Twisted Tales

Halloween has long been my favorite holiday, so I’ve decided to return to reviewing comic books with some regularity this month. Every week this month, I’ll post at least one special Halloween-oriented review, criticizing the issue based on its reverence for this hallowed holiday season through four distinct categories worth up to five points each. The comic that earns the total possible 20 points could be one of the best Halloween issues ever!

Twisted Tales, November 1987, Eclipse Comics
writer: Bruce Jones
artists: Rick Stasi, Jim Mooney, Scott Saavedra, Henry Mayo
letterers: Mike Worley, Kurt Hathaway, Carrie Spiegle
colorists: Marcus David, Barbara Marker, Henry Mayo

PREMISE: Twisted Tales is a compilation of, well, twisted tales by favorite comics horror writer Bruce Jones. While I wouldn’t call this a definitive collection of work, it is a diverse collection of psychologically-slated stories of macabre intrigue. For someone like me, unfamiliar with Jones’ work past his run on The Incredible Hulk a few years ago, this collection offers insight into the way a mastermind spins yarns, and his skills in characterization and surprising plot twists certainly make it easy to get tangled up. As a proverbial graphic Twilight Zone experience, Twisted Tales earns three out of five points.

STORY: This issue contains three twisted tales, and to be honest the lead story is my least favorite. “Termites from Mars” is a Goonies-esque adventure, taking place in the 1956 suburban town of Crystal Falls. Jones takes his sweet time establishing his four major players, pre-teens all fulfilling some stereotypical role as the burgeoning adolescent; one plays peeping tom to one of the older girls from school as she changes in front of her bedroom window, another loves racing model trains in the basement, another is the fat, unfortunate comic foil. The lead character, Brian, loves science fiction and is drawn to the premiere of the film Termites from Mars at their local beloved Rialto theater. When the fat kid gets his friends thrown out of the picture, Brian vows to reclaim his stolen pocket knife from their angry, old reclusive neighbor. When the kids run into some gangsters along the way, a cemetery romp results in the lead thug getting mysteriously devoured by, you guessed it, rabid termites. Jones must’ve delighted in the details here, but the story ultimately fell flat with me, as the “twisted” part was severely stunted by the kids’ perpetually innocent perspective, and the overall blissfully average setting.



“Fraternity” is much more engaging; Mr. Soames is a petty, ugly little man that just wants the affection of a woman and flails in the face of constant rejection. When he uses a tragic newspaper headline to elicit the sympathy of a lady, claiming a slain victim was in fact his brother, he finds a modicum of success and develops his strategy into a lucky streak. Unfortunately, he quickly feels that someone is watching him, and when he confronts the shadowy figure, his ghoulish new “brothers” consume him! Short and sweet, I liked this tale for its tongue-in-cheek woe-is-me vibe . . . and it goes to show just how scary the world was before the Internet!



Finally, in “Night Dive,” a down-and-out boat keeper runs into an old high school acquaintance, and in a bid to appear more successful feigns a lifestyle worthy of the local yacht club. When an old man approaches them about finding a sunken treasure, they jump at the chance, and when our boatman kills his acquaintance to claim the treasure for himself, he finds himself a part of another exclusive club, where he does indeed have his own locker . . . right next to Davy Jones’! Hey, I’d take any hell that involves doting mermaids, though, as our anti-hero himself claims, even if they are “frustrating on a date.”

These three twisted tales are so diverse in their subject matter, even if I didn’t like one, I was sure to like one of the others -- which is perhaps exactly what Jones and Eclipse Comics intended with this compilation. For their sheer variety in style and psychological horror, I’m giving this issue a full five points.

ART: Twisted Tales is a writer spotlight, but fortunately the art isn’t too shabby, either, each tale drawn in the way the author might’ve intended, considering the subject matter. “Termites” has a very traditional style, and “Night Dive” is a bit more flamboyant, but “Fraternity” stands out the most, as Scott Saavedra’s pencils are wild, angular, and almost satirical in their flexibility, while still retaining the solid expressionism needed to sympathize with the main character. Honestly, it saves the whole collection from an otherwise unfortunately standard look, so I’ll give the issue as a whole three out of five points.



