Treasures of the ComiCombs: Predator: Life and Death, Strange Attractors, Moon Night

Last month ended with some great releases but we see a bit of a decline to start off June. This week is big for fans of hero books but if you're not, don’t worry, I have you covered with some pretty cool books to check out. I also have two new books that we’ll get to know this week before they go to head so read on to see what’s in store! 

Predator: Life and Death #4 of 4 (Dark Horse)

A few months ago I recommended this series and today we get the final issue in the Life and Death arc. If you’re a fan of the Alien VS Predator Universe pick this one up!

“The battle between the Colonial Marines and the Predators opens on two fronts as the humans attempt to split the enemy's force and take possession of the mysterious horseshoe-shaped alien spaceship! Getting their hands on the alien technology will be a huge victory for the humans . . . or will it?”

Strange Attractors #1 (Boom!)

In 2013, Strange Attractors by writer Charles Soule was released as a graphic Novel. Boom! Studios is now releasing it in a limited monthly format with new content in each issue. This is a pretty cool story and worth checking out! 

“Dr. Brownfield believes that a series of cataclysmic events are coming to New York City, and someone has to keep the city safe after he's gone. Enter Heller Wilson, a brilliant mathematics student, who discovers that his ailing, perhaps insane, mentor has been saving New York City from societal collapse by a series of 'adjustments,' a la the Butterfly Effect. But now, all signs point toward an impending disaster. Can Wilson take what little he's learned and save the city in time?”

Moon Knight #3 (Marvel)

It’s rare to find a book from Marvel that I would recommend on this list; Moon Knight is one of those rarities. If you have never read a Moon Knight book, there’s no reason to hesitate checking this out. I definitely recommend starting at issue #1 of Jeff Lemire's current run on the series. Lemire is doing a great job writing this so far, he will have you questioning what is real and whether or not Marc Spector aka Moon Knight is experiencing everything or if he’s just insane. 

“Marc Spector has escaped into the subway tunnels below the mental hospital. MOON KNIGHT has escaped into the tombs beneath the prison where he had been trapped by SETH, god of violence and disorder. Are all the timelines true, or none of them? Either way, there are monsters and mummies to punch, and a man in a white mask ready to do it.”

------------------------

A while back I reviewed a book called Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service by Eiji Otsuka and enjoyed it enough to make it my pick. This week I have another book by Otsuka, something quite a bit different, from earlier in his career called MPD Psycho Vol.1 (MPD is shortened for Multiple Personality Detective). This is a detective fiction/psychological horror book and I’m really excited to see something different from Otsuka.

The book I will be reviewing against MPD Psycho Vol.1 is from Kazuo Umezu, The Drifting Classroom Vol.1, which is an award winning Manga first published in 1972. Umezu is often spoken of as a master of Horror Manga and a Pioneer of the genre. This book sounds like it’s going to be an awesome read as does MPD Psycho.

MPD Psycho Vol.1

“Police detective Kobayashi Yousuke's life is changed forever after a serial killer notices something "special" about him. That same killer mutilates Kobayashi's wife and kick-starts a "multiple personality battle" within Kobayashi that pushes him into a complex tempest of interconnected deviants and evil forces. Earning praise for its consistently shocking plotlines and Tajima's clean, arresting art style.”

The Drifting Classroom Vol.1

“In the aftermath of a strange earthquake, an entire elementary school vanishes, leaving nothing but a hole in the ground. While parents mourn and authorities investigate, the students and teachers find themselves somewhere far away...somewhere cold and dark... a lifeless, nightmarish wasteland in which their school stands like a lone fortress. As panic turns to terror, as the rules start to fall apart, a sixth-grade boy named Sho and his friends must fight to survive in an alien world...”

I’m really excited to read both of these books. Will Eiji Otsuka have two picks this year or will the master of Horror Manga, Kazuo Umeza come out on top? Come back here next week to find out! Make sure to pick up something awesome from your local comic shop and don’t be afraid to share!

