Artwork by Marcelo Basile Poison Candy Written by Ben Meares Artwork by Eman Casallos Colors by Ceci de la Cruz Letters by Fabio Amelia This was a great Halloween issue. Three smaller tales inside the main tale. That makes for a very interesting read. The stories are all Halloween based and are entertaining to read.
It starts with a group of people in costume arriving at a house for a costume party. While their host (Red) is leading them to the party room, she decides to give them a little history lesson and a tour of the building. She talks about the lore behind Halloween and how some of the traditions came about. The first story is about the origin of the Jack-O-Lantern and its power to ward off evil. Then, in Scarecrow, we learn of the horrific past of one single woman and the vengeance a Scarecrow can unleash. In the final story, which is my favorite in this issue, the age old fear of getting poisoned candy on Halloween is brought to life…with a twist. (Honestly the last tale would have made an excellent Twilight Zone episode. Each tale has its own pizzazz, its own punch and style. Each is written well and the art is fantastic, as usual. I like that we had three stories inside the main story because it makes the issue easier to read, it reads a lot faster and you feel like you got more out of the single issue. It’s almost like a three for one kind of deal. I also think they did a really good job embodying the whole spirit of Halloween and spookiness and trying to scare people. It turned out really well. As always, I recommend the Grimm Tales of Terror comics to any horror comic fan. There’s nothing super gory in this issue so I think even non-horror fans might like it due to the folklore story telling aspect. But mostly, all you fellow horror comic fans would be the ones to like it. RATINGS Overall 5/5 Story 5/5 Artwork 5/5 Credits Written by W. Maxwell Prince Art by Martìn Morazzo Colors by Chris O’Halloran Lettering by Good Old Neon Cover A by Morazzo and O’Halloran Cover B by Fábio Moon Design by Ashley Walker In this issue we meet Lucy, a nine-year-old girl who recently lost her best friend to cancer. It’s been a hard time for Lucy. Her parents have watched her cultivate a relationship with an imaginary friend…of sorts. Lucy’s imaginary gal pal is Kayla, her recently deceased BFF. Lucy is the only one who can see or hear her.
The fact that this is not just an average imaginary friend situation, since it involves a dead girl, worries Lucy’s father a great deal. He thinks she may be having a schizophrenic break or something. He reaches his limit when Lucy sets a place for Kayla at dinner and involves Kayla in the dinner conversation. He yells at Lucy and storms out of the room. That night while she is sleeping, Lucy is woken up by Kayla to go on an adventure into the woods. Although reluctant at first, Lucy believes this is her best friend so, she trusts her, ya know? So, Lucy sneaks out of the house and off into the woods she goes, alone but not alone. While traipsing through the woods Lucy comes upon a trail made of ice cream sprinkles. She decides to follow the rainbow sprinkle road. Meantime, her parents wake in the morning to find her gone. They are in pieces with panic and are worried sick. Terrified something bad has happened to Lucy they decide to call the police. They are informed that the police can’t get involved until the child has been missing for seventy-two hours. That sends them into an anger filled frenzy. This is just about the time Lucy finds the end of the sprinkle trail. It’s led her to a cabin. After some taunting from Kayla (who isn’t really there…), Lucy goes inside the cabin. There she finds the Ice Cream Man, torturing and mutilating a live person. He soon notices Lucy is there and turns his attention to her. He ties her up in anticipation of her being his next victim. Back at the house, her parents are fearful and trying to comfort each other. Her father is crying from his guilt over his last exchange with is little girl being him yelling at her. He is now realizing that it just wasn’t a big enough deal for him to freak out on her like he did. Meanwhile, at the cabin, Lucy is getting a glimpse of the evil inside the Ice Cream Man. As he continues to play with the man he has skinned alive, a voice comes from the doorway. It’s a tall man in a dark suit. His name is Caleb. He calls the Ice Cream Man “Riccardus”. He also wastes no time cutting Lucy free and she takes off out the door. Caleb has a small chat with Riccardus and then leaves. When Lucy returns home she finds her parents overcome with joy and relief. Later that night, at dinner, Lucy’s father sets a plate for Kayla with a smile. Lucy and her parents go to Kayla’s grave and leave a rose for the deceased child, letting Lucy conclude her grieving process and start to move on with her life. THE END This issue made me sad. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve lost both my parents recently or if it’s because it involves a grieving child or a child losing the battle to cancer. It just seemed like such a sad issue. The only good part was when the Ice Cream Man comes in and he is super creepy in this issue. And the appearance of this Caleb character, that must be leading into something. He just makes a quick appearance and then he’s gone. But I have a feeling we will see him again. The artwork remains good in this series but I’m wondering if the writer is getting off track. The stories are getting more emotional based and less horror based…in my opinion. I’m not seeing the same kind of terror be thrashed across the pages as I did in the first few issues. It’s going to be a choice to make at the end of the series whether or not I want to continue to get it. Although it’s not a bad issue in any way, I just can’t say that I would recommend this one to anyone, it’s just sad. It left me feeling all bummy. I don’t like that. So, I’m guessing a lot of others don’t dig that too much either. But, if it strikes you, go for it, get the issue. RATINGS Overall 3/5 Story 2/5 Artwork 4/5 Credits:
