Creepshow [2024] #1 - Image Comics

CREEPSHOW No. 1, September 2024

Pushed by “Skybound Entertainment” as being “creepier than ever”, this opening instalment to the third volume of “Creepshow” probably struck many a reader as being a rather hit and miss affair with its supposedly spine-chilling contents – most notably due to the arguable lack of logic or dread occurring within its first story by Chip Zdarsky. In fact, “Let ‘Er Trip” is debatably just plain odd as a desperate mother tracks down her errant eighteen-year old daughter to a local cult, and then inexplicably guts all of the sect’s knife-wielding zealots using the repressed power of her mind; “I shoulda lowered my dosage -- GK!!” 

True, the Canadian writer’s script certainly allows artist Kagan McLeod to pencil plenty of decapitations, eviscerations and innards-splattering sequences towards the tale’s cataclysmic conclusion. But just why taking a mouthful of mushrooms should suddenly imbue the housewife with such phenomenal powers is never properly explained, even by the Creep, and certainly doesn’t seem to live up to the publisher’s “guarantee” of this Eisner Award nominated horror anthology comic book actually scaring its audience to death.

Much more successful however, is James Stokoe’s fish-filled, foul-smelling “Scrimshaw”, which atmospherically evokes all the suspense a bibliophile may well expect from an isolated island whose sole source of income lies in trawling its waters. Somewhat reminiscent of actor Christian Slater’s character talking one-on-one with Louis de Pointe du Lac at the start of the 1994 movie “Interview With A Vampire”, this ten-page plot does a great job of quickly building up an almost mesmeric ambiance, as well as swiftly misdirecting the attention away from the grizzled storyteller with an enthralling old fisherman’s myth so as to provide a genuinely nerve-shuddering shock at its end.

Alongside such intriguing penmanship, the author/illustrator also provides his yarn with some incredibly detailed panels, which really help paint a vividly vibrant picture of an isolated world where hand-carved human body parts occasionally wash up upon the coastline, and are treasured by an increasingly wide-eyed murderer who enthusiastically searches the shore for just such grisly treasure. Furthermore, the concept of a mysterious Scrimshander, shrouded in the ocean’s detritus, is particularly well-depicted, with the creature's disconcerting demeanour easily captivating the eye whenever it makes an appearance.

Writers: Chip Zdarsky and James Stokoe, and Artists: Kagan McLeod and James Stokoe

Creepshow: Joe Hill's Wolverton Station #1 - Image Comics

CREEPSHOW: JOE HILL'S WOLVERTON STATION No. 1, February 2024

For those “kiddies” somehow able to navigate their way through twenty-four pages of abhorrent, expletive-laden dialogue, this comic book adaption/expansion of Joe Hill’s 2014 E-book set “in a dog-eat-dog world” probably never lived up to its pre-publication hype. True, the New York Times bestselling author’s narrative most definitely contains plenty of gratuitous violence and body horror thanks to a pack of hungry werewolves chomping their way through a number of hapless commuters and leaving their dinner scraps all over the place. But besides these momentary gore-fests, this “special presentation” overall is arguably far from convincing; “Americans don’t smell like cheeseburgers. We smell like winners.”

To begin with the sole reason for crooked businessman Saunders to even climb aboard a terrifying train to Wolverton Station is because there’s apparently no limousine drivers available in England to drive him to Buckinghamshire. This rather implausible national strike will surely test the audience’s willing suspension of disbelief straight from the start, and seems to have been crowbarred into the plot solely to ensure that the rich entrepreneur “obsessed with classic Horror memorabilia” uses a particular form of public transport.

Furthermore, the lead character appears unaware that the majority of passengers around him are actually hulking great werewolves, even when they’re ferociously feasting upon the innards of their partially disembowelled victims, or noisily chasing him through the carriages towards First Class. Such a lack of recognition really is quite bemusing, and appears especially strange once the fellow becomes both noticeably sickened and petrified by the numerous mass-murders occurring throughout his train ride. In fact, even after a close call with three ravenous lycanthropes near the toilet, the American still just returns to his seat beside a well-dressed man-wolf and continues with their earlier conversation.

