Horror Comics #31 - Antarctic Press Comics

HORROR COMICS No. 31, December 2023

Taking its audience back in time to Fifteenth-Century Romania and the rule of Dracul, Dino Caruso and Shawn Richison’s narrative for Issue Thirty One of “Horror Comics” debatably does a sterling job in convincingly embroiling a huge vampire into the blood-curdling reign of the infamous Voivode of Wallachia. Indeed, the authors’ succinct storytelling as to how ‘Hannibal’ was appointed the Impaler’s “new seneschal” and later was forced to become “one with the shadows” upon his lord’s arrest for treason, is so enthralling that doubtless many a bibliophile was probably a little bit disappointed when the book suddenly jumps a good hundred years into the future.

Happily however Darwin’s plight at the hands of a ‘brotherly’ werewolf soon becomes just as beguiling, especially once it becomes clear the pair share a common, family bond with one another. Of course, the two potential time-travelling horrors also display some significant differences, such as the bald-headed, rebuilt collection of body parts much preferring to eat herbs than blood-drenched flesh. But the connection between these two characters, and subsequently the aforementioned vampire, is so well-penned that the relationship positively leaps off the printed page – even after the lycanthrope petulantly burns all his sibling’s precious plants.

Perhaps far less noticeable though, is the fact that various papers have also travelled along with Darwin from the present day – presumably being notes written by Doctor Liebrandt during his research on resurrecting “unnatural creations”. The wolfman’s interest in these tattered records is quite subtly underplayed for the most part, and largely relies upon visual clues to suggest just how much the lycanthrope hungrily scrutinises the discarded documents. Nevertheless, their contents and the knowledge they’ll impart intriguingly appears to bode ill for anyone attempting to thwart the monsters in their ultimate revenge.

Additionally adding to this publication’s overriding atmosphere of dark-hearted plots and general evilness, are J.C. Grande’s pencils, whose distinctive sketching style imbues the likes of Dracul, his “pet” vampire, and the Werewolf with just the sort of hawkishness a fright-fan might expect from such mass-murderers. Furthermore, the illustrator’s much more round-looking Darwin readily helps set the well-meaning individual apart from his brethren, and provides the somewhat crestfallen fellow with a palpable air of vulnerability not found in the rest of this comic’s cast.

Writers: Dino Caruso & Shawn Richison, Illustrator: J.C. Grande, and Colors: Paul Little

Horror Comics #30 - Antarctic Press Comics

HORROR COMICS No. 30, November 2023

Described by its San Antonio-based publisher as a “time-travelling horror” story containing “science-spawned monsters”, Dino Caruso and Shawn Richison’s narrative for “Origin Point” is arguably as good as such frightening fiction can get. Sure, it may take readers a moment or two to acclimatise themselves to colorist Paul Little’s dark-hued palette. But once they’ve become accustomed to the disconcertingly dreary surroundings of Doctor Liebrandt’s out-of-the-way lock-up and realise the struck-off surgeon is ferrying human corpses about on a trolley, this comic’s claustrophobic atmosphere becomes all the more palpable; “I realise it’s not the nicest part of town.”

Indeed, the motivation behind the former GENesis Labs employee is probably the first thing to grab the audience’s undivided attention. For despite his illegal underground workshop apparently about to be imminently hit by a squad of heavily-armed Special Forces, the man appears disturbingly unperturbed; casually stacking up a handful of carcasses upon a pushcart and then calming walking the cadavers across to where a fellow scientist is frantically finishing last minute repairs to her own invention.

The sheer volume of questions this bizarre behaviour raises in the mind should immediately grab any fright-fest fan’s interest, and subsequently help carry them on through the twenty-page periodical’s plot as more and more intriguing characters are added to the cast. Furthermore, the fact that one particularly shadowy soul suggests he’s somehow come back from the past to finally meet his “father” will surely raise the hackles on the neck of even the most cold-blooded of bibliophiles.

