Z-View – Red: Eyes Only by Cully Hamner

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Red: Eyes Only is part of a one-shot published by Wildstorm Comics.

Writer: Cully Hamner
Artist: Cully Hamner
Colorist: Val Staples
Cover Artist: Cully Hamner


Cully Hamner writes and draws the prequel to the Red mini-series that he co-created with Warren Ellis.

*** Beware – spoilers may be found below ***

The Good:

  • Cully Hamner on the art and writing!
  • Nice misdirection on page 2.
  • Wanting to get out of “the business.”
  • Silent but deadly page… when Paul Moses comes calling.
  • The final line of the comic has a great payoff.

The Bad:

  • Disowned by family because “You’re a murderer.”
  • Finding out that getting out isn’t easy.
  • “You’ll be assassinated, sir.  Today.”
  • “I have information!”
  • “What…what… my God… What did I just do?”

The Ugly:

  • Trapped in a moving elevator with an assassin.
  • Thinking you always had a choice but finding out you were wrong.

Red: Eyes Only

Rating:

Z-View – Criminal Macabre / The 30 Days of Night: Final Night #4 by Niles and Mitten

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Criminal Macabre / The 30 Days of Night: Final Night #4 is part of a four issue mini-series published by Dark Horse Comics / IDW Publishing.

Writer: Steve Niles
Artist: Christopher Mitten
Colorist: Michelle Madsen
Cover Artist: Justin Erickson


With Alice Blood in Eben’s hands, Cal will do anything—including using voodoo—to help fight the vampires. But that might not be enough as the ghouls and the vampires clash in an all-out brawl to the death—with Cal and Eben smack dab in the center.

Will it be Cal or Eben who survives?

*** Beware – spoilers may be found below ***

The Good:

  • Steve Niles and Christopher Mitten are worth the price of admission.
  • “So he needs… What, brains?”  “What good would that do, Officer?”  “I don’t know I’m just trying to keep up here.”
  • The body language of the detective willing to give some of his blood to [hopefully] save Cal.
  • “Never felt better.”
  • “What are you doing? Let me stop him.”  “No… we stay.”

The Bad:

  • “Blargh!”
  • “Not enough.”
  • “Enough talk!  ATTAAAACK!”
  • “They’ll be back.”

The Ugly:

  • The Ugly starts on page one: “I’m right Fl–ere…”
  • The Ghoul, er, bloodbath.
  • Vampire attacking the fine folks on Sunset Blvd.
  • SHRIP on page 18.

Criminal Macabre / The 30 Days of Night: Final Night #4

Rating:

The “John Wick” Kill Counter

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One of my favorite movies last year [and one of the best action movies in years] was John Wick.  Until I checked out The John Wick Kill Counter video below, I didn’t realize how many people he killed.  Ouch.

WARNING: This video contains major spoilers for the film John Wick and is rated R for  language and “crazy gun fu violence.”

Z-View – Criminal Macabre / The 30 Days of Night: Final Night #3 by Niles and Mitten

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Criminal Macabre / The 30 Days of Night: Final Night #3 is part of a four issue mini-series published by Dark Horse Comics / IDW Publishing.

Writer: Steve Niles
Artist: Christopher Mitten
Colorist: Michelle Madsen
Cover Artist: Justin Erickson


Eben Olemaun is on the hunt and he’ll rip both human and vampire limb from limb to get to the person who took everything from him—Federal Agent Alice Blood. Can Cal fight off the hordes of new vampires in time to save her?

*** Beware – spoilers may be found below ***

The Good:

  • Steve Niles and Christopher Mitten are worth the price of admission.
  • Cal’s bravado at having to fight vampires… “Yeah, well I’ve yet to meet a vampire that wasn’t a whiny little – ”  BOOM!
  • “It can’t end like this.”
  • “You’re all going to die.”

The Bad:

  • Page 2: “Sweet Christ” indeed.
  • The “Blarrgh!” continues.
  • “The future of the ghouls is very bleak indeed.”
  • “You should have done more research, vampire…Fire can kill us… but it is not very fast.”
  • “I think turning you would be much better than death.”
  • “Where’s Cal?”

The Ugly:

  • What happens when you don’t tell Eben what he wants to know.
  • What Eben does to Cal three times on page 18.
  • Page 21.
  • Mo’ Lock losing it on the vampires.

Criminal Macabre / The 30 Days of Night: Final Night #3

Rating:

“Pitch Black” and the Unexpected Genius of Vin Diesel

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One of my all-time favorite movie characters is Riddick played by Vin Diesel in Pitch Black;  The Chronicles of Riddick  and Riddick.