PACKAGING: Ah, the reason I picked up this issue in the first is its awesome cover by Dave Stevens -- yes, that Dave Stevens, of Rocketeer fame. Just look at that ghoul leaning into some Pat Benatar lookalike -- I was totally intrigued as to what their story might be, but unfortunately this doesn’t reflect any of the issue’s content. Still, the thing is bound in a prestige format, very durable and for the original cover price of $3.95 is a steal, even in 1987. Thanks to Stevens, Twisted Tales earns four out of five points.

TOTAL: Fifteen points, with a solid third of them awarded to the plots themselves -- what else would one expect from a writer’s spotlight? Further, what better way to celebrate Halloween than with the concept of the horror story? I mean, kids can just as easily dress up as pretty princesses and brightly colored superheroes for this hallowed holiday, but many prefer ghouls, monsters, witches, and ghosts. Bruce Jones holds up that mirror and proves, we’re all a little twisted sometimes.

Gone South #1

Halloween has long been my favorite holiday, so I’ve decided to return to reviewing comic books with some regularity this month. Every week this month, I’ll post at least one special Halloween-oriented review, criticizing the issue based on its reverence for this hallowed holiday season through four distinct categories worth up to five points each. The comic that earns the total possible 20 points could be one of the best Halloween issues ever!

Gone South #1, July 2003, Atomic Basement Entertainment
writer: Mike Wellman
pencils: Marc Sandroni
inks: Larry Welch
ink assists: Christi Fischer
lettering/production: Johnny Lowe
cover colors/logo design: Jeff Parker
panel effects: Jon St. John

PREMISE: Spoiler alert! You wouldn’t know it by this issue’s cover, which is also effectively the story’s first panel, but Gone South is about vampires. Rest assured, though, it was about vampires before everything was about vampires, so it’s still cool. Victoria and Sylvia are two good-looking brunettes hiding out in some Podunk southern town -- from what or who, we don’t know yet. I admit, the premise seems a little shaky to sustain this issue as a legitimate focus for Halloween, but hang in there with me as I award Gone South three out of five points here.

STORY: I think writer Mike Wellman knows what he’s doing. The first half of this issue keeps things quiet -- a little too quiet -- as suspense builds around Victoria’s need for “getting some,” despite this backwoods towns’ slim pickings. She accepts the company of a local yokel, Clyde, who despite her insinuations to be alone takes her to his buddy’s house, where “Drunk Dave” and a group of horny hicks drug up a wayward wanna-be actress. Victoria accepts their drugged drinks and drags the ring leader behind closed doors, only to emerge alone and rescue the damsel in distress. She almost spares Clyde for his ignorance but her needs get the better of her, and just when the fangs come out -- Sylvia comes to his rescue! She wipes his mind of the day’s memories, hopefully assuring their privacy. At its best moments, this issue plays like an old Trauma film, its dark comedy exposing the flaws of man so we actually don’t mind seeing a few of them slain just to satiate some creature’s bloodlust. Four out five points!

ART: The art team of Sandori, Welch, and Fischer pull off a very effective black and white issue, with clean lines emphasizing all the right details. The panels are well paced and hit all the right beats. The art is consistent, characteristic of this kind of independent work, and appropriately goth when necessary. Still, mainstream audiences would be drawn to its crisp commercial appeal, as well. Another four out of five points.

PACKAGING: This is a nicely produced independent comic; I remember buying it from Mike at a book fair in Los Angeles a few years ago (along with an issue of his Mac Afro), and I’ve been waiting for the right time to read it. Although the cover would benefit from some more dressing, perhaps to exploit the current vampire trend, the supplemental “vampire glossary” in the back of the issue, defining the physical and psychological class structure of vampires in Wellman’s world, is a nice touch. I’ll mention that my copy has a few off-printed pages, but I know that often isn’t the creators’ intention, so it won’t affect their score of three out of five points.

TOTAL: At fourteen points, I assure you that Gone South #1 is an excellent read all year ‘round. That I only chose to read it now more emphasizes my ridiculous mania with the holiday season (and my inability to flip to the end of an issue so I know what it’s about ahead of time)! Also, considering the mad trend of vampirism in pop culture lately (from the Twilight series to the WB’s The Vampire Diaries to that latest ‘tween-friendly flick The Vampire’s Assistant), I just had to include a vampire-exclusive story in this Halloween series. Fortunately, unlike vampires themselves, it didn’t suck!

