Reviews by PedRo Cabezuelo
Story-wise, this wonderfully bizarre issue of Locke & Key kicks off a new narrative arc, albeit subtly. Young Bode Locke discovers another key, which allows him to transform into a small bird. His delight is short-lived, however,
when he spies his brother and sister being attacked by a pack of wolves and must lead an army of birds against the canines. While the story is up to Joe Hill’s usual high standard, what really makes the book special is the decision to pay homage to Calvin and Hobbes creator Bill Watterson. The format uses vertical panels over a full-page image so that it reads like a series of comic strips, and the story from Bode’s perspective is drawn in Watterson’s style. It’s an experiment that succeeds stupendously; the humour elements juxtapose beautifully with the blood, without diminishing the effect of either.
By the time you read this, the summer of 2010 will be over but likely still
lingering in your memory. The same can’t be said about A Very Zombie Summer, a collection so forgettable I practically had to pause after every sentence and reread what came before. The comic starts with a cute little ditty called “The Littlest Zombie Learns to Swim,” an entertaining five pages of fluff. The next story, “The Rott Stuff,” fares less well as a mad scientist and his assis- tants accidentally turn a beach full of tourists into deadly flesh-eaters. That’s
a bit silly for me, but I was willing to see what came next. Unfortunately, it was nothing but uninspired pin-ups and a “bonus” preview of the upcoming The Last Zombie. Completely dis- posable summer reading and… wait, what was I talking about again?
Well, I guess it was only a mat- ter of time before Elvis joined in the
zombie-killing game. Granted, it’s never made clear in King! whether this is the original King or one of his many imitators, but that really doesn’t matter. All the trademarks are here – glitter outfit, sunglasses, pompadour and, of course, a barrel full of “babies.” Seems the King is now an occult hitman and some- one’s hired him to do away with an invading horde of Indian zombies and their multi-tentacled god.
Thomas Hall’s story never takes itself too se- riously (as if it could!) and the ensuing battle in a burger joint is filled with severed limbs, shattered skulls and good old-fash- ioned Presley fisticuffs. Over-the-top, but Daniel Bradford’s Mignola-esque art makes it a fun romp nevertheless.
This latest historical endeavour with a horror twist takes us to ancient Rome in the
waning days of Julius Caesar’s reign. The city is populated by the expected plebeians and aristocrats, but also vampires. Brought to Rome from the Transylvanian Kingdom of Dacia, vam- pires are generally kept as slaves or brothel at- tractions. However, one bloodsucker, Valens, has risen to the head of the Praetorian Guard and has been assigned by Caesar himself to inves- tigate the bloody murder of a Senator. Thank- fully, Ides of Blood is much more than a couple of vam- pires thrown into a well- known setting. Rather, Stuart C. Paul has fully integrated their mythos into Roman so- ciety to posit an alternate history and, as a result, turns what could have been a cyn- ical cash grab into a fasci- nating premise.
In Dracula: The Company of Monsters, Evan works in research and development
for his Uncle Con- rad’s multi-million dollar company. His latest project: translate a series of 15th-century Romanian parchments that allegedly hold the secrets of the infamous Vlad Tepes. While Conrad’s true motives have yet to be disclosed, it’s safe to assume they’re not entirely altruistic, and there are plenty of hints throughout that Evan’s research will cul- minate with the resurrection of the original Dracula. The combination of the Count and cor- porate business is interesting, and hopefully the rest of the series will explore the inherent po- tential here. As for this issue, it lays the neces- sary groundwork while ensuring further reading.
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