Probably this book’s best moment though, is the shockingly savage demise of the aforementioned police tactical team, who initially foolishly feel this “mystery-science-junk” assault is going to be a total waste of their precious time. Artist JC Grande does a good job in helping this comic’s writing team imbue a few of the troopers with all the arrogant indifference twenty years of gun-toting survival in such a high-pressure role might bring. And as a result, when the illustrator suddenly prodigiously pencils the squad being literally torn apart by a viciously-fanged ghoul, many holding this publication in their hands may well startlingly feel the overconfident gunmen are simply receiving their just deserts.

Writers: Dino Caruso & Shawn Richison, Illustrator: J.C. Grande, and Colors: Paul Little

Leave On The Light #3 - Antarctic Press Comics

LEAVE ON THE LIGHT No. 3, August 2020

Absolutely packed full of vicious murders, pugnacious prison break-outs and grisly bodily mutilations, Bradley Golden and George Aguilar’s ferociously fast narrative for Issue Three of “Leave On The Night” will most assuredly delight any fans of the horror comic book genre. In fact, many readers will probably struggle to comprehend the sheer scale of this thirty-two page periodical’s death count, as Thomas Lassey embarks upon a momentous slaughter spree which not only sees both Detective Gary Marshall and his partner Sarah McKinney being badly mauled by the Undead phantom, but a staggering number of ‘innocent’ family members getting cut, slashed and terrifyingly torn asunder as well; “This city has suffered tragedy after tragedy, but the attack on Catelin Hospital is by far the most disgusting act of violence I have ever witnessed.”

Delightfully however, such homicidal mayhem isn’t simply crowbarred into this publication to help pad out its plot or sate the odd bibliophile’s bloodlust, with the vast majority of these slayings actually helping progress this comic’s central storyline involving the Butcher making enough sacrifices with which to draw a demonic entity onto our plane of existence. This surprising twist genuinely elevates the initial premise of a supernatural criminal solely exacting his revenge upon the cops who sentenced him to death into something much grander, and rather enjoyably turns the mini-series into an entertaining prelude of further stories to come as the distraught police officers decide to “hunt the creatures” who slaughtered their loved ones at the book’s end.

Helping this comic along with it’s incredibly high body tally is Adam Fields’ artwork, which really does a good job of showing just how utterly merciless a serial killer Lassey can be. The lead illustrator of “Midnight27 Studios” doesn’t waste a moment in his build-ups to depict the ghostly ghoul stabbing his victims with a truly-terrifyingly large hunting knife, even when sketching the potential demise of this title’s lead characters such as McKinney and the shocking death of Marshall’s hapless son inside Saint Dominic’s Church. In addition, this comic’s prodigiously pencilled contents is noteworthy for containing the likenesses of some of the supporters of the title's “Kickstarter” campaign, who financially pledged a little bit extra so as to appear within this magazine’s third instalment as secondary characters.

Script: Bradley Golden & George Aguilar, and Artist: Adam Fields

Leave On The Light #2 - Antarctic Press Comics

LEAVE ON THE LIGHT No. 2, August 2019

Delving “deeper into the history of the Butcher”, Bradley Golden and George Aguilar’s story for Issue Two of “Leave On The Light” must have gone some way to convince this comic’s audience that this title was a far cry from the usual knife-wielding slasher romp most horror-based writers churn out in the modern age. Indeed, straight from its rather gory opening, which depicts Thomas Lassey’s sickening execution “for the murders of five men, nine women and six children”, the twenty-two page periodical makes it clear that the book’s main antagonist most definitely isn’t going to stop slaughtering people in cold blood simply because some electrical current has coursed through his body to the point where his eyeballs explode…

Such a memorable ‘death scene’ really does stick in the reader’s mind, and makes the maniac’s subsequent haunting of Detective Sarah McKinney all the more tense as he noisily scratches a note to her in an adjoining cubicle’s door when the police officer briefly visits a garage restroom. At any minute it seems likely the undead apparition will strike her down as he did the Maxey family, and this tension is truly palpable even after a clearly disconcerted McKinney pulls her firearm out on a hapless old woman and teddy bear carrying grand-daughter; “Oh. We’d better leave, Mindy.”

