Tag: Archie

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Paper Cuts: April 26, 2017

Paper Cuts: April 26, 2017

By Ryan “HB” Mount

Redneck #1 (Skybound/Image)

Modern day Hatfield and McCoys is one of the families was full of vampires and the other led by a preacher.

While the story is not breaking any new ground, it was extremely well written and a perfect first issue.  We immediately get a sense of the Texas town, the Bowman vampire family and their rivals of the Landry Family.  Even the beginning where many creators get bogged down in info dumps, the set up here was done without feeling like I was reading a poorly constructed novel and the opening two page spread certainly helped.

The rules of the world seem simple.   Vampires drink cow blood and paint thinner to avoid human blood.  They are still vulnerable to sunlight but nearly immortal.  There also appears to have some telepathy, but not fully defined.

The art of Lisandro Esterren has a lot of sketchiness of Jason Latour with some facial work similar to Howard Chayakin.  As with any book written about vampires, creatures of the night, you would expect the book to have an overall dark appearance.  While the book certainly let the reader know if you were in the woods at night or in a dimly lit, you were not staring at pages soaked in black ink.  The coloring from Dee Cunniffe contained a lot of cool blues and soft reds and accented the book perfectly.

This book was a perfect first issue.

Ratings: 4.5 out of 5

 

Jughead: The Hunger #1 (Archie)

This is simply an elseworld style tale of Jughead was a werewolf and Betty was a monster hunter.  The story is not bad, but it is not compelling.  The tone of this book was closer to Riverdale than to Archie Horror.  There was some injected humor, but I believe fans read these books for the straight horror aspects.

The art of Michael Walsh feels like a cross of Jeff Lemire and Francesco Francavilla.  Now while to compare the art styles to two of the greatest working in the industry right now could seem like high praise, there was also some art that felt extremely rushed and not finished.  While the art did fit into the Archie horror universe well, it simply does not hold up against Afterlife with Archie and The Chilling Tales of Sabrina.  This is the second book reviewed this week that features colors of Dee Cunniffe.  Her color palate is perfect for horror books and should be a name to look forward to seeing when it comes out.

One thing that always made the Archie Horror universe so special was that even though the books came out sparingly is that they were so well done, it was worth the wait.  In this case, it was such a step down in overall quality that this is a totally passable book.

Ratings: 3 out of 5

 

Quick Cuts:

Plastic #1 (Image) – What is Joaquin Phoenix from Her was in love with a plastic doll and a murdering psychopath?  Ratings: 4.5 out of 5

The Atoll #2 (Big Pictures) – Human vs Shark fighting ring drama.  Ratings: 4 out of 5

The Beauty #14 – This arc is Hannibal Season 1 type of drama and creepiness. Ratings: 4 out of 5

Grimm Tales of Terror: 2017 April Fools Edition – It certainly lives up to the title of April Fools, with each story providing a “twist” ending.  However, it still was incredibly unclever and not scary. Ratings: 0.5 out of 5

Grimm Tales of Terror (Vol. 3) #4 – If you fear clowns, this will terrify. For the rest of us? Ratings: 1 out of 5

 

If you like what  you read make sure to like it and share it.  What are you reading right now?  What would you like to see us reviewing?  Make sure to reach us at @hebruise and @horror_writers

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Paper Cuts: 10/7/16

BIG WEEK OF COMICS!

But before we dive in, just a quick plug.  Last year after moving to the burbs, I was not ready with enough Halloween candy for all the kids in the neighborhood.  When I ran out in less than an hour, I did some quick thinking and grabbed a long box and started giving out some comics.  It was a hit of the neighborhood.  I will be doing the same this year.  If you would like to do the same and do not have any comics to give away, check out your local comic shop.  They are selling 25 mini comic packs for $5 each. Check them out here: http://www.halloweencomicfest.com/Catalog  Order a couple and give them out!

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Grimm Tales of Terror Vol 2. #13 (Zenescope)

Skip this comic and watch Tales from the Darkside: The Movie or Scarewaves.  Both tell nearly the same exact story of artist-meets-demon-must-feed-demon-for-great-art.

Ratings: 1 out of 5

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Zombie Tramp Halloween Special (2016) (Action Lab)

Straight cheesecake.  If you miss 90’s anatomical drawing and dialogue, this book is for you.  The most memorable moment comes from when Zombie Tramp tells a little girl that her butt is not big enough to be Vamp Blade.  Cringe.

Ratings: 1 out of 5

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Chronicles of Terror #1 (WP Comics)

A new online quarterly horror anthology series.  This issue is all over the place.  It has some highs and has some lows.  There are a more than a couple stories with too many text boxes and some very poor lettering.  However, you’re paying $5 for 142 pages and the artwork in a couple of these stories may make this worth your time. I personally enjoyed the art from Dann Franco in “Shots Between Fangs” and Luciano Fleitas in “Down to the Woods.”

Ratings: 2 out of 5

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Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love #1 (DC)

There is nothing earth-shattering about this book, but it really is different than every other book DC Comics is putting out.  Whether you are a fan of the old DC prestige comics or the vertigo heroes, this book hits all the right marks.

This is the story of Deadman and it is not your traditional hero story.  Instead of saving the earth from aliens in the sky, you get Deadman in a story of love, heartbreak, and ghostly mystery.

I enjoy my caped stories, but this was really wonderful.