-Creature of the ComiCombs

Bluray Tuesday: Featuring Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Blood Bath and Venom

May 31st 2016

The Memorial Day weekend is now over but Bluray Tuesday has arrived once more. There are a few cool additions we can make to our growing collections this week. First up is Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. If you missed it be sure to check out our review here, it's also released in Ultra HD 4K Bluray if you have that setup. Arrow Video releases an awesome limited edition of the classic 1966 horror film Blood Bath. I have been seeing good things about this one and look forward to checking it out this week. 1981's Venom will be released from Blue Underground for the first time on bluray with a few new bonus features. On the new release front we have The Walking Dead's Norman Reedus's new heist film Triple 9. I missed this in theaters and am definitely looking forward to checking this out. Last but not least is God's of Egypt, which has gotten horrible reviews across the board and I almost didn't bother including it but Best Buy is releasing some awesome artwork for its exclusive steelbook that I just had to. I'm just wondering is it as bad as the reviews lead on? Let us know what you this of this week's releases. What will you be buying, renting or skipping this week?  Also don't forget to check out our Instagram page here. We have a great giveaway going on starting today until Monday May 6th in honor of  2,016 followers, we will randomly select one of our lucky readers to win some really cool prizes. All you have to do is comment on the site here on your favorite posts and tag it with #2016. Until next week and good luck.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Amazon - $19.99

4K: Amazon - $24.99

In the 19th century, a mysterious plague turns the English countryside into a war zone. No one is safe as the dead come back to life to terrorize the land. Fate leads Elizabeth Bennet (Lily James), a master of martial arts and weaponry, to join forces with Mr. Darcy (Sam Riley), a handsome but arrogant gentleman. Elizabeth can't stand Darcy, but respects his skills as a zombie killer. Casting aside their personal differences, they unite on the blood-soaked battlefield to save their country.

 

 

Blood Bath (1966): Amazon - $34.99

A crazed artist who believes himself to be the reincarnation of a murderous vampire kills young women, then boils their bodies in a vat.

 

Venom (1981): Amazon - $17.99

A big black mamba snake that has gotten loose in a townhouse slithers through a kidnapping plot in this film. Based on a novel by Alan Scholefield. Dr. Marion Stowe is a toxicologist who has brought the snake to London to study the properties of its deadly venom. It escapes and terrorizes the inhabitants of the townhouse, where an attempted kidnapping is in progress.

 

Triple 9: Amazon - $19.99

Bullets fly on the Atlanta freeway as armed thieves make their getaway following a bank robbery in broad daylight. Unhappy with the results, ruthless gangster Irina Vlaslov orders the men to pull off another job. One member of the team is Marcus Belmont (Anthony Mackie), a crooked cop who gets saddled with Chris Allen (Casey Affleck), his new but incorruptible police partner. As Belmont and his cohorts lay the groundwork for the heist, they come up with a devious plan to use Allen as their pawn.

 

God's Of Egypt 3D: Amazon - $24.99

Standard: Amazon - $19.99

4K: Amazon - $29.99

The survival of mankind hangs in the balance when Set (Gerard Butler), the merciless god of darkness, usurps Egypt's throne and plunges the prosperous empire into chaos and conflict. Hoping to save the world and rescue his true love, a defiant mortal named Bek (Brenton Thwaites) forms an unlikely alliance with the powerful god Horus (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). Their battle against Set and his henchmen takes them into the afterlife and across the heavens for an epic confrontation.

  

 

 

Steelbook: Best Buy - $24.99

 

  

- The Impostor

Screenings in the Bay (Monday to Friday)

I hope everyone is having a great Memorial Day weekend! If you aren't spending the day grilling, I have a couple of movie suggestions to take up your day off. And if you're spending today at work, I have some huge titles playing late during the week to tell you about!

Alamo Drafthouse

Terror Tuesday

The Gate (1987)

Tuesday 31st @ 10pm (1hr 25min)

Fantasy/ Horror (IMDB)

"When Al (Christa Denton) and Glenn's (Stephen Dorff) parents (Deborah Grover, Scot Denton) leave town for the weekend, Al uses the opportunity to throw a party while little brother Glenn and his friend Terry (Louis Tripp) decide to explore a hole left by a tree-removal service in the backyard. When unexplainable phenomena begin occurring, Terry -- with the help of his extensive heavy-metal music collection -- comes to the conclusion that he and Glenn have accidentally opened a gateway to hell."