Death, Jr. #1

Halloween has long been my favorite holiday, so I’ve decided to return to reviewing comic books with some regularity this month. Every week this month, I’ll post at least one special Halloween-oriented review, criticizing the issue based on its reverence for this hallowed holiday season through four distinct categories worth up to five points each. The comic that earns the total possible 20 points could be one of the best Halloween issues ever!

Death, Jr. #1, April 2005, Image Comics
writer: Gary Whitta
illustrator: Ted Naifeh
editor: Terri Selting

PREMISE: The Grim Reaper has a family. If that isn’t a strong enough pitch for a comic book, television series, or movie, I don’t know what is. In this case, Death, Jr. is a cute little skeleton boy, ignorant of his father’s gritty work and taught to appreciate people for what’s on the inside. This contrast makes for some great conflict in the future, and this initial issue establishes the story’s premise with sharp wit and charm. As an all-ages Halloween concept, I’m giving Death, Jr. a full five points.

STORY: This inaugural issue is Death, Jr.’s first day of school, and, boy, is he excited! I was initially curious how writer Gary Whitta would establish such a strange little character like Death, Jr. in a supposedly “real” world, but at school D.J. meets other odd children, like Pandora, the hollow-eyed girl with a penchant for opening things, Smith and Weston, the conjoined twins that share a brain, and Stigmartha, who bleeds from her hands when she gets nervous. Over half of this first issue is pure character-building and clever wordplay, as D.J. steps out of his comfort zone and learns to “live a little.” Sure, his touch kills the classroom goldfish and withers a bold bully’s good punching hand, but that’s life -- or in this case the life of Death, I suppose! Anyway, I was satisfied with D.J.’s first week of school as the plot, but Whitta kicks it up a notch when the kids go on a field trip to the Museum of Supernatural History and Pandora opens the Necronomicube, a box that releases Moloch, an old nemesis of Death himself. When Moloch discovers his old foe has a child, he hatches a revenge scheme. While I understand the need for a cliffhanger ending, this issue had the potential to be a charming one-shot/teaser for more, so I grant it four out of five points.



ART: In a word, Naifeh’s art is perfect for this issue. His character designs are simple (and would easily translate into animation, which may have been the point) and expressive, reflecting the writer’s both wry and tender tones. Further, he balances the nuances of a regular world with this tale’s more macabre aspects most effectively, from D.J.’s blissful Mrs. Cleaver-ish mother, to a basketball game at the school playground, to Pandora’s visit to Death’s house, which isn’t nearly as “Munsteresque” as she thought. Kids would dig it, and I was enthralled by it. Naifeh’s art earns four points.



PACKAGING: Death, Jr. #1 is a prestige format book (if they still call them that), with a whopping 48 ad-free pages of pure comics goodness, so its original $4.99 price tag isn’t outrageous, especially since some standard singles push that now. The issue definitely didn’t seem to take longer to read than most, either, because the story is so entertaining, especially in the beginning as well paced, more episodic moments establish D.J.’s character and the world around him. However, I take issue (no pun intended) with the cover art. I don’t know if Naifeh is responsible, but for some reason the characters on the cover look more like concept pieces or colored excerpts from a sketchbook, in no way reflecting the charm of the interiors. I wonder if these minimalist images were meant to attract a younger audience; if so, it’s a disservice, because Naifeh’s regular style is surely all age-friendly. Anyway, this discontinuity compels me to award this issue only three points . . .



TOTAL: . . . giving Death, Jr. #1 a total of 17 points! That’s my highest ranked issue so far! Considering the Halloween holiday celebrates kids dressing up in creepy costumes for candy, Death, Jr. just cuts out the costume part, featuring strange little kids that really act no differently than your average brutal youngster. Still, the fact that Death, Jr. must’ve inherited his father’s ability to affect humanity’s mortality . . . its subtly spine-chilling. Uh, just don’t tell his dad I said that.

Superboy #189

Halloween has long been my favorite holiday, so I’ve decided to return to reviewing comic books with some regularity this month. Every week this month, I’ll post at least one special Halloween-oriented review, criticizing the issue based on its reverence for this hallowed holiday season through four distinct categories worth up to five points each. The comic that earns the total possible 20 points could be one of the best Halloween issues ever!

