Comic Review: Harrow County #5 from Dark Horse

HARROW COUNTY #5

Writer: Cullen Bunn

Artist: Tyler Crook

Cover Artist: Tyler Crook
Genre: Fantasy, Horror
Publication Date: September 09, 2015

Dark Horse Comics

Format:FC, 32 pages; Ongoing

Price:$3.99

UPC:7 61568 26606 1 00511

Preview

“Genuinely creepy and engaging.”—Mark Millar

After uncovering Harrow County’s twisted history and her own bizarre connection to the populace, Emmy forges a new and profound connection to the land and its creatures—but a familiar and sinister presence lurks just over the county lines . . .

“Harrow County is worth checking out if you’re a horror-comic fan!”—Clive Barker

Emmy feels alone in Harrow County, though life has eased for her. She wonders if she’ll ever be free as the one beast haunting the graveyard that had been left and forgotten by the witch Hester. Worse, one of the townsfolk approaches her about doing harm to a man he thinks is trying to woo his wife from him, but Emmy says no. That she does no harm to anyone. Makes one wonder as he watches her with narrow eyes, what he will do in a future issue.

There is even a true tale written by Ma’at Crook of when he once worked at a movie theater, The Tower (another owned by same owner, Temecula, was nearby) haunted by El Guapo. He began the job not believing in ghosts, but soon experienced paranormal activity. At first, he could explain them away. But the activity grew worse, where he could not explain them away. I won’t go on to say what happened, you have to read it. But it was refreshing as someone who has written nonfiction ghost books herself, to read something like this in a horror comic about ghosts and witches.

Another refreshing thing was a tale of Harrow County, “The Bat House,” written and drawn by Tyler Crook, and colored by Ma’at Crook. This talks about a house with many bats in its attic. Children would dare each other to see how close they could come to that attic, with bat dropping covering the walls and a terrible stench. One boy was said to have taken the dare. Was this the boy skin that talks to Emmy? Makes one wonder.

Dark and eerie, Harrow County #5, is darkly reminisce of true unsettling tales I used to read, like novels like The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson, and old horror comics from the ‘60s.

I give Harrow County #5 five sheep haints.

Pamela Kinney

Comic Review: HERO CATS OF STELLAR CITY #5 (Action Lab Entertainment)

 HERO CATS OF STELLAR CITY #5
Writer(s): Kyle Puttkammer
Artist Name(s): Marcus Williams
Cover Artist(s): Tracy Yardley (reg) Marcus Williams (var)
32 pgs./FC/ Teen $3.99 (reg.) $4.99 (var.)
Action Lab Entertainment
http://herocatscomic.com/
Everything has been building to this! Secrets are revealed as the masks come off. The Hero Cats must defend the home front as Galaxy Man unwittingly returns to his observatory with an infestation of space bugs. Cover by Tracy Yardley (Sonic the Hedgehog) with a variant cover by Marcus Williams, limited to 1,500 copies.

variant cover by Marcus Williams
Cat lovers rejoice for the Hero Cats are back again!

Once again readers are invited to join the six extraordinary cats on another adventure to save Stellar City and the people they love!

For this particular adventure, Cassiopeia is surprised to find out that her human family is hiding super powers of their own. Cassie’s fellow super cats are suspicious of their intentions and order Cassie to find out just what the humans up to. Her work is interrupted by an invasion of space bugs and the fight is on to protect their city!

I love how each cat has their individual personality, Cassie being the sweet, sometimes naïve one and Midnight being the more suspicious one. I’m still getting to know the rest of the gang but it’s no hardship since they’re all so dang cute!

The artwork is simple yet eye catching and the dialogue between characters is quick, witty and easy to follow even if this is your first adventure with these unique felines. The comic itself isn’t very long and can appeal to all ages but certainly cat lovers will enjoy picking their favorite feline. That is, if it’s possible to chose just one!

 

 

Whether you’re a cat person or not, you have to admit, having a comic book about superhero cats is pretty neat. At least I think so.