Much more impressive is arguably Michael Walsh’s artwork, with the illustrator’s somewhat roughly-hewn sketches adding plenty of raw energy to the skin-shredding shenanigans occurring aboard the blood-soaked InterCity. Of particular note is how the penciller depicts Saunders becoming increasingly dishevelled physically as his nerve-jangling trip plays out, and he resultantly transforms from the arrogant, all-powerful tycoon into nothing more than a truly desperate taxi-fare who has unwittingly fallen into Sol’s grisly plan for revenge…

The regular cover art of "CREEPSHOW: JOE HILL'S WOLVERTON STATION" #1 by Michael Walsh

Creepshow: Holiday Special 2023 #1 - Image Comics

CREEPSHOW: HOLIDAY SPECIAL 2023 No. 1, December 2023

Most definitely succeeding in its mission “to put the fear in your cheer”, Daniel Kraus’ storyline for “Christmas Man” easily establishes a truly disconcerting foe to murderously stalk Santa Claus during the snow-laden season of giving. Indeed, considering the perfectly plausible background this terrifying tale’s supporting cast make up as to the motivation behind “the Abominable Snowman of the North Pole”, the toe-hungry monster genuinely sounds like something the American author has simply plucked from the mythical stories surrounding Saint Nicholas himself, rather than a foul fiend created specifically for this comic’s ten-page long plot.

In addition, artist Jonathan Wayshak needs a massive pat on the back for his engrossing pencils, which entertainingly incorporate the heavily-stylised sketches of little Esme to help illustrate the child’s traumatised thoughts as to what the fur-covered creature probably looks like in life as it remorselessly follows Father Christmas on foot. These scribblings genuinely help sell the increasing dread flowing through this fairy-tale's impressionable protagonist, and will also doubtless imbue the reader with all the confirmation they need that the child’s mean-spirited siblings have gotten their ‘just rewards’ once the heavily-fanged Yeti has mercilessly devoured all their feet before her very eyes.

Slightly less graphic in its telling, though still containing plenty of removed human body parts, is “Package Thieves” by James Asmus. This “cautionary tale about stealing the wrong parcel” is arguably a little slow in places as Holly becomes increasingly paranoid during her day-to-day thievery, and starts to strongly doubt her life of crime is as victimless as her overbearing partner, Joy, repeatedly claims. But once it becomes clear the pair are specifically being targeted by a homicidal Spirit of Christmas, the pace quite noticeably 'hots up' into a stomach-churning conclusion.

Disappointingly however, “lively” Letizia Cadonici’s layouts probably don’t help with the speed of this predominantly sedentary yarn either, courtesy of the Italian’s somewhat minimalist style (along with Francesco Segala’s colours) making all the figures rather flat-looking and lifeless. Indeed, even the touching despair in the face of a poor father desperate to buy a robot dog back from the woman who stole it from his front-porch, disappointingly lacks a lot of its emotional impact – something which just such a scene should definitely evoke considering its made crystal clear he only wants the toy for his hapless, hospital-bound daughter.

The regular cover art of "CREEPSHOW: HOLIDAY SPECIAL 2023" #1 by Guillem March

Creepshow [2023] #5 - Image Comics

CREEPSHOW No. 5, January 2024

Described by its Portland-based publisher as “the freaky finale of Creepshow, Volume Two”, this terrifying tome certainly seems to get off to a strong start, courtesy of Saladin Ahmed tapping into the increasing public concern of America during the early Fifties, over the gratuitous violence and artwork depicted in comics. Of course, in “Burning Ambition”, the Hugo Award-nominee brings the wave of political hysteria bang up-to-date in the guise of modern-day Governor Hurley. But essentially the hard-nosed statesman is a caricature of infamous Los Angeles councilman Ernest Debs, whose no-nonsense criticisms and concerns swiftly lead to the creation of the Comics Code Authority in 1954. 

Cleverly however, this ten-page tale soon steers away from grand speeches in front of the cheering masses, and uses Artyom Topilin’s layouts to quite chillingly show the obsessive elected official just how deadly a gutter or three can be, when an upset librarian transports him inside an actual book. Indeed, the lion’s share of this “hair-raising” yarn’s success rests upon the illustrator’s shoulders as he mercilessly pencils the poor politician being physically dissected panel by panel via various breaks in his artwork and numerous onomatopoeia; “Those White lines! They’re razor sharp!”

