Review – Creepy Comics #24 (Dark Horse Comics)

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Writer(s): Peter Bagge, Dan Braun, Rhiannon Rasmussen-Silverstein, Richard Corben
Artist(s): Ricardo Cabral, Peter Bagge, Tony Guaraldi-Brown, Glenn Fabry
Release Date: 22nd June 2016

I love horror. Horror films, video games and novels make up a vast portion of my media library. Dark Horse Comic’s “Creepy” issue 24 boasts the tagline of “the finest in illustrated horror”. This book is packed with seven short stories in black and white, similar to Japanese manga. It also has a full-page story and two full page horrific pinups.

“Creepy” opens with “The Hymn of Ordeal.” It tells the story of a mother whose daughter has chosen to (through advanced medical science) become one of the Shrikes; a war bird weapon that is being sent out to fight alien invaders. It’s really a tale about a mother’s loss. I wasn’t a big fan of the character design and I found the art to be lacking detail. Still, the story leaves an impact. Other stories such as Brother Creepy in “A Deep Connection” have a far more humorous tone and an style that is more pleasing to the eye.

I found the real meat of the book to be in “Home is Where”, the story of two criminals who break into a house and get a get more than they ever bargained for. The art in this story is hauntingly clean yet quite beautiful, making use of the black and white colors that are reminiscent of classic Noir films. Coherer is equally as brilliant. It’s about a boy named Danny who has recently lost his father. His mother quickly re-married her long-time lover. When Danny finds his father’s World War II Radio and begins receiving transmissions from the afterlife–well… let’s just say a bit of revenge is in order, shall we?

All in all, I found “Creepy” to be a bit of a mixed bag. However, four of the seven stories really stand out. This is comparable to many horror films such as Creepshow. In closing, if you’re a fan of horror films or comic books I think you’ll be very pleased to add Dark Horse Comics “Creepy” issue 24 to your collection.

Rating: 3.5/5.

PREVIEW ARTWORK
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