Sheep Rating: 4

Adria

Comic Review: Sally of the Wasteland #1-#5 Titan Comics

Sally of the Wasteland #1-#5

written by Victor Gischler
Genres: Horror, Science Fiction
32pp
Format: Softcover
Frequency: Monthly
Age:15+
Titan Comics
Southern Louisiana, 82 years after the Fall. The apocalypse has come and gone, leaving behind a withered, ravaged landscape of wreckage and mutant crawfish. Still, you gotta laugh, and Sally does, often using her beloved shotgun, Bertha, as the punchline!

Inspired more by lust than common sense, and by a teenage desire to protect Tommy, the object of her desires, Sally leaves her bar job and joins the deranged crew of the Mississippi Duchess on a mission into the remains of New Orleans.

Saving the remains of civilisation plays second best to keeping her sweetheart safe as our smart and sexy princess of the wild frontier runs a gauntlet of gigantic genetic freaks and roving gangs of blood-hungry barbarians!

The ever-so-cute but ever-so-slightly-insane Sally is the wayward daughter of writer Victor Gischler (X-Men, Angel & Faith, Noir) and artistic up-and-comer Tazio Bettin. This first issue in a fantastic new series proves Armageddon can be fun!

WITH A VARIANT COVER FROM REVIVAL AND HACK/SLASH’S TIM SEELEY!

I love me some post-apocalyptic pulp and, boy howdy, did this series deliver. The fever dream Victor Gischler must have had to come up with this one, I don't even know how much mescaline it'd take, because I thought Beasts of the Southern Wild was gonna be the craziest post-apocalyptic tale set in a ravaged Louisiana. Oh, how I was wrong.

The world is a wasteland, quite literally and in keeping with the series title, with mutated monstrosities taking up the space left in the wake of humanity’s downfall. Oh, sure, there are the pockets of survivors spread here and there, but society is a distant memory and for one brassy young vixen, namely Sally, all the world amounts to is a lot of hard work and one dreamy hunk named Tommy. So when Tommy raises his hand to help a stranger with a weird piece of technology head out to New Orleans for answers and maybe one last chance at restoring civilization.

With all the unapologetic panache of a couple true pulp hounds, Victor Gischler and Tazio Betton offer up one of the wildest dystopian thrill rides I've seen in a good long while. Sally, at first glance, might seem like pure cheesecake, but her personality is as charming as it is borderline psychotic. She is no damsel, and she's no hero either, but she is all bad-ass with her shotgun Bertha and whatever other weapons she has at arm's reach. The rag-tag bunch she boats down the Mississippi with are all afforded moments for their own foibles to shine, whenever the ceaseless pitfalls and perils don't have them fighting for their lives.

The series might just be the kind of ultra-B movie fare you didn't know you were waiting for. If there is something to complain about, it is one particular swerve in the storyline that feels like a jumping of the tracks onto a completely different storyline, but even then the zany and the heart of the issue, Sally protecting Tommy, are never lost.

If this series was a movie, it would find itself in good company with the likes of Escape from New York and Army of Darkness. If you like the sounds of that, find these comics. If it doesn't, run and hide before the Bamazons get cha.

4 1/2 stars

Gef Fox

Comic Review: Grindhouse: Doors Open at Midnight (Bride of Blood) #5, #6

GRINDHOUSE: DOORS OPEN AT MIDNIGHT #5
Writer: Alex de Campi

Artist: Federica Manfredi

Colorist: Federica Manfredi

Cover Artist: Francesco Francavilla
Genre: Action/Adventure, Horror
Dark Horse

Publication Date: February 05, 2014

Format: FC, 32 pages; Miniseries

Price: $3.99

UPC:7 61568 22741 3 00511

Brace yourself for Grindhouse’s most disturbing tale yet! On what should be the happiest day of Branwyn’s life, atrocity beyond comprehension strikes. With everything she’s ever loved destroyed by reavers, all she has left is revenge, in “Bride of Blood”!
* Cover by Francesco Francavilla!
* Art by Hack/Slash and True Blood’s Federica Manfredi!
* Eisner nominee Alex de Campi (Smoke/Ashes)!
Preview