Gary Marshall’s investigation into the killer’s final days on death row are no less troubling either, as Doctor Lupin discovers his supposedly deceased patient was secretly receiving satanic “popular best-sellers” shortly before his demise. This revelation genuinely chills the soul, and makes Sarah’s ensuing enquiry into “French fired” Lassey’s only living relative even more terrifying as she blunders into the man’s dark and seedy apartment building.

Also greatly adding to this publication’s perturbing ambiance are the breakdowns of Stan Yak, whose ability to pencil the sheer insanity behind Thomas’ mad eyes alone is arguably enough to convince any passing bibliophile that his illustration work is worthy of perusal. Coupled with some excellently thought out perspectives, such as McKinney looking in through the spyhole of a front door, or Lupin glancing up to see Lassey’s reflection in his bathroom mirror, the Russian artist does a great job of bringing Golden and Aguilar's collaborative narrative to spine-tingling life.

Script: Bradley Golden & George Aguilar, and Pencils: Stan Yak

Exciting Comics #2 - Antarctic Press Comics

EXCITING COMICS No. 2, February 2019

Undeniably “building a universe one brick at a time”, Issue Two of “Exciting Comics” probably gave the majority of its “faithful followers and comic connoisseurs” precisely what they wanted with its mixture of modern-day super-heroics, Egyptian mummery and a poignant flashback to the Forties. But whilst some of this anthology’s arguably all-too brief tales managed to provide plenty of closure to those readers eager to better understand the “deadly power” imbuing the Crimson Scorpion or witness the legacy of Madam Mask being passed from geriatric Geema to her grand-daughter, there’s a distinct feeling to its overall pacing, particularly where its artwork is concerned, that strongly suggests much of this thirty-two page periodical was rather rushed.

For starters, Carlos Tron’s storyboards for “The Revenge Syndicate” appear a little Spartan for the majority of Bradley Golden and John Crowther’s narrative. Sure, the collaborative writers have penned an interesting sub-plot to the exploits of Black Jaq in the guise of the Murder Prophet, the Griever and Black Rat cold-bloodedly murdering both Benny and Fats McQueen. Yet that doesn’t debatably explain why numerous scenes are padded out with depictions of the heroine working her day job, or a security guard following a few rats through the corridors of the New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Shoddier still is David Doub’s disconcerting finale for Madam Mask, where the latest incarnation of the bullet-resistant costumed crime-fighter miraculously manages to save her grandma from a fiery death only to have her elderly inspiration expire of old age straight afterwards; “Geema, You… You can’t leave me… You can’t. Nooo!!” Disappointingly illustrated by Larry Jarrell, to the point where it’s hard to believe “Spike” drew this adventure’s prodigiously pencilled previous instalment, matters abruptly turn even more surreal as the tale ends with Diana inexplicably being surrounded by the living dead in a graveyard..?

Perhaps this compilation comic’s most successful asset is therefore the concluding chapter to Professor Samuel Kocian’s exploits thwarting a terrorist cell in an ancient temple, several hours drive from Cairo. Appearing rather cartoony to the eye, courtesy of Joseph Olesco’s quite humorous sketching style, this twelve-page central feature is absolutely packed full of automatic gun-play, knife-fights, poisonous gas and everything else a reader might well expect from a pacifist protagonist suddenly empowered by a mystic scorpion.

Writers: Bradley Golden & John Crowther, David Furr and David Doub

Leave On The Light #1 - Antarctic Press Comics

LEAVE ON THE LIGHT No. 1, April 2019

Brought vividly to life via “Kickstarter” in January 2019 courtesy of 130 backers pledging $2,974, this twenty-page ‘fright-fest’ most assuredly delivers on creator Bradley Golden’s intention to provide its audience with a truly disturbing narrative as “an undead serial killer” graphically begins claiming the lives of a small township’s children “using the city's Electrical system.” True, Issue One of “Leave On The Light” starts straightforwardly enough with little infant Kassey Maxey crossly disagreeing with her mother that she still needs to go to her new daycare in the morning, but just as soon as the bedroom light is switched off and the heavy rain outside starts pattering against the girl’s windows, it’s clear something enthrallingly gruesome is about to take place.

