 |
| Coffin Hill #8 |
In
this issue, a few of Eve’s old friends resolve some grudges (against each
other) and the story flashes back to Eve’s time as a rookie police officer. In
the present, Eve is framed for a crime and winds up in the local jail. The
authorities aren’t too sympathetic when she claims witchcraft is to blame, not
her.
Writer
Caitlin Kittredge crafts one creepy tale, full of character, complexity and
horror. Artist Inaki Miranda is a wonder. Her pages are full of detail, her
characters tell the story through body language alone, and few artists are as
adept with clothing, fashion and general atmosphere. Whether it’s cops on the
job or a grand costume ball, Miranda draws stunning people, monsters and
costumes. A gifted creative team.
Rating:
****1/2 out of 5 stars
 |
| Blood Queen #1 |
The
Blood Queen is a fun, if light, fantasy, with a story by Troy Brownfield and
some incredible art by Fritz Casas. I’ll definitely be back for more.
Rating:
***1/2 out of 5 stars
 |
| Mighty Avengers #11 |
Artist
Greg Land draws photo-realistic heroic men and glamorous women, as always. I
don’t understand criticisms of his art. Yes, he sometimes uses photo
references. So what? He’s still fantastic and one of the most underrated
illustrators working.
Rating:
***1/2 out of 5 stars
 |
| Haunted Horror #11 |
- The Witches Come at Midnight
(City of the Living Dead, 1952).
This story is phenomenal, just for the “what the ...?!” factor. Joel Rainey is
a farm boy who trains his pet rooster Peter to crow at will. Good thing,
because demons of all shapes and sizes have been terrorizing his parents’ farm.
After fighting them off a few times with Peter’s cock-a-doodling, the demons
have had enough and bring Satan himself to attack (why they’re attacking is
left a mystery. But as Hilary Clinton would say, “What difference does it
make?”). The jig is up when Satan realizes Peter is a chanticleer. “A what?” you may ask? I did. But I looked it up. A chanticleer
is “a name given to a rooster, especially in fairy tales.” According to the
script, a chanticleer is a “servant of God” (of course he is) and therefore his
crows dispatch Satan and all his demons to the underworld and all is saved. I
learn so much from this job. Did they have LSD in 1952?
- Hallahan’s Head
(Forbidden Worlds #25, 1954) holds
its own as a straight horror story. Hallahan and Fletcher are in Africa for
adventure and business. When some valuable land comes up for sale, Hallahan
suggests sharing the claim. But Fletcher wants it all to himself, and
dispatches native Otongo to “make it look like an accident.” I guess the
language barrier leads to a miscommunication, because Otongo chops off
Hallahan’s head and throws it into the brush. Back in the states, Fletcher
becomes rich and powerful off his land grab. But what is that swimming the
ocean with dark thoughts (or not) about revenge? Yup, that would be Hallahan’s
head. Fletcher sees it everywhere—the boardroom, his closet, his writing table
... After his house blows up and his body turns up with rows of 32 indentations
on his skin, it’s plain that Hallahan’s head just dropped by for a bite. Or
two.
- The Locked Door
(Worlds of Fear #6, 1952) is a truly
twisted treat. Tom Daly is a painter who likes to dwell on the macabre, even
though his hot fiancée Emily wants him to do more Saturday Evening Post-type
art for the money. Hey, wedding dresses weren’t cheap in 1952 either! When Tom
sees his idol, painter Peter Gynt, on the street, he follows him home for some
art tips. Peter’s art looks like it’s inspired by some type of Dr. Kevorkian/Jeffrey
Dahmer mix. When Tom asks the great man if he can worship at his feet, Pete
says no and refuses to divulge the secret of his masterworks. But as soon as
his back is turned, Tom sneaks into a locked room and discovers the secret—when
Pete paints a subject, he murders them and they become little people in his
paintings. And they’re kind of pissed about it! Tom’s rude room invasion gives
them an opportunity to express themselves to painter Pete, and they do so
through violence. Sickened because he saw Darby O’Gill and the Little People murder
his hero, Tom turns into Norman Rockwell on the spot and Emily gets her white
wedding. I love happy endings.
Other
stories include Day of Panic from 1953
(a vampire who looks like Harry Carey Jr. terrorizes a small western town), Hand from 1951 (a hand kills a man—from
inside his body!), and Candles for the
Undead from 1954 (a candle maker makes bright candles from the human body
fat of his victims—trapping their ghosts in the flame!).
I’m
delighted these lost gems can find a modern audience. They are a treat to
experience and incredibly entertaining. Nice job, Yoe & Co.!
Rating:
***** out of 5 stars
No comments:
Post a Comment