GRINDHOUSE: DOORS OPEN AT MIDNIGHT #6
Writer: Alex de Campi

Artist: Federica Manfredi

Colorist: Federica Manfredi

Cover Artist: Dan Panosian
Genre: Action/Adventure, Horror
Dark Horse

Publication Date:March 05, 2014

Format:FC, 32 pages; Miniseries

Price:$3.99

UPC:7 61568 22741 3 00611
Clad in her fallen brother’s armor, massacre survivor Branwyn vows to repay every drop of blood that was spilled during the slaughter of her wedding party. But her mission turns even more horrific than expected when the true authors of her torment are revealed in the grisly conclusion to “Bride of Blood”!
* Cover by Dan Panosian!
* Hack/Slash and True Blood’s Federica Manfredi brings the hurt!
* Eisner nominee Alex de Campi (Smoke, Ashes) will make you squirm!
Preview

Review #5/#6

Back in the 70s or maybe very early 80s, there was this exploitation film called I Spit On Your Grave. A rape/revenge film that's kind of built in cult status to the point where it's probably the rape/revenge film. It must have some measure of notoriety to earn a crap remake like most other horror properties of the 70s and 80s.

I mention this because "Bride of Blood" the two-issue tale in the Grindhouse series feels like high fantasy incarnation of that movie ... sort of.

It's Branwyn's wedding day, but when barbarians called Reavers attacked her husband-to-be ditches the wedding party, including his blushing--and bleeding--bride. She survives, but barely, and being the last in her family's lineage the fate of her kind rests with her. And when she's up and around again, she's out for blood.

I could say the first issue is pretty brutal, but if you are a reader that needs trigger warnings on subject matter like rape and violence against women in general, brutal might be an understatement. It's a direction I really didn't expect the Grindhouse series to go, but I will give them points for their willingness to push the boundaries of what their audience will read. Unlike the "Bee Vixens from Mars" and "Prisonship Antares", there is nothing fun about this two-issue story. It doesn't feel gratuitous to any offensive degree, but the winks and nods that came with the two previous stories in the series were glaringly absent. Granted, rape-revenge doesn't exactly lend itself to brevity.

As for the artwork, it felt a little uneven in spots. Most of the drawings and coloring are really well done, especially in capturing the quiet scenes or ramping tension, but there are action scenes that just lack vibrancy and fell kind of flat. Brownie points, however, for dressing Branwyn in her slain brother's suit of armor when she goes out to crack skulls, rather than truss her up in some skimpy gold bikini for the sake of a few pages of cheesecake.All in all, it's a straight-forward, action-packed, blood-soaked revenge story.

3 Sheep

Gef Fox

Wag The Fox: a den for dark fiction

Comic Review: Bloodhound: Crowbar Medicine #4 and #5

BLOODHOUND: CROWBAR MEDICINE #4
Writer: Dan Jolley
Penciller: Leonard Kirk
Inker: Robin Riggs
Colorist: Moose Baumann
Cover Artist: Leonard Kirk
Genre: Superhero, Crime
Publication Date: February 05, 2014
Format: FC, 32 pages; Miniseries
Preview
Cape hunter Travis Clevenger’s biggest case becomes his most personal! As Clev learns the terrible secret behind Dr. Morgenstern’s ability-granting Power Chip, he’s also reeling from the family tragedy it’s caused. All that’s left is the choice between self-destruction and unleashing brutality on a level even Clev’s never reached before!
BLOODHOUND: CROWBAR MEDICINE #5
Writer: Dan Jolley
Penciller: Leonard Kirk
Inker: Robin Riggs
Colorist: Moose Baumann
Cover Artist: Leonard Kirk
Genre: Superhero, Crime
Publication Date: February 05, 2014
Format: FC, 32 pages; Miniseries
Preview
Crowbar Medicine reaches its gut-wrenching climax! Cut off from backup, Clev, Saffron, and uneasy ally Terminus confront the scientist behind the ability-granting Power Chip. Still shaken by personal tragedy, and going up against a trio of Power Chip users at Dr. Morgenstern’s side, Clev is about to take on the most vicious fight of his life!