Ratings: 4 out of 5

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Cannibal #1 (Image)

If you mix iZombie and Southern Bastards, you get Cannibal #1.  Art feels very Jason LaTour, but Bergara is not as polished.  It is well written and interesting enough.

Ratings: 2.5 out of 5

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B & V Friends Comics Double Digest #251 (Archie)

Another week.  Another Archie Halloween Special.  This one centers around the adventures of Betty and Veronica.

There are plenty of tales in this one, but the interesting thing to see in this one was the small art changes it made in each story.  Where the Archie stories from last week had very similar art throughout the entire book, this one had some changes while keeping that Archie feel.

The stories are filled with some all ages fun with jokes for kids and adults.

I really thought last week might have been a fluke or I was in the mood for something light hearted, but after this week, these Archie Halloween specials deserve to be any comic collection.

Ratings: 4 out of 5

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Paper Cuts: 9/30/16

I apologize Paper Cuts fans!  We just got busy over here at Paper Cuts Central.  So busy that we are reviewing a couple comics for all ages from last week to get you in the Halloween Spirit!  You can still always pick these up from your local comic shop or digitally over on Comixology.

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The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror #22 (Bongo)

There is a very easy way to describe this book.  Simpsons parody X. Repeat.  In this anthology the Simpsons parody Ghostbusters, X-Files, Vampires and Looney Tunes.

Truthfully, there is nothing wrong with this comic.  If you are a fan of the show, there may be some extra enjoyment, but as just a comics fan and occasional Simpsons viewer, this issue just felt a little flat.  There was nothing especially clever about the jokes and the art is exactly what you would expect.

Ratings: 2 out 5

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Adventure Time: 2016 Spooktacular #1 (Kaboom)

One of the best things about the Adventure Time show is that it strikes a nerve for children and adults for enjoyment.

I was pleasantly surprised that tone carried over into this Halloween special.

Kids who read this book will see some of their favorite characters and the bright colors and different art is sure to keep them entertained while diving through.

Upon a bit deeper reading though, you realize the very cute character of Gunter is put in some very strange and overall creepy tales.  Also, art fans will enjoy the changing art styles throughout each story.  It gives the overall comic the feel of a horror anthology movie that is enjoyable to see what each creator can do in a short time.

Ratings: 3.5 out of 5

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Archie Comics Double Digest #272 (Archie)

It is hard to put my finger on what was so enjoyable about this book, but I’d try to say that this book had the same type of charm that the original Muppets TV show had.

The classic Archie style of art certainly grabs younger readers, but also gives the adult readers that nostalgic feeling of Sunday morning comics and standing in line at the grocery store.

Where Treehouse of Horror relied too heavily on its built-in fan base, Archie has a lot of laugh out loud jokes and clever nods that kept me engaged with each anthology story, despite the similar art running throughout.

As far as Halloween classics go, this is certainly one you want to keep around for yearly holiday read.

Ratings: 4 out of 5

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Paper Cuts: 9/1/16

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Afterlife with Archie #10 (Archie)

These Archie Horror books come out slower than a horde of lurching zombies, but they are always 100% worth the wait.

This issue featured a re-imagining of Josie & the Pussycats in this new horror-filled world of Archie comics.  I do not want to spoil it, but I love that the world is expanding outside of Riverdale.  This issue opened up a lot of great possibilities.

The art and colors are stunning.  Francesco Francavilla needs to be mentioned in the same breath as Frank Quitely – who also put out a book this week – and I truthfully cannot tell which one is better looking.

This series has stunning storytelling.  If you fell off because of the long delays, get back into it.

Ratings: 5 out of 5

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Zombie Tramp #26 (Action Labs / Danger Zone)

To be honest, I was not expecting much with this series, given the title.  Perhaps I went in with such low expectations that I was surprised when it was not the worst book I read this week.

This book will have its audience.  Its first quarter is basically torture porn.  Then it turns into a total cheesecakes fest for the next half of the book.  It ends with a story that at least has a small hook for new readers to wonder what happened.

Ratings 1.5 out of 5

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Vampblade #7 (Action Labs / Danger Zone)

If you are like me and never have read an issue of Vampblade it does not take too long to figure out what this book is all about.  It is right there in the title.  Vamperella + Blade = Vampblade.  “Sexy vampire fights other vampires.”  As a matter of fact, that was the only thing that happened in this entire issue.  Vampblade fights Mario Brothers-inspired demons of some sort in a sewer.  How do I know they are Mario Brothers inspired?  Because Vampblade tells us, then procedes to go on for several pages of video game references.

I typically like having some books that are fun (even the occasional cheesecake is alright), but this was simply #notgood.

Ratings: 1 out of 5

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Broken Moon: Legends of the Deep (American Gothic Press)

This was my first title from American Gothic Press and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

The art is very scratchy and unpolished, but reminds me of Sean Murphy.  The art was fine, but it felt very storyboarded at time.

The lettering was tough to get through.  It looked so unprofessional that it really took away from the art and story.  However, going back over the book and just looking at the book without the word balloons, it redeemed itself.

The story itself was pretty good.  I really enjoyed the setup of a fishing town during the apocalypse, with kaiju roaming the seas.  I wished we explored that more, but the story took a couple of Mad-Max-with-werewolves turns after that and left me wanting more of that first story.

Ratings: 2.5 out of 5