Created, Written, Drawn by Robert Guilllory Colors by Taylor Wells Lettering and Logo by Kody Chamberlain If you guys haven’t jumped on this series, YOU SHOULD. It just keeps getting better and better. In issue three, we spend most of our time with the children of the family. Poor Riley, the son and youngest, is getting picked on at school. Kids are calling him weird. (Aren’t all kids in elementary and middle school weird?) Anyways, after school they are supposed to “intern” at their grandfather’s body part farm. Grandpa’s goal is to train the family to take over the business. The jobs they are assigned sound ridiculous. They prune the fingerlings (the finger plants), they shave the scalp bushes (a plant that grows new heads of hair) and the do dental work on a Venus teethtrap (which looks like a plant with the chatter teeth in it). It is truly a strange and funny sight. We also see Zeke having a conversation over coffee with a former friend of his Dad’s. This is where we really start to see things take a slightly darker turn. Now we start getting into the thick of the idea behind the farm and the upheaval it’s caused. It seems Jenkins Sr. has ruffled some feathers in his pursuit for health and glory. Then we get another taste of the outrageously strange. Some lady sneaks a dog into the farm, which is completely against policy, and the dog eats some of the “Jedidiah Seed” plants and everything gets turned upside down and inside out. This lady was slick too. I have to give her that. She got this little dog through six security checkpoints. (Sounds like TSA.) This new, genetically modified pooch, whose name is Mr. Fuzznuts (no, I’m not making that up), wreaks havoc on the farm and everyone’s stress level. It’s like a radioactive, monster mutt on permanent puppy mode. When Zeke finds out his children were subjected to such chaos he is none too thrilled. It seems the tension is building and building. Zeke finds out during that coffee chat this “friend” stopped talking to Jed once he started believing the Jedidiah Seed was from the world of Evil, the Devil perhaps, but definitely something unholy and sinister. THE END I’m really enjoying this series even more now that we have some action going on. I read that the writer on plans this to be a 25-30 issues series in 5-issue arcs. That being said, we are almost through the first arc. The story is really getting interesting and I have already read issue 4. I just need to get the post up for you guys. The artwork is still excellent, albeit somewhat cartoony but, I like that it is different and unique to this artist. I feel he has a fun and possible twisted sense of humor and I’m guessing that permeates his life in all aspects, including his work. There are a few panels and page spreads in this issue that really stand out because of the color usage. It’s bright and vivid. It’s in your face and full of life. Then there are some parts that are a much more muted color scheme allowing it to be easily distinguishable which panels are current and which are flashbacks. I am telling you guys, you really need to get this series. The idea of a body part farm alone should have already enticed all of you horror comic fans. Snap to it! RATINGS Overall 4/5 Story 4/5 Artwork 4/5 Credits:
Writer: Ralph Tedesco Artwork: J.G. Miranda Colors: Dijjo Letters: Fabio Amelia Okay, so we are still on the Urban Legend kick, although, I have to be honest, I’m still waiting for the typical Urban Legends that we are all familiar with. The ones in these issues are legends I have never heard of…and can’t find information on…anywhere. And seeing as how I’m not a huge video game fan, this issue didn’t really do much for me. In this issue we have a video game and a guy that is obsessed with it. Our main character is Donnie. Donnie has a car accident and gets a lift from the tow truck driver who is, you guessed it, our friend Red. She drops him off at an arcade he used to hang out at as a kid. He sees a really hot chick playing his favorite game, Polybius, and they chat and take a trip down memory lane over a couple beers. He brags about his Polybius triumphs but, how tragedy has always seemed to follow him around. He says he’s the reason his Dad killed his Mom, a good friend of his killed himself and his poor wife even hanged herself. Seems like everyone this guy loves, dies. Then, while they are talking, the hot chick morphs into some sort of video game spirit, an evil one, that claims ownership of Donnie’s life, success and tragedies. Then the actual arcade game absorbs Donnie and he exists no longer. The hottie starts playing the game and a new hapless unwitting video game loving victim walks in…and wants to play Polybius and walk down memory lane. THE END There wasn’t a whole lot about this issue that I could get excited about. I mean, I guess I just don’t get the story. Maybe it needs to be longer and more detailed but it really left me wondering “what the hell is going on?” and I hate that. It seemed like the outline of a story rather than a complete tale. The artwork is fantastic and I think that is what makes this issue. Great use of color and line work to create some fantastic and startling images. The rest, I’m sorry to say, left me feeling a little unsatisfied. Frankly, this could be an issue to pass on if you aren’t a diehard GTT fan like I am. RATINGS Overall 3/5 Story 2/5 Artwork 4/5 Credits:
Creator/Writer/Letterer: Benito Andino III Artist/Colorist: Jorge Suarez Editor: Giannina Andino This is a brand new comic from the maker of Heavyweight Messiah. It was sent to me by the creator and writer of the book, Benito Andino III. Big thank you to Benny for sending this to me. I thought it was really good. Now, while the artwork may not be so much “my style” of art that I normally gravitate towards, it is still good artwork. Very style specific to the artist. But, honestly, it’s the story that I dig so much. This is a tale of revenge…no…vengeance. Revenge is for suckers. Vengeance is justice. Justice that circumvents the conventional laws and systems. And I love that about this story. Here we have a man who decides to dole out justice to a perpetrator that killed three kids. A pedophile that he believes CANNOT be rehabilitated. But, our friendly neighborhood vigilante has a darker side. There’s a whole other person in his head. They talk. They argue. And they work together to accomplish certain goals. Truly a fascinating glimpse into the mind of a killer…or justice seeker…or psycho…??? We don’t really know yet. This is only the first issue. But it’s a good one. Now, I read it digitally and I have to say, I really loathe reading digitally. I much, much prefer a hard copy. Especially for comic books. I feel I personally follow the story better if I can see the whole page at one time. On my devices, I only get about half the page at a time. So, for me, that makes it a little harder to read. And even with THAT issue, this story was still intense and gripping. If you get the chance and you like bloody vigilante stories, grab this. Immediately. You won’t want to miss out. Get your copy here: https://www.comixcentral.com/products/war-is-all-i-know/ RATINGS Overall 4.5/5 Story 5/5 Artwork 4/5 Credits:
Written and Created by Ted Adams Art by Santiperez Colors by Jay Fotos Lettering and Edits by Robbie Robbins When I first got this comic I was super stoked and read it right away. I completely planned on doing a review at the time but, it kept getting pushed to the bottom of the list. Now, here it is, a little late but, that’s better than never at all. The story is narrated by the guy that works at Diablo House, a “haunted house” experience of sorts. People line up and take tours and hear grisly and gruesome stories while going through the creepy rooms. This tour guide’s name is Riley. Diablo House is located in La Jolla, California. It is a big hit and gets a lot of business. Our first tale is about love. But, it’s not the love story you might be thinking. Meet RC. At the time he first appears in the story he is a kindergartner. We see him being introduced to his new neighbor kid, Angie. Then we briefly get a rundown of the next twenty years of their life together. They manage to fit some happy times in between the horrid home life Angie has and her mother blowing her own brains out in front of her. They love and support each other in goals and in life and soon get to the adulting. RC and Angie are now newlyweds and have just bought their first house. RC has held a steady job at a fast food place for five years and is working on a deal to franchise the business and become partner. Angie is getting fed up with living paycheck to paycheck and thinks they should be getting a cut of the millions of dollars in profits he has helped make the company. She’s constantly pressing RC to get the deal done. Well, he finally does. And life improves greatly. However, in the process, RC had to pull some dirty tricks on his business partner and he feels bad. Angie, on the other hand, does not. She’s all about getting what’s theirs and not worrying about anyone else. But at what cost? Who is willing to risk what in order to get to the top? I’m not going to tell you but, I WILL tell you this…the closer you are to the top, the farther the fall. THE END This was an excellent comic book. I have the other issues and will be reviewing them as well but, for an introductory issue…this was phenomenal! The artwork is good. It has an interesting style look to it. It definitely adds to the creepiness. And Riley, although we see very little of him, he is very effective. And the story, the story is great. It moves quickly, has a lot of attitude thrown around in it and has a great ending. I will say there is a small bit of nudity in this issue. It’s one page, five panels. But big deal. It’s not like it’s nothing y’all haven’t’ seen before in the mirror. There is also a fair amount of profanity but, just like the nudity, that doesn’t bother me. It’s a comic book people. And it is one that is meant for MATURE readers…although now that I’m looking at it, the cover doesn’t state that. But, I promise you, this is not a child’s comic book. So, any of you horror comic fans that haven’t already picked this up, you should. The first issue was published in July 2017 so you might have to get online to order it instead of grabbing it at your local comic book shop. But definitely worth the buy. Hope you all enjoy! RATINGS Overall 4.5/5 Story 5/5 Artwork 4/5 |
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