Sticking with the theme of comics is the equally enjoyable “Keep It Fed!” by DB Andry and Tim Daniel. Essentially a reworking of every eight-year-old’s belief that there’s an ever-hungry monster living under their bed who will mercilessly eat them alive as soon as their parents turn off the light, this reasonably straightforward story quite heavily leans into the trope of the boy’s overbearing father being the true antagonist, rather than the ferociously fanged creature stalking poor Ernest and gobbling up the kid's favourite titles.

Phenomenally pencilled by “murderous Matthew Roberts”, the child’s initial sadness at giving up his beloved best issues to the always-hungry fiend in his bedroom is genuinely touching, and later only overshadowed by the fast-growing teenager’s evident distress at his dad totally destroying his remaining collection by burning them all in a large garden fire. Like all successful conclusions though, this tale has a good twist at the end, which sees the adolescent intriguingly following in the actual footsteps of his grotesque “friend” rather than being consumed himself.

Writers: Saladin Ahmed, and David Andry & Tim Daniel, and Artists: Artyom Topilin and Matthew Roberts

Creepshow [2023] #4 - Image Comics

CREEPSHOW No. 4, December 2023

Arguably capturing both some of the wicked wit and grotesque gruesomeness of the original 1982 horror anthology film “Creepshow”, Nick Dragotta’s opening narrative for Issue Four of this comic book mini-series should certainly catch many a reader off-guard with its rapid decline into savage, physical mutilation. In fact, the “naughty” creator’s “Killer Cart Corral” may well completely wrong-foot the majority of this publication’s audience, courtesy of a storyline which initially suggests that a haunted shopping trolley will be its central antagonist, and then shockingly revealing a far grisly monster to break Billy’s heavily traumatised mother into several pieces.

Sure, some bibliophiles might believe that the thieving, drug-dealing brat’s parent may well have deserved a truly dreadful death at the bottom of her deceased son’s blood-splattered buggy. But this ten-page plot’s writer/artist does such a cracking job in revealing the adolescent’s deceit and his guardian’s unwillingness to accept his fatal flaws, despite closed circuit television footage to the contrary, that when she is still disconcertingly gurgling for mercy, few “Creepsters” will believe she genuinely deserves it; “As for you and your Billy. We simply cannot tolerate such carelessness. Good boy, Dougans.”

Just as intriguing, though not anywhere near as gory, is “The Amulet” by the “abominable Alisa Kwitney”, which explores all the concerns a wheelchair-bound septuagenarian may well experience when she is unlovingly expelled from her home straight into a cruelly-run nursing centre for the elderly. Quick to realise her perilous predicament, “Professor Emeritus of Archaeology and Anthropology at Ogelthorpe College” makes for a remarkably sympathetic heroine, who sadly appears well out of her depth against the Rainbow Rest’s utterly merciless and homicidally murderous manageress.

Proficiently pencilled by Belgian illustrator Mauricet, it’s debatably difficult to see just how the new resident is ever going to survive even a week inside the care home, especially when it’s spelled out to her just how quick a death a tenant can experience should they cross the malignant Miss Amy. But rather cleverly, the New York City-born writer manages to throw a few surprises into the mix at the end, including a truly disturbing scene of the facility’s outfoxed female felon being forced to eat the body parts of one of her previous victims as a staff member unwittingly watches on.

Writers: Nick Dragotta and Alisa Kwitney, and Artists: Nick Dragotta and Mauricet

Creepshow [2023] #3 - Image Comics

CREEPSHOW No. 3, November 2023

Disconcertingly delivered like something out of “Tharg's Future Shocks” than the American comedy horror anthology franchise, Zoe Thorogood’s space-age saga “Eternity, Eternity, Eternity” probably caused a fair bit of consternation to those anticipating a ghoulish tale from beyond the grave. Indeed, arguably the ten-page tale’s sole connection with George A. Romero’s popular series is the obligatory brief inclusion of the Creep as narrator, and several buckets worth of gruesome bodily dismemberment; “With nothing left, I began to deconstruct. Life had won. I lay on the ash covered wasteland I once called home.”

To make matters worse though, the comic creator’s pencilling doesn’t arguably add all that much dynamic life to her adventure about an immortal woman getting thoroughly bored with living forever either, courtesy of some rather flat-looking panels with empty backgrounds. This artistic style does admittedly have its moments, most notably at the story’s start when scientist loses her pet cat and husband through unhappy circumstances. But by the time the illustrator’s main protagonist has injected herself with “only one viable dose of serum” and plucked out an eye in frustration at its singular effect, the sole purpose of many a subsequent picture appears to simply be to shock the audience with another gawdy show of self-mutilation.