Predator (1987)

Wednesday 1st @ 10pm (1hr 47min)

Action/ Horror/ Scifi (IMDB)

"A team of commandos on a mission in a Central American jungle find themselves hunted by an extra-terrestrial warrior."

Weird Wednesday

Maniac (1980)

Wednesday 1st @ 10:20pm (1hr 27min)

Crime/ Drama/ Horror (IMDB)

"A psychopath, troubled by his childhood abuse, loose in New York City, kills young women and takes their scalps as his trophies. Will he find the perfect woman in a photographer, and end his killing spree?"

Castro Theatre

Spielberg Double Feature

Jaws (1975)

Monday 30th @ 2:15pm & 7pm (2hrs 10min)

Adventure/ Horror/ Thriller (IMDB)

"When a gigantic great white shark begins to menace the small island community of Amity, a police chief, a marine scientist and a grizzled fisherman set out to stop it."

-with-

Jurassic Park (1993)

Monday 30th @ 4:35pm & 9:20pm (2hrs 7 min)

Action/ Adventure/ Scifi (IMDB)

"During a preview tour, a theme park suffers a major power breakdown that allows its cloned dinosaur exhibits to run amok."

Landmark Clay 

Midnight Madness

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984)

Friday 3rd @ 11:55pm (1hr 58 min)

Fantasy/ Science Fiction (Google)

"A princess learns the truth about a toxic forest and battles an evil ruler's plans to destroy it."

-Huntress

Digging Up the Dirt with KillDozer and Chuck Conry, Writer/Director/Editor of Morbid

It was during a regular trip to one of the only remaining FYE stores that we came across Morbid, and that cover art ensured that we would be buying it without knowing much of its backstory. And warnings like "The producers ask that no one with a bad heart or history of mental illness watch this film" dared us to screen it to the Overlook creatures, which we did. That story is for another day, but it did put us in contact with the film's director/writer, Chuck Conry, who was willing to answer some questions about his first feature and the mirco-budget filmmaker's process. 

This interview is sure to put you in the mood for tonight's Video Vortex screening at the San Francisco Alamo Drafthouse. They'll be screening Night Ripper! a straight to video 80's slasher with is "an unheralded slice-of-the-evil-life from the direct-to-video trenches." Enjoy!

KillDozer: What's your name, and how did you get into film making?

Chuck: My name is Chuck Conry and after a lifetime of watching movies and a few years of reviewing them, I decided that I might as well get a camera and give it a shot.


KillDozer: Do you write, direct, film, and edit your own films?

Chuck: I wrote, directed, and edited my last one. I don't usually work the camera myself, but that may change next time around. I have an idea of how I want things to look so I'd rather wear all the hats I can.


Chuck: Do you consider your film making team a collective of sorts or are you a one man operation?

Chuck: My friends and I call ourselves "Grundy Nation Films". One of us may be writing or directing, but all of us usually have a hand in whatever we are doing in some form or another.


KillDozer: What are the ups and downs of creating a micro budget film? I would assume total creative control is amazing but perhaps lack of funds might hold your vision back from completion.

Chuck: I like the freedom and the money can be an issue, but I've found the worst thing about it is usually no budget movies mean everyone is working for free, so if someone decides they don't want to show up anymore you're forced to try to re-work things. I had that happen a few times on Morbid and it could be a headache. It's one reason we had to pad it out a bit in spots.


KillDozer: Do you fully fund your films or do you reach out for funding?

Chuck: My friends and I usually get what we need to get. Which isn't much outside of a few props and corn syrup, so we're not really spending much anyway.


KillDozer: Do you write scripts based on what you want or what you have to work with?

Chuck: I just write them and let them go where they go and then worry about how I'll make it happen after. Morbid was more of a writing it to fit what I know I have thing, but from now on I won't limit myself right out of the gate like that.


KillDozer: The cover art for Morbid is awesome. Who did the art work and what was your input to the artist?

Chuck: I love the cover myself and it really goes well with that throwback feel we wanted, but the idea was all Wild Eye Releasing (the distributor). The artist is Devon Whitehead. He does covers for a lot of indie horror companies and I don't think I've seen him do a bad cover yet.


KillDozer: Have your films screened at any fests?