Impressively however, what then follows is far from a simple ‘slasher flick’ as collaborative writers George Aguilar and the aforementioned Golden rapidly start to establish that their ghoulish-faced knife-wielding antagonist isn’t just yet another in a long line of unoriginal homicidal maniacs who have recently escaped from some psychiatrist’s padded cell. Indeed, even before Detective Marshall arrives at the grisly murder scene and watches the crime scene investigators photographing Claire’s severed head, there is a strong suggestion that something innovatively supernatural is taking place within this publication.  

Determined to reveal the identity of a supposed copycat killer, the pair’s penmanship successfully provides an excellent hook by permitting the reader to soon realise that the haunted policeman is wrong in his assumption that a dead man can’t return to continue his crimes. This disclosure genuinely imbues this book’s harrowing closing scene with even more menace, as it rapidly becomes clear that the deranged nightmarish figure stalking Gary’s partner when she stops off at a late night roadside garage isn’t a mere figment of her imagination and that Sarah is probably about to come to a gratuitously violent end; “Strange, I been feeling this chill on the back of my neck the whole ride here.”

Adding to this comic’s palpable fear factor are Alex Sarabia’s breakdowns, which go an incredible way to help show the sheer sadistic delight Thomas Butcher Lassey takes in both shadowing and subsequently butchering his prey. The decision to only employ colour when the creative team utilise sound effects additionally proves a ‘master stroke’ in generating a seriously disturbing ‘film noir’ atmosphere to the story-telling’s grim premise.

First published on the "Dawn of Comics" website.'

Script: Bradley Golden & George Aguilar, and Pencils: Alex Sarabia

Exciting Comics #1 - Antarctic Press Comics

EXCITING COMICS No. 1, February 2019

Proudly publicised as a “premiere title” returning to stores “for the first time in over seventy years”, Issue One of “Exciting Comics” undoubtedly delivers upon Ben Dunn’s editorial promise of teleporting its readers back to “a time when heroes knew what to do and fought for what was right” with its wonderful concoction of street-level super-heroic shenanigans, Ancient Egyptian altercations and zany acrobatics. In fact, this “Antarctic Press” anthology’s only disappointment comes with each “Superverse” tale’s cliff-hanger conclusion, which always seems to arrive far too soon and invariably means that the book’s audience must frustratingly wait a while before they can get their hands on the next exhilarating edition…

Starting off this “new shared universe” is “The Revenge Syndicate”, a collaboratively-penned piece by John Crowther and Bradley Golden, which follows the feisty vigilante Black Jaq as she tackles Fats McQueen’s hard-hitting protection racket in New York City. Stunningly sketched by Carlos Tron, this twelve-page knock-out is as attractive to the eye as the female crime-fighter’s punches are bone-breaking, and contains an ending which shows just how close to the line a person may go when their fists are fuelled by their heart.

Similarly as successful, “The Scorpion’s Sting” must have momentarily taken its fans back to a far simpler storytelling time before radioactive substances haphazardly affected parts of the populace and creators relied upon the mystic arts and supernatural potions of our world’s ancient civilisations for their character’s super-powered origins. Brought bang up to date however, with a disturbing script focusing upon modern-day terrorist atrocities and the devastation of archaeological heritage sites, David Furr’s narrative rather neatly combines the two, and undeniably sets up plenty of anticipation for this story’s subsequent instalment by leaving its leading cast surrounded by bloodthirsty murderers just as Professor Samuel Kocian begins to feel the full effects of his chance encounter with a predatory arachnid.

Finally comes David Doub’s “Madam Mask”, an incredibly fast-paced nine-pager which zips along with such gusto that it debatably requires a second read before all of its plot points, such as the titular character’s motivation for industrial theft being that her grandmother requires $30,000 dollars-worth of medical care, properly come to light. Drawn by Larry Spike Jerrell with all the dynamic athleticism which the legendary Steve Ditko imbued his Amazing Spider-Man with, this uber-energetic escapade easily captures all the high-octane antics of a Twenty First Century thief and then without warning scintillatingly lands any perusing bibliophile smack bang in the middle of an Early Forties “Whiz Comics” adventure.

Writers: Bradley Golden & John Crowther, David Furr and David Doub