Much more mesmerising is “Sacrifices” by Joel Farrelly, which does a cracking job in combining a modern-day crime thriller with a Cthulhu-like deep sea deity. Persistently twisting and turning, the ‘subversive comedian’ repeatedly keeps his audience on the edge of their seats, even when the narrative’s major mobster sniffs out his wife’s treachery and unsurprisingly intercepts professional thief Eddie before the light-fingered rogue can escape off his luxurious ocean-liner with a highly-valuable red diamond.

Admirably helping to sell this tentacle-filled yarn is Goran Sudzuka, whose design for the giant crab creature Ag’Biknoir appears to have been delightfully snatched straight out of the pages of either a H. P. Lovecraft or Jules Vern novel. Furthermore, the Croatian does an excellent job in quickly shifting Berkman’s facial fury in not getting his jewel “by midnight tonight” over to sheer insanity, once the crook realises his god has already come for its sacrifice and he has nothing more to look forward to in life than a brain-splattering thump from a gigantic antsy appendage.

Writers: Zoe Thorogood and Joel Farrelly, and Artists: Zoe Thorogood and Goran Sudzuka

Creepshow [2023] #2 - Image Comics

CREEPSHOW No. 2, October 2023

Initially providing his audience with a genuinely relatable depiction of a lonely youngster desperate to find companionship with their favourite television programmes when left alone for the night, Michael Walsh’s wonderful “The Man With No Eyes” must surely have caused many a bibliophile to have had some considerable sympathy for both Dan and his “down-on-his-luck dad” as they desperately try to survive a week of gruelling night shifts before “things’ll be easier.”

As well pencilled as it penned by the Eisner Award-winner, this terrifying ten-pager soon turns even more tragic though as the completely innocent child totally falls under the sinister spell of a malignant magician who horrifically has his ghoulish heart set on the friendless lad’s eyeballs, and causes the boy’s father to lose his crucial, bill-paying job through absolutely no fault of his own. Disconcertingly haunting, the tale’s subsequent conclusion is genuinely upsetting, as the minor’s remorseful parent appears about to make amends for smashing up their sole telly in a drunken temper only to face a grotesquely disfigured Dan desperate for revenge and armed with a jagged piece of their smashed set’s glass screen.

Slightly less hard-hitting, though perfectly entertaining in its own right, is “Keep It Down” by Dan Watters, which rather intriguingly taps into the life of a woman who can communicate with the dead. This supernatural ability is ofttimes presented as being something of a boon to those who possess it, and initially the London-born writer follows just such a path with the young woman responsibly listening to all the spirits’ different plights. However, once the sheer number of unwanted souls starts to impact upon poor Amy’s day-to-day life the desperate medium decides to take a very drastic step to ensure she obtains a good night’s sleep.

Interestingly however, it soon turns out that the lady’s keen hearing has actually been keeping her safe from a much darker demonic monstrosity than artist Abigail Larson’s well-sketched spectre who persistently enquires about what Tik Tok is all about. This deadly threat neatly ties in with the yarn’s opening too, so rather impressively helps bookend the petrifying piece too; “In the end, her pleas for quiet really fell on deaf ears.”

Writers: Michael Walsh and Dan Watters, and Artists: Michael Walsh and Abigail Larson

Creepshow [2023] #1 - Image Comics

CREEPSHOW No. 1, September 2023

Whilst American special effects guru Greg Nicotero is probably right when he states at the start of this comic’s “Creep Corner” letters page that the anthology’s “bite-sized horror jaunts are increasingly satisfying”, it’s arguably difficult to imagine just how this mini-series could get off to a more controversial start than Garth Ennis’ truly disconcerting narrative entitled “Make Your Choice”. True, artist Becky Cloonan luckily never actually pencils any of the incest or the young daughter’s subsequent abortion which forms the backbone of this ten-pager’s plot. But the tale’s sheer assault upon the senses with innumerable blood-splattered human foetuses and unnecessary expletives is probably more than enough to make the yarn utterly unpalatable as it is.