Chuck: Not yet. I didn't really try to get it shown at any fests. I was more worried about wanting to get a distribution deal and just getting it out there.


KillDozer: When casting do you audition or recruit talented friends?

Chuck: I certainly try to get the most talented ones first. Usually, by the time a really indie film is up and rolling you have to just get whoever you can find to plug in the holes.


KillDozer: The practical effects in Morbid look fun and are surprisingly effective. Who worked on effects for you? How did you go about designing them?

Chuck: Ryan Grooms and Brandon Layne are the guys who came up with the effects. Both are really hardcore slasher movie fans and tried to mimic some of the practical things they saw in some of those older movies. Since both had pretty big roles in the movie by acting and helping behind the camera anyway, I got lucky that they could do what they did. If we had more time I'm sure we've have had a lot more cooler things than we did.


KillDozer:  How did you go about choosing music for the film.

Chuck: One of my best buddies is Vincent Renfield from the band The Renfields. He's tight with a lot of bands and because of that, he was able to get us a lot of songs for the film.


KillDozer: Do you have any new projects in the works?

Chuck: I have a few I'm working on and hoping to get one or two rolling this Summer. When you are taking a do-it-yourself approach it is hard to get everything you need in a timely manner when you can also get everyone you need to film something. So sooner or later I'm sure you'll be seeing a couple new projects coming with my name on them. 

-Fun quick questions-

KillDozer: Which slasher do you think you could survive?

Chuck: Intruder! Knowing me I'd probably have called in sick the day everyone started getting killed anyway. Or at least I'm counting on the idea that I would.


KillDozer: What's the last film that blew your mind?

Chuck: I loved The Taint from directors Drew Bolduc and Dan Nelson. It is a simple movie in a lot of ways, but it is also extremely fun and creative.


KillDozer: What is the most money you have spent on a horror collectible and what was it?

Chuck: I'm not big on collectibles in general, but I'm a hardcore movie buyer. So I'm sure some of the sets I have were a pretty penny for the time. I know I spent about $90 on that now out of print Friday the 13th Blu-ray set. That's probably the most I've spent on anything like that.


KillDozer: What is the worst thing said about any movie you have made?

Chuck: Well, so far I've only had one real movie and it seems to be a movie either people enjoy or really hate. That being said, I've heard a few really bad things about it. One guy did mention I should never be allowed to be behind a camera again, so that might be the worst. 

-KillDozer

CreepyPasta Mania: Darkness in the Rear View Mirror

The weekend is upon us, pasta fans! This week I'm going to be looking at one of the more recently submitted stories, of the strange and unknown variety. This was one of the micropastas submitted this month.

Darkness in the Rear View Mirror

(Pasta Served Here)

Genre: Strange & Unknown

Author: Anonymous

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Synopsis: Driving alone is relaxing for some... terrifying for others.

Creepiness

(How Scary)

Pasta Quality

(How Well Written)

I understand the difficulties that come with short story writing, but this pasta seemed to have the opposite problem; instead of not having enough detail, it doomed itself with too much of the wrong kind. The idea is actually pretty interesting, once I understood what was going on (that something huge was clinging to the back of the car), but like someone pointed out in the comments, it took the narrator months to even connect the marks on the car to what they could have meant. The solution seems simple enough; connect that night with creepy things happening in the house or imply malicious intent, like that the creature was trying to make the driver wreck. Or some subtle trace that the creature is still there...

I found a narrated video version of this story, and it's interesting how much different of an experience reading it is from hearing it read to you. The narrator's deep, serious voice highlights the areas of the story that sound like a teenager's diary. Not even the tone setting background piano keys can save it from sounding silly.
Unless it is rewritten, this is definitely a story that should be read silently.

-Huntress

Screenings in the Bay / VOD Releases: Pet Sematary, Midnites for Maniacs, The Other Side of the Door, and more!

Hey guys! Happy Friday before the long weekend. We have a lot of great movies for this weekend, one of which stars a very familiar face, even though he was only in one episode of Seinfeld... It's also the the last Sunday of the month, which means it's Video Vortex time! 

This is also the first week we're implementing a change to the screenings in the bay - we will now include VOD releases, courtesy of The Impostor.

