Comic Review: Harrow County #6 from Dark Horse

HARROW COUNTY #6
Writer: Cullen Bunn

Artist: Tyler Crook

Cover Artist: Tyler Crook
Genre: Fantasy, Horror
October 14, 2015

Format:FC, 32 pages

It’s said that everyone has an evil twin—and in Emmy’s case that may be true! But if Kammi is evil, she’s also charming, clever, and sweet, and she could lure Emmy down a dark and dangerous path—one that leads ever closer to fulfilling the legacy of the long-dead witch Hester Beck!“Harrow County is worth checking out if you’re a horror-comic fan!”—Clive Barker

“One of the most haunting comics to come out in a while.”—IGN

Once again I returned to Harrow County is Issue 6. If any comic is perfect for October, month of Halloween, this one is. In this issue, Emmy gets to know her twin sister, Kammi, from the city. Her long-time friend, Bernice is with them, as the two talk about the city and the farm. A storm is crashing all about the farm, appearing to not move. As if listening too. Emmy’s father tells Kammi’s butler to sit, but the man neither does so, nor speak. Creepy. Hours later in the night, Kammi awakes Emmy and she leads her out to the tree where Hester the witch had been killed. Unlike Emmy who doesn’t care to know about Hester or if she is buried there, Kammi wants to know. To me Kammi is not at all like Emmy, and later in the tale, I get the inkling what she is about.

There is another “Tales of Harrow County” included in this issue. A flash fiction piece of a man deer hunting, but he learns that the deer he shots is not a normal animal….

Harrow County is Halloween creepy, worthy of being a descendent of those spooky stories around the campfire and hearth.

5 “Halloween Worthy” stars.

Pamela K. Kinney

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: 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: The Strain: The Fall #6

THE STRAIN: THE FALL #6
Writer: David Lapham

Artist: Mike Huddleston

Colorist: Dan Jackson

Cover Artist: E. M. Gist
Genre: Horror, Action/Adventure
Publication Date: December 18, 2013

Dark Horse Comics

Format: FC, 32 pages; Ongoing

Price: $3.99

UPC:7 61568 19185 1 00611

Preview

When Nora tries to shepherd Eph’s son to safety outside the city, her subterranean escape from Manhattan is intercepted by the boy’s mother—a freshly turned vampire! Meanwhile, Eph comes face to face with the man that helped engineer the vampiric coup!

* The vampire conspiracy . . . REVEALED!

* The next chapter in the Strain Trilogy by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan!

"A high octane adventure filled with action and suspense."
—Bloody Disgusting

“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?”

It appears we are nearing to the end of this second apocalyptic vampire series. In this comic, we have the professor and Vasiliy shown that the Master is not the only master vampire around, the professor bidding for the book he feels will stop the Master, The Occido Lumen, Nora is on the run with Zack Goodweather and her mother from vampires, and Goodweather is captured, but allowed a meal with the man he had hoped to kill. The pacing is fast and terrifying. Who will live and who will die by the last comic of this second series? I can not wait.

review: The Strain: The Fall #5
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

Pamela K. Kinney
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aka Sapphire Phelan
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