Superboy #189, August 1972, DC Comics

creators uncredited

PREMISE: Just before the planet Krypton exploded, scientist Jor-El rocketed his son to Earth safely, where . . . Oh, everybody knows the “premise” behind Superman. Now, this issue of Superboy (about Superman’s teenaged years, of course) isn’t a Halloween issue per se, but it does feature a curse on the Kent household that retains a definitive creepiness appropriate for this hallowed holiday season. Sure, ghosts and monsters are tangible mascots for Halloween, but let’s not forget the importance of those strange forces in the universe that have it out for man -- the intangible curses and oddities that made The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits so endearing. Still, I’ll give this issue an average three out of five points, until you’re convinced . . .

STORY: Shortly after Superboy receives and extra-sensory projector that allows folks nearby to send mental messages, his father Jonathan is attacked by a noose. Of course, the Boy of Steel saves his dad, who explains that the Kent family was cursed when their ancestor, Judge Julian Kent, was gallows-happy with anyone brought before him in court. Every 50 years, the man of the Kent household is mysteriously hung, so Superboy decides to protect his family to thwart the curse. Unfortunately, other global disasters distract our young hero, though he returns just in time to save Jonathan from a villainous garden hose and an ivy vine, until he realizes that General Zod and the other Kryptonian convicts in the Phantom Zone are using his new extra-sensory projector to manipulate things in the real world. (Ghosts! That’s Halloween-y, right?) The curse is lifted when Superboy destroys the alien device . . . or is it? When a wayward roll of cable wire almost takes out Jonathan at the end of tale, Clark realizes, “. . . there may be dark forces in this world not even I can understand!” “Dark forces” that render even the world’s greatest superhero helpless? Are you scared yet? I give this issue four out of five points for making my fanboy skin crawl.

ART: This issue is drawn is all the campy goodness one might expect from a ‘70s issue of Superboy. I failed to mention the back-up Superbaby story in this issue, which is more notable for its art anyway, as it takes itself a little less seriously than the feature and strikes me as just this side of Mad magazine caliber. I’ll give this issue a three out of five points for the sheer variety.

PACKAGING: This issue’s cover is what inspired me to consider Superboy #189 as a potential Halloween issue in the first place. The silhouette of a hanging Jonathan Kent is frightening -- just take a gander at Superboy’s horrified face. Anything that can freak out the Boy of Steel is worthy of Halloween holiday, don’t you think? Four out of five points, I say!

TOTAL: Superboy leaps the tall expectations of the Halloween season in a single bound with fourteen points, dutifully earned by the creators’ undoubtedly challenging call to generate compelling stories from the hero’s youth that didn’t affect the Superman titles too direly. What, you don’t see it? Just picture an episode of Smallville dedicated to the “Curse of the Hangman’s Noose!” A special Halloween episode starring Tom Welling wrestling with a garden hose? Okay, now that’s scary . . .

Reese's Pieces

Halloween has long been my favorite holiday, so I’ve decided to return to reviewing comic books with some regularity this month. Every week this month, I’ll post at least one special Halloween-oriented review, criticizing the issue based on its reverence for this hallowed holiday season through four distinct categories worth up to five points each. The comic that earns the total possible 20 points could be one of the best Halloween issues ever!

Reese's Pieces #1 & 2, October 1985, Eclipse Comics
writers: Otto Binder, Michael Cahlin, Chuck McNaughton, Jerry Siegal, Bill Pearson, Terry Bisson
artist: Ralph Reese
colorists: Denis McFarling, Tim Smith, Teresa Bieri, Philip DeWalt



PREMISE: A comic book named after candy with covers promising grotesque horror? What says Halloween better than that? In this case, “Reese” is Ralph Reese, contemporary horror comic artist, and Eclipse Comics compiled some of his most notable work into these two single issues. It’s a reverent miniseries, tipping a hat to a master craftsman, and admittedly had I not bought and read it, I would never have known who Ralph Reese is. For its sheer educational value alone, I’ll give these issues four out of five points.