Alamo Drafthouse

Presented by Mondo & Chiller

Pet Sematary (1989)

Saturday 28th @ 3pm (1hr 43min)

Fantasy/ Horror (IMDB)

"Behind a young family's home in Maine is a terrible secret that holds the power of life after death. When tragedy strikes, the threat of that power soon becomes undeniable."

Video Vortex

Night Ripper! (1986)

Sunday 29th @ 9pm (1hr 26min)

Horror (IMDB)
"A maniac stalks and kills models."

(Starring the "Soup Nazi" from Seinfeld!)

Landmark Clay

Midnight Madness

Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Saturday 28th @ 11:55pm (1hr 44min)

Comedy/ Music/ Horror (Google)

In this cult classic, sweethearts Brad (Barry Bostwick) and Janet (Susan Sarandon), stuck with a flat tire during a storm, discover the eerie mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry), a transvestite scientist. As their innocence is lost, Brad and Janet meet a houseful of wild characters, including a rocking biker (Meat Loaf) and a creepy butler (Richard O'Brien). Through elaborate dances and rock songs, Frank-N-Furter unveils his latest creation: a muscular man named "Rocky."

Roxie Theatre

Call Me Lucky (2015)

Friday 27th @ 7pm (1hr 46min)

Documentary/ Biography (IMDB)

"Barry Crimmins finds success as a stand-up comic and club owner, while also becoming an activist against child sexual abuse."

Bobcat Goldthwait will be attending and doing a Q&A

 A VIP ticket will get you access to the afterparty to meet him!

Midnites for Maniacs Presents

Kurt Russell vs Monsters Double Feature

The Thing (1982)

Saturday 28th @ 7pm (1hr 49min)

Horror/ Scifi (IMDB)

"It's the first week of winter in 1982. An American Research Base is greeted by an alien force, that can assimilate anything it touches. It's up to the members to stay alive, and be sure of who is human, and who has become one of the Things."

-with-

Bone Tomahawk (2015)

Saturday 28th @ 9:15pm (2hrs 13min)

Horror/ Western (Google)

"In the Old West, a sheriff (Kurt Russell), his deputy (Richard Jenkins), a gunslinger (Matthew Fox),and a cowboy (Patrick Wilson) embark on a mission to rescue three people from a savage group of cave dwellers."

This will be the San Francisco theatrical debut!

VOD Releases

Dusk (2015)

Drama/ Thriller (IMDB)

"John Whitmore wakes to find his wife, Anne, disappeared from their bed overnight and a recorded ransom message now remains in her place."

The Other Side of the Door (2016)

Horror (IMDB)

"After her young son is killed in a tragic accident, a woman learns of a ritual which will bring him back to say goodbye, but when she disobeys a sacred warning, she upsets the balance between life and death."

Dark Signal (2016)

Horror/ Mystery/ Thriller (IMDB)

"The spirit of a murdered girl returns with a message. Now a stranded woman must team up with the staff of a local radio station to solve the mystery of her death."

-Huntress

The Overlook Theatre Reivews: Joshua Grannell's, All About Evil

6 of 7 viewers "Liked" "All About Evil" (USA, 2010)

Here's what the creatures had to say:

KillDozer - "Horror comedy seems really tough to pull off, especially now that the film industry is completely saturated with low brow, straight to bargain bin, forgettable titles, made only to pull in a quick buck. Writer/director Joshua Grannell still dares to take on the challenge and succeeds in giving "Grindhouse Geeks", "Horror Nerds", and genre fans across the board something bloody and fun. The story is a bit of an H.G. Lewis throwback that is sure to make seasoned genre veterans smile, and over the top performances only add to the throw back grind house vibe, especially when coming from talent like Natasha Lyonne (Orange is the New Black) and Noah Segan (Looper). The practical effects are beautiful, inventive and a true love letter to 70's and 80's gore hounds. If at all possible, this film should be viewed amongst friends and projected as it not only touches the hearts of genre fans but also gives the audience a taste of the nostalgic movie going experience rarely seen or felt these days. Keep and eye out for Cassandra Peterson (Elvira) and Mink Stole (Pink Flamingos) as they make fun cameos in the film as well. The editing, music, and acting are pitch perfect and the characters are memorable. This is one of those films that has you writing down the names of those responsible as you can't wait to see what they come up with next. As Peaches Christ would say this film is "Fierce!"." - 4 stars (collection worthy and a solid midnight movie)