To make matters worse though, the Northern Irish–American author appears to have completely forgotten about the “frequently funny” element to the franchise’s storytelling which made Stephen King and George A. Romero’s original movie “the highest grossing horror film for the Warner Brothers studio” in 1982. Preferring instead to simply pad out the incessant carousel of panels populated by grisly-looking babies with an endless stream of swear words, religious-based profanities, and grotesquely ghoulish mental images; “Oh dear God above, the Devil got into her! The Lord of the Flies, Beelzebub, he got into her when she came of age and he set her to tempt me!”

Slightly more ‘honourable to the genre’ is Phil Hester’s “Fossil Record”, which rather intriguingly follows a distraught palaeontologist down into deep madness following the death of the young man’s mother. Decidedly tongue-in-cheek, owing to both the clumsiness and excitability of August, the Iowa-born writer’s premise that a previously undetected species actually caused the great extinctions of the planet’s past makes for an intriguing read.

However, once the Eisner Award-nominee begins pencilling Professor Heinrich’s underground warren of hand-dug tunnels, things turn much more macabre, with the realisation that the killer species might actually have lured the mentally unstable protagonist to his doom, when it somehow realised he had discovered their shadowy presence. This change of pace is extremely well-penned and leads to an excellent zombie-filled chase back to the graveyard where the elderly Missus Hodgson was only recently buried.

Writers: Garth Ennis and Phil Hester, and Artists: Becky Cloonan and Phil Hester

Creepshow #5 - Image Comics

CREEPSHOW No. 5, January 2023

Providing something akin to a modern day take of Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, Steve Orlando’s standalone story for Issue Five of “Creepshow” is probably a little too preoccupied depicting Parker’s blithe bedroom activities than how the old man turned young somehow managed to summon a demon to feast upon his increasing great age. But once the clubber’s phone is inadvertently taken by a casual overnight partner the tale soon heats up as a rapidly decaying octogenarian has to plead for it back before his soul is consumed by The Creep’s heavily-fanged friend.  

Arguably not helping “Thirst Trap” with its slow start though is Marianna Ignazzi, whose art style doesn’t seem to quite suit the narrative until the central character’s fate is truly sealed and they’re literally turned into a puddle of grisly goo on a residential area’s pavement. Before this scene of ghoulish jellification, the Italian illustrator appears to struggle to show Parker at his true age, simply pencilling the disconcertingly unwrinkled pensioner with white hair so that he looks strangely reminiscent of an adolescent Race Bannon rather than a long-time devotee of the Devil; “There. It’s done. It is done. Isn’t it? A deal’s a deal, and you… You’ll do it? Give me more time? That is… It’s what we said.”

Much more intriguing is debatably Clay McLeod Chapman’s “Husk”, which ends this “mini-series finale” with a fantastic show of eye-wincing body horror, courtesy of a poor debutante suddenly transforming into a human-sized Praying Mantis and eating her dumbfounded parents alive. Leaving much to the imagination as to just what covenant was agreed between the girl’s non-biological father and the woodland witch who gave her to him, the Richmond-born writer does a good job of hinting at the teenager’s transformation with a disgusting bunion and freakish rippling bone moment, before having the monster finally reveal itself in true “Carrie” fashion.

Perhaps this yarn’s sole concern therefore lies with the initially quite lifeless layouts of “exciting newcomer Anwita Citriya", which at first appear as trepidatious in their woodenness as the elegant “Texas Dip” curtsey Sally is trying to master alongside her mother. Happily however, this listlessness soon departs once the young aristocrat retreats to her bedroom, and is ultimately replaced with some excellent-looking panels portraying the girl’s metamorphosis into a truly nightmarish, all-devouring giant insect.

Writers: Steve Orlando and Clay McLeod, and Artists: Marianna Ignazzi and Anwita Citriya

Creepshow #4 - Image Comics

CREEPSHOW No. 4, December 2022

Containing two vastly contrasting “all-new standalone stories”, there’s still arguably not a great deal for Creepsters to enjoy inside this twenty-two-page periodical. Sure, Kyle Starks’ opening fright fest “Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are” initially shows some terrific potential by capturing the feel of both Joel Schumacher’s 1987 horror film “The Lost Boys” and Stephen King’s award-winning novel “It”. But disappointingly the narrative soon becomes incredibly sedentary once three of the “ragtag group of kids” are fatally bitten by the neighbourhood’s vampires, and the sole-survivor spends the next twenty-five years of her life sat inside her home in total isolation.