STORY: These two issues contain four stories each, ranging from Twilight Zone-like weirdness to straightforward horror and gore, and interestingly some of them repeat the same thematic concept or macabre twist -- which, admittedly, over the course of Reese’s career, may not have been apparent, but is strikingly obvious when compiled in a mere two issue miniseries. For instance, in the first issue, when his girlfriend is eaten by a band of sewer dwelling mutant cannibals, the guy’s wanton rage turns him into one of the creatures. Similarly, in the second issue, a greedy hunter tracks and kills a Yeti within the beast’s sacred circle and eventually turns into a Yeti himself. Greed as a justification for violence or horrific transformation is actually a common thread throughout, as is the weirdo-with-a-conspiracy-theory shtick. Because some tales are more thought-provoking than others, these issues earn three out of five points.

ART: If Eclipse Comics sought to expose Reese’s work to fans that may never have heard of him otherwise, mission accomplished . . . and I’m sold. Why this guy never achieved Brian Bolland status is beyond me, because his detail-oriented line work and intricate cross-hatching remind me of Bolland’s. The style does vary somewhat with the subject matter, too; the two-page story “Midnight Muse” has a strong photographic quality to its realism, whereas “The Skin-Eaters” is drawn in a Conan the Barbarian style, appropriate considering the subject matter deals with aliens versus humans in a barren wasteland. I have to give this series five out of five points in the art department, since it’s a virtual portfolio of a single man’s brilliantly frightening work -- a graphic haunted house with just one man pulling the strings.

PACKAGING: Okay, here’s the problem. A few significant printing errors throw off this otherwise enthralling compilation of work. First of all, the covers are reprints of interior panels, which is fine, but issue two’s quality pales in comparison to issue one, probably because the panel selected was more of a frontispiece and isn’t as intricate. When expanded to cover size, some detail is lacking and makes the initial impression of the entire issue less favorable. More notably, though, is the “Midnight Muse” story from issue #1. Obviously intended to be a two-page spread, the story is printed on a page turn, so panels are literally cut in half, and I actually read the story wrong before I realized the error. For such a serious oversight, this series gets a mere two out of five packaging points.

TOTAL: Thirteen may seem like a low score with twenty points possible, but thirteen is also the creepiest of numbers, so considering Reese’s artwork earned the full five points possible in that category, I hope he’d be strangely satisfied. Oh, well, it’s just like a sack of Halloween candy, isn’t it? A mixed bag . . . but in this case, the Reese’s pieces are pretty sweet.

The Occult Files of Dr. Spektor #12

Halloween has long been my favorite holiday, so I’ve decided to return to reviewing comic books with some regularity this month. Every week this month, I’ll post at least one special Halloween-oriented review, criticizing the issue based on its reverence for this hallowed holiday season through four distinct categories worth up to five points each. The comic that earns the total possible 20 points could be one of the best Halloween issues ever!



The Occult Files of Dr. Specktor #12, February 1975, Western Publishing Company (Gold Key Comics)

PREMISE: When the curious Dr. Spektor investigated the presence of “evil dark gods” on the “mystic Mount Algol,” a demon wolf “injected its venomous curse” into his veins, transforming him into a werewolf! Now, the good doctor roams the world in search of a cure . . . and in fear of the full moon! (Man, I totally could’ve written those old origin blurbs at the top of Silver Age comics!) Anyway, the classic werewolf origin, coupled with Dr. Spektor’s presumably preexisting penchant for the occult, grant this issue four out of five points in the premise department.

STORY: At the beginning of this issue, Dr. Spektor leaves his lady love behind for her own good . . . only to promptly fall for another, even more helpless chick! In this case, she’s the daughter of Dr. Tong, a self-styled wizard he seeks to help his condition, until Tong captures him to drain his wolf-power for himself! Tong has also found and captured the Frankenstein monster, and when Tong’s daughter ruins the power-draining experiment, the two classic creatures battle it out! It’s an awesomely epic little scrap that ends when the two monsters tumble out the window, into raging waters below. While Dr. Spektor surfaces to say good-bye to yet another forbidden love, the Frankenstein monster is nowhere to be seen -- perhaps on the loose once again! A crazy mad scientist and his faithful assistant, a werewolf, Frankenstein’s monster -- together under the roof of dark, foreboding castle? If that isn’t Halloween, I don’t know what is! Five points!

