[Inked In Blood] New And Upcoming Comics For April 3rd, 2015

IN SHOPS THIS WEEK:

CHARLES BAND’S PUPPET MASTER #1

Writer: Shawn Gabborin
Artist: Michela Da Sacco
Colorist: Yann Perrelet
Publisher: Action Lab Danger Zone
Price: $4
Description: Charles Band’s long-running cult classic horror film series makes its way to the comic page! When a group of friends sets out to use the abandoned Bodega Bay Inn as a party spot, they find out first-hand that the bizarre local folklore is more truth than fantasy as an army of twisted autonomous Puppets have their way with the trespassing teens!

Our Take: A cult classic horror film adaptation from someone besides IDW and Dynamite? Who’da thunk it! While this series barely qualifies as “cult” and falls more into the category of “infamously bad,” the first film is decent and it would actually make a fun comic. Does it? Surprisingly, it does. The opening sequence is a nice preview that also sets down the mystery that will drive the suspense of the rest of the comic. there’s about ten pages of well-written but cliche-packed exposition that explosively unpacks the creative team’s intent to make a creatively gory, satisfying horror comic that feels like a tribute to the films, almost to a fault. It’s elevated by above average art & fantastic coloring, making this a horror title for the gore hounds, Puppet Master fans and anyone who wants an enjoyable dose of old-school horror.

CLICK HERE FOR PREVIEW

NAILBITER #11

Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Mike Henderson
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: $3
Description: Does the Nailbiter know why sixteen of the world’s worst serial killers all came from the same small town? Does he know the truth? Find out as the Nailbiter…confesses!

Our Take: After a couple of misguided filler issues, including a crossover with unrelated title Hack/Slash that went nowhere, 2014’s “Best Horror Comic of 2014” (according to USA Today, known experts on horror and comics) makes its “return” to the central storyline of the comic. With the kind of hype this comic has received, it’s a precarious balancing act Williamson and Henderson have dedicated themselves to. Should you jump on board now? I guess you’ll just have to read our review! (See, Joshua Williamson, I can be a cocktease too.)

CLICK HERE FOR PREVIEW

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Re-Animator #1

Writer: Keith Davidsen
Artist: Randy Valiente
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Price: $4
Description: Dr. Herbert West, The Reanimator, returns! Setting up shop in New Orleans, the brilliant Dr. West continues his life’s work: the revival of the dead by purely chemical means. To accomplish this task, he recruits Susan Greene, a young and wide-eyed pharmacologist fascinated by his macabre experiments. Initially unfazed by West’s unorthodox practices (including how he funds his research – by selling zombie brain fluid as a narcotic), Susan may regret her scientific curiosity as sinister forces – those aligned with Elder Gods and Haitian Voodoo – begin to align against the Reanimator!

Our Take: Frankly, I’m tired of comic book adaptations of the Re-Animator movie. I think the most heinous thing about the perpetual desecration is that the HP Lovecraft story upon which the film is very loosely based would actually (and, in fact, did) make a fantastic comic. Instead, we get another half baked “adaptation” whose preview looks barely alive, going through the same motions as the movie, just updating it slightly, which does it no favors. If anything, a Re-Animator set further into the past, ala Army Of Darkness, would be far more appealing. But hey, part of being a horror fan is cooly appraising the latest cash-in for signs of genuine quality so expect me to weigh in on release. In Shops: April 8th, 2015

CLICK HERE FOR PREVIEW