Sadly, this sudden change of tempo can’t even be saved by Fran Galan’s artwork, which having been packed full of pace during the unwise adolescents’ flight from Mesker Woods, suddenly lapses into a succession of panels depicting a now rather rotund SkinnyNancy81 tied to her computer desk conversing with faceless ‘friends’ over the internet. Pencilling so lack-lustre a life certainly helps sell the author’s plot that the woman has completely removed herself from the real world so as to keep her safe from the blood-drinkers at her doorstep. However, many readers of this comic may well have preferred for the writer to have shown more of the energetic build-up to the gang’s ill-advised hunt or possibly have extended their sad demises rather than this somewhat soulless ending.

Infinitely livelier is “La Mascara De La Muerte” by Henry Barajas, which ultimately turns into a seriously gratuitous depiction of mutilation within the squared circle as a wrestling champion quite literally tears off her face to end a demonic curse. The notion of a would-be winner selling their soul so as to reach the top of their profession’s ladder is hardly new. Yet, the Latinx author adds some intriguing elements into the mix with Dragon Roja’s legendary father having been similarly cursed for desiring greatness; “I’m sorry I lied to you all these years, Mija. But the truth was too painful --”

Sadly, what debatably lets this tale down are Dani’s layouts, which many a bibliophile will doubtless find somewhat difficult to navigate. The illustrator’s splodgy style makes some of this yarn’s panels rather indistinct, especially during the flashback to when Lupe’s parent became a murdering psychopath “after he won the belt”. Albeit the scene of the victorious female wrestler desperately ripping her cursed mask from her head, flesh and all, is plain for all to see, and will doubtless give anyone witnessing the grotesque event nightmares for weeks.

Writers: Kyle Starks and Henry Barajas, and Artists: Fran Galan and Dani

Creepshow #3 - Image Comics

CREEPSHOW No. 3, November 2022

Co-authored and pencilled by Eisner Award-winner Francesco Francavilla, the Creep’s opening ‘scare’ for Issue Three of “Creepshow” certainly provides the ten-page tale with just the sort of sleepy, American backwater terror some of the horror franchise’s fans might find enjoyably reminiscent of Stephen King’s “Old Chief Wood'nhead”. Indeed, the Italian illustrator may well have missed something of a trick by not sketching the cigar store Indian nonchalantly standing idly by in a heavily shadowed corner of Jimmy the Barber’s salon, as the animal lover quietly goes about his daily business of cutting people’s curls and listening to boastful hunters talk of their potential future kills.

Happily, despite this slight quibble, there’s still plenty to intrigue the reader in “Hair” as both the role of James’ amiable raccoons and the innocuous task of him sweeping his customer’s severed locks down into the sewer system suddenly becomes abundantly clear. Unsurprisingly, this revelation also allows Francavilla the opportunity to depict a truly formidable-looking specimen of Procyon lotor, as well as hint that the story’s central protagonist probably isn’t quite as innocent as to the devilish doings taking place “down by the river” as his inoffensive surprise at so many grisly murders might suggest.

Somewhat more technologically minded, though equally as chilling, is Ariela Kristantina’s “journey to a temple hidden within an island paradise where many visit but not everyone leaves.” Depicting easily one of the most annoying and condescending ‘victims’ of a ghoulish demise imaginable, “The Bridge” will doubtless have many a perusing bibliophile urging this standalone story’s foul-mouthed Alexis on towards her inevitable doom with increasing urgency.

In fact, this tale’s tension is debatably caused solely by the suggestion that the repugnant social influencer will also lead her hapless trio of biographers into a fate worse than death, rather than it being generated by concern over the bikini-clad bimbo’s diabolical destiny. Artist Jorge Corona should also be heartily congratulated for their contribution to this staycation’s success, courtesy of some truly plant-packed panels, and their wince-inducing layouts showing Alexis’ disconcertingly ghastly physical transformation; “You… Learn some respect… Learn how to listen… Stay here… With the others… Forever…”

Writers: L Marlow Francavilla & Francesco Francavilla, and Ariela Kristantina, and Artists: Francesco Francavilla and Jorge Corona

Creepshow #2 - Image Comics

CREEPSHOW No. 2, October 2022

Arguably relying upon their readers’ imagination to conjure up the nightmarish horror which so suddenly causes young Daphne to stop playing under her back garden’s impressively large old oak, David and Maria Lapham’s ultimately rather violent “tale of a tree whose roots grew so deep they reached Hell” doesn’t really make an awful lot of sense. Sure, it’s clear that the child’s “favourite place” has somehow been transformed into a malignant force for evil, and disconcertingly has the ability to detrimentally influence those people unlucky enough to fall under its mesmeric spell. But just how the tree is able to make the girl cold-bloodedly murder both her parents and the visiting Kumars before disappearing down a hole in its trunk is anybody’s guess. As is the plant’s disconcerting ability to talk and suddenly infest its owner’s house with all manner of chattering insects.