It was in Pitch Black  that Diesel [along with writer/director David Twohy] laid the foundation for what Adam Bellotto summarizes as Pitch Black and the Unexpected Genius of Vin Diesel for Film School Rejects.

Well done, Mr. Bellotto.  Well done.

Z-View – Criminal Macabre / The 30 Days of Night: Final Night #2 by Niles and Mitten

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Criminal Macabre / The 30 Days of Night: Final Night #2 is part of a four issue mini-series published by Dark Horse Comics / IDW Publishing.

Writer: Steve Niles
Artist: Christopher Mitten
Colorist: Michelle Madsen
Cover Artist: Justin Erickson


Cal has always wanted the Feds to focus on vampires, and now they are, one in particular—Eben Olemaun, now on a quest to bring mankind to its knees. But the FBI is up to more than tracking down Eben. Will Cal and Alice figure it out before it kills them both?

*** Beware – spoilers may be found below ***

The Good:

  • Steve Niles and Christopher Mitten are worth the price of admission.
  • “Bad time?”  “Always.”
  • “What are you smiling about?”  “Stuff.”

The Bad:

  • The “Blaarggh!” continues.
  • What happens when you tell Eben “There is no coming back.”
  • SCRAATCH SCRATCH “Something on the roof.”

The Ugly:

  • What happens to Unit 14 on page 2.
  • The effect Mo’ Lock has on people.  “Gah!”
  • The last page of the issue.

Criminal Macabre / The 30 Days of Night: Final Night #2

Rating:

“Damsel in Distress” – A Bill Black Short

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Damsel in the Dark  is a short [less than two minute film] that is a lot of fun — moody, great soundtrack and reminds me of the shorts that used to accompany episodes of Night Gallery. 

And I’d give it all that praise even if it wasn’t created under the direction of my ole buddy, Bill Black.

Hey Bill!  If you do a sequel I want to play C.Z. Pickens.  EZ’s brother.

Z-View – Criminal Macabre / The 30 Days of Night: Final Night #1 by Niles and Mitten

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Criminal Macabre / The 30 Days of Night: Final Night #1 is part of a four issue mini-series published by Dark Horse Comics / IDW Publishing.

Writer:  Steve Niles
Artist:  Christopher Mitten
Colorist:  Michelle Madsen
Cover Artist:  Justin Erickson


In this epic crossover with IDW, Steve Niles’s greatest characters come together in a final showdown.

Cal McDonald only wanted a beer, but what he got was a jaded federal agent and a story about vampires up in Barrow, Alaska. There’s a new vamp in LA, and he’s hell bent on escalating his attacks. When Mo’Lock’s sometimes ghoul-friend is murdered, Cal’s on the hunt . . . for Eben—the longtime protagonist/antagonist of 30 Days of Night.

 

*** Beware – spoilers may be found below ***

The Good:

  • Steve Niles and Christopher Mitten are worth the price of admission.
  • “Been a while.”  “I’ve been busy fighting everybody.”

The Bad:

  • Barrow Alaska – Hometown buffet for vampires.
  • Vampires seem to be gathering forces…
  • “The fall of Los Angeles begins.”

The Ugly:

  • “Blaargh!”
  • What was done to Shaw’na.
  • Lord Westminster aka John.

Criminal Macabre / The 30 Days of Night: Final Night #1

Rating:

Z-View – Criminal Macabre / The Goon: When Freaks Collide by Niles, Powell and Mitten

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Criminal Macabre / The Goon: When Freaks Collide is a one-shot published by Dark Horse Comics.

Writers: Steve Niles, Eric Powell
Artist: Christopher Mitten
Colorist: Michelle Madsen
Cover Artist: Fiona Staple

Cal McDonald, the drug-fueled paranormal private dick, goes head to head with Lonely Street’s zombie-pulverizing Goon, in a weird in-between world full of monsters, horror, and humor!

*** Beware – spoilers may be found below ***

The Good:

  • Nice cover by Fiona Staple.
  • Chris Mitten‘s art is a treat.
  • Having Steve Niles and Eric Powell co-write their creations is a plus.
  • “Talking like that just makes me want to kill you twice.”
  • “Don’t touch me. Seriously.”
  • The guest appearance on the last page.
  • Bonus pinup by Ben Templesmith.

The Bad:

  • When you say, “Hey Mo, Check it, The Little Rascals did steroids like Carrot Top” to the Goon and Frankie.
  • “This is a LOT more than I expected.”  “Yep. Me too.”

The Ugly:

  • Wooden stake to the eye.

Criminal Macabre / The Goon: When Freaks Collide

Rating: 5 out of 5