Clevenger's professional life clashed with her personal life once before, as the one guy on the planet with the wherewithal to contend with full-blown superhumans, and a man now with daughters to care for. The last time they clashed, his family was devastated and he wound up in a supermax prison. Judging by the events of the third issue, history may be about to repeat itself.

The fourth issue reveals Clevenger physically scarred like never before, in the aftermath of seeing one of Morgenstern's vigilante superhumans accidentally kill his youngest daughter. There's no going back from that, and while he isn't the type of guy to wear his heart on his sleeve, his grief looks to take him to a state of mind that will have him letting loose with unbridled fury. The F.B.I. and the rest of the law enforcement know he's bad news and have wiped their hands of him. Well, excerpt for Saffron.

To say that now it's personal would be an understatement of a woeful degree.

When the death scene happened in the third issue, I half-expected a soap opera attempt at emotional turmoil. But this is Dan Jolley writing and he doesn’t seem too interested in writing schmaltz. And Clevenger seems so out of place wallowing in grief. Well, these final two issues graphically depict just how little he wallows, and just how little he cares for his own well-being in seeking out Morgenstern.

Without giving away how this five-part series wraps up, I will say it provides a clear portrait of Clevenger's mindset. Even when pushed to the extreme, he is undeterred. Even when everything crashes down around him, he just keeps getting up and doing the one thing he seems born to do: stomp superhumans. It doesn't end pretty for him, and it should have been clear to readers from the get-go that a happy ending wasn't in the cards, but the ending we are given seems well-suited for a character like Clevenger.


4 1/2 Sheep

Gef Fox
http://waggingthefox.blogspot.com/

Comic Review: Quantum and Woody! Issues #5-7

*giggle…snort…giggle* This comic series is just so over the top you can’t help but love it. Eric (Quantum) and Woody are now living together so their atoms don’t fall apart. Woody brought along his girlfriend, a clone of an evil villain, and a goat with special powers. Eric just wants to get back to his old life, but he gets tricked and blackmailed into helping an evil religious cowboy. Lucky for Eric, his brother Woody takes a break from being the world’s biggest douchebag to help save the day.

If you like inappropriate humor, politically incorrect snarky dialogue mixed with crime fighting superhero action and goats, then give this one a look. The covers pretty much explain it all, but I included some panels.

Review of issues #1-4

Quantum and Woody! #5

Price: $3.99
Rating: T+
Pages: 32
On Sale: November 6, 2013
Writer: James Asmus
Penciler: Lee Garbett
Cover Artist: Andrew Robinson, Lee Garbett, David Lopez, Mike McKone
Editor: Alejandro Arbona
Valiant Comics

All-new arc, all-new jumping-on point!

All-new…problems?

Eric and Woody have had their lives turned upside down. What do you do when the most annoying person in your life is also the only thing keeping you alive? You move in with him! And his goat. And his barely legal clone girlfriend. Besides, every team of heroes needs a secret headquarters…and this one has a slightly used hot tub. Plus: Quantum meets his first true super-villain!

Attention fans and retailers: Look for the Quantum and Woody Vol. 1 TPB in stores the same day! Intro priced at only $9.99!

Quantum and Woody! #6
Price: $3.99
Rating: T+
Pages: 32
On Sale: December 4, 2013
Writer: James Asmus
Penciler: Ming Doyle
Cover Artist: Clayton Crain, Kalman Andrasofszky
Editor: Alejandro Arbona
Valiant Comics

Bravely laying their lives on the line!

Unwittingly to uphold the ideals of a multi-billion-dollar private security corporation…Quantum and Woody have blundered into a suicide mission! And if they make it out alive, it only means a whole new world of trouble for our dyadic duo!

