Category: Horror

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:

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

Romero’s Night of the Living Dead “Origins” Moves Forward

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Variety reported earlier this week that Cameron Romero [George Romero’s son]  zombie movie Origins is moving forward!

The movie has his dad’s blessing and the elder Romero will serve as an executive producer of the film which will be a prequel to Night of the Living Dead.

I like the idea that Cameron has taken up the mantle and plans to carry on the Romero zombie tradition.

 

Z-View: Winter World #2 by Dixon & Guice from IDW

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Winter World created by Chuck Dixon and Jorge Zaffino.

Winter World #2 published by IDW Publishing.

Writer: Chuck Dixon

Artist: Butch Guice

Colorist: Diego Rodriguez

Letterer: Robbie Robbins

 

The saga of Scully and Wynn continues as they search for a fabled village by the sea where rumors tell of a warm heaven in this cold hell. Wynn is still in search of her parents and the village of La Niña may be the place they were heading when she was abandoned as a child. Scully just wants to find enough fuel to keep their new vehicle on the move. But will they find death at the end of the icy road?

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

The Good

  • Chuck Dixon continues to write a story that moves.
  • Butch Guice’s art coupled with Diego Rodriguez’s colors is as Burgess Meredith would say, “a ting of beauty!”
  • Wynn is a kid who has had to grow up too fast and Dixon never loses sight of that.

The Bad:

  • I was expecting more action at the canal crossing, but Dixon is good at keeping us guessing.
  • Stepping into a trip wire when you’re sneaking in a place.
  • “The man is of no use to us.  We might use the girl…”

The Ugly:

  • “Scully tell me you have a plan.  I want to hear it.  I bet it’s good.”  “Sorry.  I’m so very sorry Wynn.”

 

Winter World #2 is for mature readers due to violence.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Z-View: Winter World #1 by Dixon & Guice from IDW

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Winter World created by Chuck Dixon and Jorge Zaffino.

Winter World  #1 published by IDW Publishing.

Writer: Chuck Dixon

Artist: Butch Guice

Colorist: Diego Rodriguez

Letterer: Robbie Robbins

 

Winter is coming early! All new stories based on the Chuck Dixon/Jorge Zaffino classic! The apocalyptic international comics sensation of an Earth turned to an icy hell is back with Dixon returning to script and Butch Guice doing some of the best work of his illustrious artistic career as they take on the bleak and frozen future. Follow Scully and Wynn from their icy home of Wintersea into a killing wasteland where the coldest place is the human heart.

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

The Good

  • The writing by Chuck Dixon is on point.
  • Butch Guice’s art has never looked better.
  • Diego Rodriguez’s colors enhance the art without being showy.

The Bad:

  • “No one remembers not being hungry.  Not being cold.”
  • “The motor is cooked.”
  • The attack at the bottom of page 17 is beautiful to look at and scary as anything you can imagine.
  • “Here comes the dead end I was talking about.”

The Ugly:

  • “We’re on fire, Scully.”

 

Winter World  #1  is for readers twelve and up due to some violence.  It should appeal to fans of Mad Max, Apocalyptic movies, and lovers of great art and writing.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Z-View: “The Quiet Ones”

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The Tagline:  Something unspeakable is happening to Jane Harper.

The Overview:   *** Beware –  spoilers are found below ***

The Quiet Ones is based on real events (yeah, right) which took place in 1974 when a college professor along with three of his students studied a young girl named Jane in an effort to explain away her supposed supernatural powers.

Jane has no memory of her past, no family and believes she is possessed by a spirit named Evey.  Evey sometimes lives in a doll.  Perhaps Jane has telekinetic powers.  Maybe it is the thing that possess her.  Either way one of them is a firestarter.  The professor plans to explain things scientifically and also to get Jane to push the evil possessing her into a doll which they can then destroy.  How does he plan to do this?  By depriving Jane of sleep.

At this point it doesn’t matter because most of the audience is already snoring.

*** Even More Spoilers Below ***

The Good

  • Olivia Cooke who plays Jane.

The Bad:

  • The story is a jumbled mess.
  • No real scares.
  • No real characters to root for… not even Jane.

The Ugly:

  • The feeling you have after watching The Quiet Ones.

 

Rating: 1 out of 5