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Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Treasures From The ComiCombs











Wednesday is here once again and I have some all new recommendations for you to pick up this week. March is shaping up to be a pretty big month as Scott Snyder (Wytches, Severed) wraps up an amazing run of Batman that has lasted just over four years and Geoff Johns ends his run of Justice League that has lasted just as long. Though not horror books, both are milestones worth mentioning. The beginning of the month also means I have two new books going head to head. Read on to see what they are!



Predator Life and Death #1(Dark Horse)

Writer –Dan Abnett

Artist – Brian Thies

Dan Abnett begins an all new series set in the Alien VS Predator universe. “Colonial Marines on the planet Tartarus battle extraterrestrial hunters over the possession of a mysterious horseshoe-shaped spaceship of unknown origin. The Weyland-Yutani rep wants the ship, and the marine captain wants to protect her crew. But neither objective is likely when a band of Predators attacks!”



Vampirella #1 (Dynamite Entertainment)

Writer – Kate Leth

Artist – Eman Casallos 

Vampirella returns with an all new design and and all new #1. Kate Leth may seem like an interesting choice to write this horror comic icon but with an all new creative team and direction, I’m excited to see where this one goes. “Vampirella takes Hollywood in this new adventure of the classic demon-hunting, monster-slaying, thrill-seeking vampire queen. When her stately manor is attacked, she begins to unravel a plot as old as the silver screen, discovering what monsters really lurk in the shadows of the City of Angels.”



Army of Darkness Furious Road (IDW)

Writer - Various

Artist - Various

I’m a huge fan of anything Evil Dead/Army of Darkness and this one promises the same humor and adventure that we’re all used to. “Twenty years from 'now': The Deadites and their Army of Darkness have succeeded in bringing down Western civilization. An unexpected upshot of the demons taking over was supernatural species such as vampires, witches, and werewolves forming an uneasy alliance with humanity in order to survive. The only hope for both mankind and monsters alike is a ritual that will send the Deadites back to the hell that birthed them. But first, a rag-tag crew that includes the Frankenstein Monster and Eva, the Daughter of Dracula, have to track down the fabled spell book known as the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis and deal with its guardian, a certain Ashley 'Ash' Williams.”

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This week I have some pretty cool books going up against one another. It’s hard to look for a great horror comic book without the name Steve Niles showing up at least a few times. Going up against one another this week are two books by Steve Niles and Rob Zombie. The team up on these two books seems very promising.



Bigfoot by Steve Niles and Rob Zombie (IDW)

“A monstrous ape-man is stomping around the woods of the Pacific Northwest, and he’s not happy with mankind.”
I wasn’t quite sure how to feel about the very short description of this book. Bigfoot is a monster that everyone knows but with the creative team of Steve Niles and Rob Zombie writing this one, I could not pass it up. Bigfoot started off very strong. The beginning is well done and plays out like a slasher film. I’m really liking Richard Corbins art in this book. There are some pretty creepy and down right terrifying panels early on and I cannot wait to finish this book. It’s pretty apparent where Rob Zombie's film expertise helps out here and I am excited to see how it influences the rest of the book.



The Nail by Rob Zombie and Steve Niles (Dark Horse)

“Small-time pro wrestler Rex Hauser, an aging badass known as the Nail, makes a living touring the rural wrestling circuit, often with the wife and daughter in tow. As the family enjoys what’s supposed to be the Nail’s farewell tour, they fatefully cross paths with a gang of bloodthirsty bikers in the desolate Badlands of North Dakota. Even the Hells Angels have nothing on this gang of murderous monsters, who will stop at nothing to spill the blood of sixty-nine innocent victims in order to bring their ghastly overlord, a horror known only as the Inquisitor, to Earth. With nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and no one to turn to for help, the nail can only do what he does best, come out fighting.”

With a significantly longer description than Bigfoot, I was pretty excited to see how this was going to play out. The Nail started out strong like Bigfoot. The format is very similar but the stories are very different. The Nail definitely seems like it’s going to have a lot more behind it while Bigfoot seems more along the lines of a monster flick. The art in The Nail is different but just as bloody. I’m really digging the colors by Jay Fotos, his palette is dark and eerie which helps set the tone. 

My first impressions of these books are both positive. Though the approach is similar, the stories both take a turn in very different directions. So far the writing is solid in both books and I couldn’t be more excited to finish them both. This is shaping up to be an awesome matchup so be sure to check back next week!


- Creature of the ComiCombs

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