[Inked In Blood] New & Upcoming Comics For March 5th, 2015

IN SHOPS THIS WEEK:

NAILBITER HACK/SLASH

Writer: Joshua Williamson/Tim Seeley
Artist: Mike Henderson/Emilio Laiso
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: $5
Description: SERIAL KILLERS MEET SERIAL KILLER… KILLERS! Cassie Hack vs. the Nailbiter! Vlad vs. the Lucha Eliminador! IT’S ON!

Our Take: Unless you’re already a fan of either Nailbiter or Hack/Slash, don’t bother with this. If you are, this is still not an essential title; there aren’t any earth-shaking consequences for Nailbiter or Hack/Slash. In fact, the way both stories go, it’s hard not to feel a bit ripped off; Hack/Slash protagonist Cassie Hack ends up right back where she started and Nailbiter himself is being deceptive the whole time so we don’t really learning anything about him either. That said, the storylines are definitely fun and well-written so if you just really enjoy either of these titles, at only $5 for what is actually two full-sized comics, it’s a good deal.

CLICK HERE FOR PREVIEW

SILENT HILL DOWNPOUR TP

Writer: Tom Waltz
Artist: Tristan Jones
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Price: $18
Description: In the 2012 hit video game Silent Hill Downpour, players were introduced to Anne Marie Cunningham, the enigmatic prison officer bent on bloody revenge against the game’s main protagonist, Murphy Pendleton. Now, at last, fans can learn what horrors Anne faced during her fateful journey through Silent Hill’s fog-shrouded streets… and what led her to the terrifyingly cursed town in the first place.

Our Take: I am so angry at myself that I still have not played Silent Hill Downpour. And this is a more personal frustration now that I’ve read Silent Hill Downpour Anne’s Story because it’s so well written and visually intense in a way few horror comics are. It also doesn’t require any knowledge about the game itself but it certainly drew me into that story anyway, as you can tell from my reviews. Really, don’t let this being an adaptation of a game scare you away, it’s excellent horror and a fantastic comic to boot.

CLICK HERE FOR PREVIEW

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SOUTHERN CROSS #1

Writer: Becky Cloonan
Artist: Andy Belanger
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: $3
Description: NOW BOARDING: Southern Cross, tanker flight 73 to TITAN! Alex Braith is on board retracing her sister’s steps to the refinery moon, hoping to collect her remains and find some answers. The questions keep coming though-how did her sister die? Where did her cabin mate disappear to? Who is that creep across the hall? And why does she always feel like she’s being watched

Our Take: Writer Becky Cloonan is a relative unknown in these parts and while Southern Cross is definitely not her first foray into writing horror, it’s her first high profile effort that she’s written (she’s illustrated tons of scary comics, though). It’s more in the vein of a sci-fi thriller like Solaris or Sunshine than outright horror but thankfully it has a rich sci-fi world behind it, judging by the preview. In Shops: March 11th, 2015

CLICK HERE FOR PREVIEW

HELLBREAK #1

Writer: Cullen Bunn
Artist: Brian Churilla
Publisher: Oni Press Inc
Price: $1
Description: There are thousands of Hells, each unique, each terrible. Mega-cities ruled by vicious gangs. Empires where the most perverse are well-respected. Wastelands roamed by prehistoric monstrosities. With the proper tools and know-how… you can infiltrate Hell whether you’re dead or not. With the proper tools and know-how, you can break out. Project Kerberos has developed this forbidden technology, and a special forces extraction team is dispatched to rescue lost souls from the infernal realm.

Our Take: We’ve got history with both Cullen Bunn (obviously) and Brian Churilla so it’s quite exciting that they’re working together, nearly as promising a collaboration as Cullen and Jeremy Haun. This story definitely suits Churilla’s more bold, heavy visual style, going for a blend of horror and action. There’s a lot of potential in the premise and if Bunn’s writing for Wolf Moon is any indicator, it’ll be an interesting ride. In Shops: March 11th, 2015

CLICK HERE FOR PREVIEW