Quantum and Woody #7
Price: $3.99
Rating: T+
Pages: 32
On Sale: January 8, 2014
Writer: James Asmus
Penciler: Ming Doyle
Cover Artist: Ming Doyle, Tom Fowler
Editor: Alejandro Arbo
Valiant Comics

So…two superheroes, a clone, and a goat move into a junior two-bedroom…

As a totally questionable romance blossoms between Woody and his runaway science experiment girlfriend, Eric finds himself quickly rising through the ranks of his new employers at Magnum Security. But when he comes to find that his duties as an on-staff superhero are bit more unsavory than he ever expected, it’s down to Quantum, an old army buddy, and Woody—interloper!—to discover the illicit truth behind Mr. Magnum’s all-seeing private security empire.

Valiant is a leading character-based entertainment company with a library of over 1,500 characters, including X-O Manowar, Bloodshot, Shadowman, Eternal Warrior, and many more. Established in 1989, Valiant has sold over 80 million comic books, and today its characters continue to be forged in publishing, licensing, film, video games, and beyond. http://valiantuniverse.com/

Comic Review: Kiss Me, Satan #4 and #5

KISS ME, SATAN
Writer:Victor Gischler

Artist:Juan Ferreyra

Colorist:Juan Ferreyra

Cover Artist:Dave Johnson
Genre: Action/Adventure, Crime, Horror
Dark Horse

Publication Date:December 18, 2013

Format:FC, 32 pages; Miniseries

Price:$3.99

UPC:7 61568 23081 9 00411

Issue #4

preview

After a contract-killer shaman ambushes our heroes, undercover demon Barnabus Black takes a group of witches back to his safe house, where he equips them with a massive arsenal to prepare for a final showdown with the werewolf mafia.
* Covers by Dave Johnson!
* By Victor Gischler (Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Spike—A Dark Place, Clown Fatale) and Juan Ferreyra (Colder, Rex Mundi)!
* Drawing on your nightmares!

Issue #5

preview
Barnabus Black infiltrates the werewolf mafia’s mansion, only to be overtaken by an army of angry monsters, a dangerous wizard, and their werewolf godfather!
* Featuring covers by Dave Johnson!
* By Victor Gischler (Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Spike—A Dark Place, Punisher MAX, X-Men)and Juan Ferreyra(Colder, Rex Mundi)!

And then there was one. Despite his best efforts, Barnabus just can't seem to keep the coven of witches from being picked off one by one. Holed up in a shack in the bayou, there is one witch left (Zell) with the eye of fates and if she dies, then the eye could wind up in the wrong hands.

The fourth issue, "Her Demon Lover," kicked off with Malcolm Drake, the notorious mage for hire, incinerating one witch, but taking a seriously humbling ass-whoopin' from Barnabus in the process. Not all bad from Drake though, since he got a good look at the mystical necklace Barnabus is wearing that apparently protects him from magic attacks. With Drake tucking tail, Barnabus and Zell head out to his hideout and set off a little magic of their own. Bow chicka bow wow.

The fifth issue, "Dog Pile," begins with a rather out-of-the-blue encounter with a priest and a nun that know their way around firearms and have marching orders: "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." Barnabus and Zell just can't catch a break it seems. The grand finale of the mini-series takes things back to where they all began, in Cassian's mansion as his newborn son remains in serious danger of being killed to ensure Cassian holds on to power. And Drake lays in wait among the werewolf clan to take the eye and Barnabus' nifty necklace, too.

This high-octane mini-series wound up keeping the pedal to the medal for these final two issues. Lots of action, lots of swerves, and one big and bloody finish. Not a lot of room for introspection and soliloquies in this series, as everything on the page exists to keep the action moving. Between Gischler's firm grip on each character's motivations and frailties, and Ferreyra's pulpy presentation, much of that action practically lept off the page.

