Publisher: Dark Horse
Writer: Alex De Campi
Artist: R.M. Guerra
Release Date: 24th December, 2014

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Even from examining the astonishing cover of this comic, it was abundantly clear that this was not going to be a jolly festive romp. Instead, writer Alex De Campi and artist R.M. Guera deliver a truly chilling Christmas fable, neatly wrapped in the trappings of exploitation, that is as gruesome as it is heart-rending.

On the surface, it’s a love letter to the exploitation movies of the ‘70s and ‘80s (and is suitably laden with classic tropes), but that is merely the brightly coloured wrapping paper, if you will. On a deeper level it’s a cautionary tale about the destructive nature of addiction; dangers which manifest themselves as twisted personifications of eerily familiar consumer icons.

Shayla is the archetypal heroine you’d probably find in classic Blaxploitation films like Foxy Brown or Cleopatra Jones; a flawed heroine, who has enough self-confidence and strength to face her literal and figurative demons head-on. Coming back to the town where she was brought up, she finds both her father and her brother have been brutally murdered; victims of ‘The Man Who Walks’, and his cohorts, ‘The Overseer’, ‘The Clown’, and ‘The Cowboy’. The town’s other inhabitants are also being systematically executed by their hand, and it’s up to Shayla to put an end to the slaughter.

Through clever symbolism and horrifically surreal imagery we see the problems Shayla has had to overcome throughout her life, and the significant part her grandmother has played. ‘Mother Wolf’, as she has known, seems content and fully aware of the fate that awaits her, and acts like a totemistic spirit guide for Shayla, helping her to navigate the darkest places in her life, and set her on a path to redemption far from the route others in her family have sadly taken.

For some, the gratuitous nature of the imagery might seem a little excessive, but for me, that’s part of the book’s appeal, and why it works on multiple levels. Not only is it an accepted element of the genre (so it will please hardcore fans), but it’s brutality serves to emphasise the importance of the underlying message. ‘Slay Ride’ is a metaphorical sledgehammer to the temple, which underscores the heightened sense of loss some people feel at this time of year.

Rating: 5/5.

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The Writer of this piece was: Martin Doyle
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You can check out more of Martins reviews and thoughts on random retro things over at Retromuse

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