Review – Grindhouse: Doors Open At Midnight #5 (Dark Horse)

February 4, 2014

1–2 minutes

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Writer: Alex de Campi
Artist: Federica Manfredi
Release Date: 5th February 2014

In the opener to the third arc of ‘Grindhouse’, Alex De Campi certainly ramps up the shocks to lay the foundations of a revenge tale that is absolutely guaranteed to be bloody and entertaining.

‘Bride of Blood’ carries on De Campi’s theme of ‘Screw backstory, we have 2 issues to tell this tale’, and it still works, although the sexual violence as a semi-origin-point for our heroine-to-be might leave the more casual reader reeling. It’s not the worst thing I’ve ever seen in a comic, but it’s brutal nonetheless, and made all the more so by Federica Manfredi’s artwork, as the harrowing scene plays out without any need for dialogue, across no less than 25 panels.

It’s extreme, and it let’s this issue down slightly, but It’s really not the point of the book. This series is inspired by a movie genre that frequently played on this type of theme, and Grindhouse: DOAM #5 continues to achieve what the series aims for. It establishes its good guys and bad guys quickly, the story plays out in the bloody and violent manner we are supposed to expect, and it has us rooting for the hero straight off the bat.

On top of that, the series is kept fresh with the changing artists, and Manfredi’s layouts especially set this issue apart from previous instalments, especially in book’s early scenes.

It won’t be for everyone, but if you can accept the series for exactly what it is and just allow yourself to be entertained, Grindhouse: Doors Open at Midnight will certainly oblige.