Math Mage - "Weighed down by too long of a second act and fill with boring kills, the film comes alive in the third act. I really like the evil team (Alex from A Clockwork Orange, the twins from The Shining, and Igor from The Projectionist) but our antagonists hammy overacting was irritating. I'm aware that her scene chewing was an important part of the character but terrible acting is still terrible." - 2 Stars

Speed Demon - "Super enjoyable and extremely entertaining. This film delivers all around fun . Made me laugh and shocked me more then a few times. Loved the story. Original and comedic mixed with horror... Pshhh dopeness! Also filmed in San Francisco. Great! For a budget film this is simply outstanding and excellent. A must watch for sure. Don't take this film so seriously for Peaches Christ sake." - 4 Stars

Lord Battle - "Films about horror nerds being misunderstood have always made me cringe. I feel like it's a made up struggle that is blow out of proportion and always given a melodramatic treatment. Films about horror films being viewed by horror fans, I love. All About Evil falls somewhere in-between, as it features both themes but tonally creates a Holliston meets H.G. Lewis kinda vibe. Overall I thought the main story was kinda lame, I liked the short horror vignettes, and I loved the third act!" - 3.5 Stars

Huntress - "I don't think All About Evil is exclusive to horror fans, but it was definitely made with horror fans in mind. Those who enjoy camp and can appreciate a good practical effect (which may not look as over the top as CGI but is an affectionate detail) should hunt this movie down and watch it with like minds. When this gets presented at a midnight screening, I'll be there!" - 4 Stars

Dabbles - "Peaches Christ is awesome for this one. I loved the production and the characters, but it all reminded me of an after school special. Like the old Babysitters Club. But all in all the entire film was great from beginning to end." - 4 Stars

The Berkeley Blazer - "How much of my rating is based on being a Bay Area native who had just seen a live Peaches Christ movie the night before I saw this, her directorial debut? Well that level of familiarity certainly helps, especially when you recognize the streets and building that appear in the film. Nonetheless, I'd venture out on the proverbial limb to say there is a lot of inherent charm and invention in this labor of love. Many of the villain protagonist are quite well cast, and the side characters serve their purpose well even when their acting comes across a little stiff. Peaches puts enough invention in her structure that there are palpably great moments every 20 minutes, and the mini-murder movies are like precious little gems that work both on their own and as an interesting plot device. While this film is strictly for those who enjoy horror and low-budget brilliance (i.e. This blogs audience), fans of film in general will probably be able to appreciate this movie's sense of freedom and fun." - 3.5 Stars

The Overlook Theatre Final Rating*

(Below is for after you've seen the film)

If you're not a horror movie fan, you may be puzzled about why people put themselves through the ordeal of watching such movies. Many behavioral researchers share your puzzlement, giving rise to a term: the "horror paradox."

"No doubt, there's something really powerful that brings people to watch these things, because it's not logical," Joanne Cantor, PhD, director of the Center for Communication Research at University of Wisconsin, Madison, tells WebMD. "Most people like to experience pleasant emotions."

Defenders of these movies may say they're just harmless entertainment. But if their attraction is powerful, Cantor says, so is their impact. These impacts are felt by adults as well as children, by the well-adjusted as well as the disturbed. They may linger well after the house lights go up -- sometimes for years. And they may be anything but pleasurable.

---------------------------------

I took the excerpt above from an article I found on WebMD. The title was of course “Why We Love Scary Movies.” Not to sound like a broken record but it’s the horror genre not the scary genre and I hate it when people refer to horror films as scary movies… In this case, the phrase actually worked as sort of a flag for what I was looking for.

All About Evil is a fun film that verges on silly more than once, but confronts a very serious theme and in the third act things really come to a crescendo with Steven condemning the very genre that the audience, writer/director, and he himself love. He doesn't do it through some epiphany about how horror is bad but in a very real moment where he explains how horror fans enjoy the films not the reality and how exploitation is a much different thing and not one he supports. 