Likewise, David Lapham’s artwork is probably a little too clean to successfully conjure up the increasingly dark atmosphere this ten-page tale needs to generate. The American cartoonist can clearly proficiently pencil a story, yet with the exception of the gnarly titular antagonist, everything else is rather stiff-looking – even when Daphne is busy chopping her neighbours into “tiny bits” with an axe so she can use their “mush” as fertilizer.

Perhaps slightly more successful is Steve Foxe’s “Creator’s Rites”, which dips its toe into the thorny waters of elder abuse by so-called professionals and whether intentionally or not, will doubtless cause some within its audience to draw parallels between the plight of supposedly penniless Sal Medina and the late, great Stan Lee. Indeed, Erica Henderson’s depiction of Infra Red’s geriatric creator even physically resembles the Jack Kirby Hall of Famer with his white hair, glasses and cardigan-covered open-necked shirt; “F*ck the movies! I don’t get one shining cent from those pieces of sh*t!”

Sadly however, Bill’s uninspiring attempt to steal his patient’s generous court settlement whilst wearing a cartoon mask isn’t scary in any shape or form, as nothing supernatural even remotely occurs. Instead, this narrative provides an intriguing insight into the addled mind of an imaginative pensioner, whose comic book creations simply help stir his aging frame into one last moment of tangible activity so as to save the day… Or at least deliver upon the man’s untrustworthy home aide a rather grisly just dessert.

Writers: David Lapham & Maria Lapham, and Steve Foxe, and Artists: David Lapham and Erica Henderson

Creepshow #1 - Image Comics

CREEPSHOW No. 1, September 2022

Considering just how high the anticipation was for this “five-issue comic book anthology based on Greg Nicotero’s hit Shudder television series” following Skybound's announcement in July 2022, Chris Burnham’s script for “Take One” was arguably always going to fall under incredible scrutiny from its readers’ nostalgia-tinted hand lenses. Happily though, the Halloween-based fright-fest is more than up to its task of depicting a disconcertingly disturbing thriller, and even manages to add an extra bump in the night at its conclusion by portraying the one victim with a conscience as the true villain of the piece; “Did he make it right? No! That little monster got his disgust desserts!” 

In fact, the Connecticut-born writer somehow manages to cram his ten-pager with all the tropes fans of spine-chilling show might expect - including the Creep’s rather humorous cackling narration, a strong sense of foreboding before the tale’s errant adolescents stupidly decide to steal some sweeties, and a stomach-churning conclusion full of extreme bodily mutilation. Furthermore, all these 'dark doings' are prodigiously pencilled by Burnham himself, with the American artist conjuring up a truly unpleasant antagonist in the guise of the long-dead Mister Xander, who vengefully wanders the local streets as a decomposing, heavily-moustached zombie.

Slightly less successful, partly due to its silly and debatably non-lethal ending, is Paul Dini and Stephen Langford’s “Shingo”, which follows young Fee’s last-minute birthday party. Initially appearing to establish the unimpressed girl’s dysfunctional parents as the yarn’s central sacrificial offerings, this demonic warning not to employ a carnivorous monster as your kid’s shoddily arranged entertainer certainly accumulates an impressive kill-count due to the titular character furiously munching its way through a seemingly endless carousal of hapless children.

However, by the time Sherrie, the ex-pole dancing princess, has been mercilessly wolfed down with a single gulp, the rather repetitive nature of this fearsome fable’s plot means that the orange-furred, purple skinned clown has probably outstayed its welcome with the comic’s audience. As a result, this particular "debut edition" anecdote will probably be best remembered for some marvellous gratuitously gruesome panels by artist John McCrea showing Shingo swallowing his numerous victims whole as opposed to its actual standalone storyline.

 Writer & Artist: Chris Burnham, Writers: Paul Dini & Stephen Langford, and Artist: John McCrea