2016 Comic Challenge 257 Charles Burns' Black Hole

TITLE-Black Hole
PUBLISHER-Fantagraphics

I am pretty sure I reviewed the first issue of this series earlier this year. Got a copy of the collection of all 12 issues and been reading it over the past few days.

Holy fuck. I have been a fan of Charles Burns for a long time now. And this is the best thing I have read from him.

Really it is hard to explain this series. The bare basics is a virus is out. It only seems to infect teens. And if you get infected it causes your body to mutate. Some get lucky and have a mutation they can hide. The others end up living out in the woods.

But there is so much going on under the basic plot. Lots of stuff I am still trying to puzzle out.I am thinking this virus is really what all of us go thru the first time we have sex.But then it might be the stuff we all feel as teens,how we don't fit in and feel like we are a totally different species.

The great black and white artwork is stunning.Where as Frank Miller used this style of b/w art to recreate the mood of film noir,Burns seems to be using it more as a way to get you to focus more on the story. Not that the art is bad,hell it is better than 90% of the crap that is coming out from the big 2.

Black Hole gets a BUY!

2016 Comic Challenge 256 Texas Chainsaw Massacre Fearbook

TITLE-Texas Chainsaw Massacre Fearbook
PUBLISHER-Avatar

Ok now I see why I never see much talk about the Avatar remake based TCM comics. They all  seem to follow the same plot.

This time instead of Krug and company it is a car with some women and a hippie. Same carnage. Looks good.But after reading it once you don't wanna read it again for a bit.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre Fearbook gets a pass.

2016 Comic Challenge 255 Red Circle Sorcery #06

TITLE-Red Circle Sorcery #06
PUBLISHER-Red Circle/Archie Comics

Back in the mid 70s Archie tried to spread out into other genres of comics. So they started this horror anthology series.

Under that gorgeous Gray Morrow cover is a bunch of well drawn and well written stories. And for a comic published by Archie,even if they used a separate imprint and the Archie name is no where on the title,get pretty graphic for the era.

If you enjoy horror anthologies this series is worth tracking down. Seems every time I find an issue it is $5.Which considering how hard to find these issues are isn't a bad price.

Red Circle Sorcery #06 gets a buy.

2016 Comic Challenge 254 The Walking Dead #159

TITLE-The Walking Dead #159
PUBLISHER-Image

Halfway done with the Whisperer war and shit is starting to get really good.

The group that got attacked last issue is surrounded by Whisperers and zombies. Negan goes after Beta. Then out of no where Lucille breaks. Which causes Negan to have a breakdown. Thankfully Beta is injured and the Whisperers retreat.

Back at Hilltop Carl finds out from his new woman some secrets about the Whisperers. And if she is telling the truth ...well our gang of regulars are fucked.

Back on the battleground Dwight breaks the group up into 4 groups. Their plan is to divide the herd of Whisperers and zombies. Dwight managed to silently kill one of the Whisperers.And the issue ends with Dwight putting on the Whisperers zombie skin.

I love how this story is so very different than the All Out War story. Less big action scenes and the Whisperers seem to be the biggest threat our regulars have faced so far.

The Walking Dead #159 gets a A.

31 Days of Horror 2016 Day 20 Bates Motel

TITLE-Bates Motel
Source-DVD

When this first aired in the mid 80s I eagerly awaited the premiere of this TV show pilot. Watched it the night it aired and kind of forgot about it. Years later I thought "Hell I should track down a copy." And all I could find was one of those way over-priced burn on demand DVDs. No way was I paying 20 bucks plus shipping for a burnt disc. Then one day I found a pack that had Psycho 2 thru 4 plus this movie. It was only 5 bucks so I grabbed it.

Bud Cort gets sent to a mental hospital years ago when he was young. While there he becomes best friends with Norman Bates. So when Norman dies he leaves Bud the Bates Motel in the will. So Bud gets out and decides to reopen the infamous hotel.

The first hour or so of this pilot is all about Bud along with Lori Petty reopening the hotel. While this part isn't horrible,it is boring as fuck. They could have cut this down to 30 minutes and it might help.

Then of course the hotel opens. A lady checks in. And the last 30 minutes of this feel like the second episode of this failed series.She is gonna kill herself. But then the redhead from Head of the Class walks into her room. And we get this very Twilight Zone like story.

Really unless you are some mega Psycho fan that must see everything connected to that classic original avoid this movie at all costs. Sure that DVD I got cost me $1.25 for the film. And it isn't worth that much. It is odd cause I find Bud Cort and Lori Petty to be pretty good talents. But they can't keep this movie from being so boring I had to keep fighting off sleep while watching it.

Bates Motel gets a C-.