I honestly had very strong mixed emotions when Veda and Vera started stabbing each other. The twins were instantly my favorite characters in the film from the moment they were introduced. To see them cornered in an alley faced with separation or death... I’m not going to lie, it was tough to watch and I thought about it long after. But I don’t hate the film for making me think about these things, if anything it gives me perspective as things can always be worse. So even though All About Evil ends on a sad note, I think the message is positive. A good horror film doesn’t make you want to emulate the violence but rather respect the horrors that come from violence.

-Lord Battle

The Overlook Theatre Materialized for Double Feature Thursday on 3/24/2016

*Based on the star ratings turned in by character reviewers, others viewed and got to "Dislike" or "Like" but that does not effect the rating.

Treasures From The ComiCombs: Imperium, Afterlife with Archie, Scooby Apocalypse

We enter the final Wednesday of the month with some highly anticipated books. Last week we got familiar with a couple of promising slasher titles and today I bring you the winner, but first some awesome books to pick up!

Imperium #16 (Valiant)

This might not be the title you immediately think of when we’re talking about horror but rest assured that Joshua Dysart brings us one of the most terrifying books out there with Imperium. 

“Toyo Harada has gone to war to save his vision of world peace from the twin threats of his former protégé Livewire and Major Charlie Palmer’s H.A.R.D. Corps! Amid the chaos, the tables have turned…and now, members of Harada’s own team are angling to knife each other in the back! When the villains trying to save humanity fight their noblest instincts and the heroes who are trying to stop them struggle against their own demons…can anybody win? 

And, now, even as the walls of Harada’s IMPERIUM begin to the fall, the seeds of his biggest strike yet are already being sown…”

Afterlife with Archie #9 (Archie Horror) 

Although this wasn’t my top pick in a previous head to head, Afterlife with Archie is a must read. The long awaited next issue in the series from writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and artist Francesco Francavilla is here. 

“The Horror began in Riverdale when Reggie Mantle struck and killed Jughead's beloved pooch Hot Dog. Since then, Reggie has been living with this secret knowledge-and terrible guilt. With no one to talk to about it, Reggie has started to crack under the strain. He is seeing visions of his dead friends - or are they literal ghosts? When an act of kindness prompts a confession from him, Reggie must decide for himself, once and for all-is there any good within him? Or is Reggie, as we've always suspected, beyond redemption?”

Scooby Apocalypse #1 (DC)

With DC’s Rebirth event we get the rebirth of another Hanna-Barbera property in Scooby Apocalypse. This re-imagined world of Scooby-Doo sees our heroes get the apocalyptic makeover and I’m very excited to see where this takes them. 

“Those meddling kids-Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, and their dog, Scooby-Doo-get more ghost-debunking than they bargained for when faced with a fundamental change in their world. The apocalypse has happened. Old rules about logic no longer apply. The creatures of the night are among us, and the crew of the Magical Mystery Machine has to fight to survive-because in the apocalyptic badlands of the near-future, the horrors are real!”

-----------------------------------------------------

Last week we got acquainted with two slasher books and, while they both seemed promising, one fell flat. So which book came out on top?

Samurai Slasher by Mike Garley

I was really looking forward to reading Cutter. This seemed like a cool story with some great black and white art from Christian Dibari. While the first issue was good, it suffered from a pace that was just too fast with too many reveals so early on. The rest of this limited series just couldn’t keep up with the pacing set in issue #1. Weak character development, a disappointing reveal in the final issue and an even more disappointing end to the series only solidified Samurai Slasher's place as my pick for this week’s head to head. 

Samurai Slasher did something interesting by introducing us to the Slasher in an anthology book. Coming in at 59 pages, this seemed a bit on the short side to me. The inspiration for the Slasher and the stories for this book are familiar and I was immediately drawn in with the first story. This book doesn’t take itself too seriously and that’s a good thing. I loved the humor and the gore and the way that they were blended together. The artists did a great job bringing life (and a lot of death) to each story. My only real issue with this book is that the stories were a little too short and it would have benefitted from slightly longer ones. At the end of the day I found myself wanting more of the Slasher. Until that day comes, the Slasher will forever live on in the ComiCombs. 

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Another week down and another month full of great releases. Make sure to pick up something good this week from your local shop and I’ll see you again next week!

- The Creature of the ComiCombs