There were a couple of moments where story threads felt like they got snipped quite abruptly, but nothing was glaringly unfulfilled and the series never really made the promise of expounding on the final resolutions after the fact. Everything ended on a really satisfying note, with just enough elbow room to offer a glimpse for future iterations of Barnabus and this world. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

review: Kiss Me Satan #3

review: Kiss Me Satan #2
review: Kiss Me Satan #1

4.5 Sheep

4 and 1/2 Sheep 
Gef Fox 
Wag The Fox

Sheep Comic Review: Ten Grand #5

Ten Grand #5
Story By: J. Michael Straczynski
Art By: Ben Templesmith
Price: $2.99
Diamond ID: JUL130546
Published: November 6, 2013
Image Comics

Joe Fitzgerald has crossed into Hell itself in an attempt to rescue Laura, the spirit of his murdered love who had been safely ensconced in Heaven (or someplace that looks a lot like it) before all the forces of Hell tore the veil to take her down into the depths of utter darkness. But why would they take her? Why would Heaven allow her to be taken? And what's Joe going to do when he finally learns the secret behind her situation? Be assured that someone's going down for this, and going down hard.

Ten Grand has a new artist, and as it turns out, the timing is perfect. That's because Joe is in Hell. Literally.

Well, I don't remember it ever being explicitly called Hell, and I sure didn't see any guys with pitchforks standing around, but as Joe searches for the love of his life--and his afterlife--it sure felt like some kind of Hell.

It was a little jarring for the series to suddenly be sans Templesmith as its illustrator, but C.P. Smith is a welcome addition. The quasi-Dante journey into the underworld felt so alien and so eery, especially with the new art style depicting it, I was utterly mesmerized.

If the series didn't already make you feel like you've stepped through the looking glass, reading this fifth issue sure as heck will. To be honest, not a great deal is revealed that propels the story forward, but what is there certainly gives a better appreciation for Joe as a character and the lengths he will go to save Laura.

Honestly, go find the earlier issues if you haven't read them already and get on this bandwagon. Business is about to pick up.

Ten Grand #2 review
Ten Grand #3 review


5 Sheep

Gef Fox

Wag The Fox: a den for dark fiction

Comic Review: The Strain, The Fall #5

The Strain, The Fall #5
Writer: David Lapham, Mike Huddleston
Colorist: Dan Jackson

Cover Artist:E. M. Gist
Genre: Action/Adventure, Horror
Dark Horse Comics
Publication Date:October 16, 2013

Format:FC, 32 pages; Ongoing

Price:$3.99

UPC:7 61568 19185 1 00411

Preview
Sure that an ancient tome, the Occido Lumen, holds the secret to defeating the Master, Fet and Setrakian head to the auction house for a different kind of battle. Meanwhile, Eph, sure of a conspiracy surrounding the vampire epidemic, mounts a secret mission to assassinate the wealthy and ailing Eldritch Palmer!
* The next chapter in The Strain Trilogy, by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan!
* Soon to be a TV show on FX!

“I’ve got to say that they’ve created the vilest, most revolting looking vampires I’ve ever seen.”–Geeks of DoomNovember 2013. 
“A week ago, they invaded Manhattan. Now they will destroy the world. A vast conspiracy prevents the vampire epidemic from coming to light. A small force is humanity’s only chance: an alcoholic, a doctor, a pawnbroker, an exterminator, and a criminal. Can they prevent the Master from covering the planet in darkness?”

This issue begins with Eph writing a letter to his son who is speeding away with Nora on a train to hopefully safety from the vampires in New York City. He wrote it as he is about to try and assassinate Mr. Palmer. From there the comic had sections of each thing happening to each of the characters—from Eph to Vasiliy and the Professor talking about vampires and book an what it might mean to destroying the Master, to Nora trying to escape with Zach as Zach’s vampire mother and others attack the train. All of it ends at the space station in orbit above the earth. 

The artwork is still super and the storyline growing more intense. If you love scary vampire stories and even te end of the word scenarios, then you need to read this series. 

review: The Strain: The Fall #4
review: The Strain: The Fall #3
review: The Strain: The Fall #2
review: The Strain: The Fall #1

I give this 5 sheep

Guest Reviewer: Pamela K. Kinney 
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aka Sapphire Phelan
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