ART: I wish this issue credited its creators, but so many older comics didn’t take the time or space to do so, presumably in favor of art and story -- or at the greedy publisher’s behest, perhaps? Anyway, this issue of Dr. Spektor was drawn like a ‘70s acid trip, and I mean that in the best way possible. Loose expressive lines, psychedelic shapes and colors, and frantic choreography make for an engaging tale even during those talking-head panels; further, interestingly, some 30 years after World War II, the Asian nemeses are still yellow-skinned, pointy-eared, and buck-toothed. Alas, again I wish the artist had thought to use a little more black in his backgrounds, to emphasize the creepiness of it all. Three out of five points.

PACKAGING: Despite the more modern interpretations of the werewolf and Frankenstein monsters inside this issue, its cover depicts them in their iconic glory, hands at each others’ throats in a timeless struggle for who’s scarier. Dr. Tong’s daughter adds an elements of intrigue and mystery to the image, too, as the tireless damsel in distress with at stake than her own safety. Like last issue, I can see the hardcore fanboy using this comic as a Halloween decoration, in a classic Universal Studios movie monster kind of way. Four points.

TOTAL: Sixteen out of twenty points. I’m glad I picked up this issue! Unlike Dr. Spektor’s, my curiosity paid off.

Happy Halloween!

An excellent assortment of comic book-inspired political cartoons and images can be found here: http://comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=18655. Highly recommended.

Happy Halloween!

Sucking the Life Out of Halloween: Vampirella 2006 Halloween Special

Christmas gets a proverbial twelve days of anticipation and celebration, teeming with carols and gift-giving and office parties, and Easter gets forty days of reflection and introspection with Lent, but what of Halloween? Sure, we spend weeks decorating, brainstorming costumes, watching scary movies, and buying candy, but this isn’t an official calendar countdown. Further, the real festivity is reserved for just a few fleeting nighttime hours, and just as quickly as it comes, it goes. Boycotted by churches and quickly usurped by Christmas, Halloween always gets the short end of the stick . . . but not here at A Comic A Day! Longtime readers know I love Halloween, so this week I’m dedicated to heralding its arrival with a series of holiday-related comic book reviews. Take that, birth of Christ!*

In fact, I picked up Vampirella 2006 Halloween Special several months ago at the Frank & Sons Collectibles Show anticipating this very week, and since I’ve never read a Vampirella story before, what better time than around a holiday that practically celebrates blood sucking? Phil Hester’s credit on the cover certainly sealed the deal, and although he doesn’t illustrate the issue, he is more than capable of writing a suspenseful story with its own peculiar twist. For Halloween, he went for less Big Pumpkin and more Dear Penthouse, with a tale so thick with sexual tension that the terms “trick” and “treat” began to take on a whole new meaning. Of course, when the title character fights crime in a costume made of glorified dental floss, what should I expect? Seriously, Vampirella makes Elvira look like the Warrior Nun -- well, that’s not saying much, either, but you know what I mean.

In this issue, Vampirella befriends a Las Vegas tattoo artist, whose violent past comes back to haunt him thanks to our heroine’s supernatural sense of rough justice, but not before she passes the time under the needle recounting her origin. While longtime Vampirella fans could’ve easily flipped past these two pages, I found the concise flashback, and despite this issue’s roots in Halloween, I certainly won’t be afraid to pick up a future issue starring this demonic damsel . . . even if artist Stephen Segovia’s liberal use of butt cleavage is the norm for Vampirella stories. Since she spent half of this issue under a towel in a tattoo shop, I’m sure Segovia didn’t have much of a choice anyway, but like many readers I can’t imagine that he really complained about it.

Whether or not Halloween ever warrants an official pre-game countdown, aside from ABC Family’s scary movie marathon, Phil Hester uses Vampirella to remind us that, like a tattoo, this hallowed holiday is here to stay. Considering that children and adults alike seize the opportunity to dress up like their favorite superheroes and sci-fi characters, it’s no wonder Halloween has always had a friend in comics.

Vampirella 2006 Halloween Special was published by Harris Comics, written by Phil Hester, illustrated by Stephen Segovia, colored by Jay David Ramos, and lettered by Ed Dukeshire.

*Actually, I already have a fun bunch of Christmas-themed comics to read in December, too . . . Dang, Halloween just can’t win.