Dimension's City Stomping Double Issue Godzilla Review!!

Originally, I set out to write about Issue #1, but having the first 2 issues within my grasp, I decided to go for the “Dimension’s City Stomping Double Issue Godzilla Review”…ok, maybe I should rethink the title…not exactly a winner.

I am a HUGE Godzilla nerd, in fact, I’m a HUGE Daikaiju (Giant Monster) film nut, I always have been. In order to not show how obsessed I really am, let’s just talk Godzilla comics. Now, for years Godzilla has found a home in comics through Marvel and Dark Horse comics…and quite honestly, in my opinion, they were never really that good. Being a fan of Godzilla, yes even sitting through the American version (insert moan and groan) and the Hanna Barbera "Godzooky" show, I always felt that just seeing Godzilla destroy cities and fight second rate foes was, underwhelming. The main reason, for me, at least was the lack of real, serious threatening Godzilla foes...like King Ghidorah, Mothra...even Rodan.

 Dealing with TOHO has got to be tough, but somehow, IDW Publishing pulled it off. IDW Publishing, who I always think did the Angel series some justice but really did some amazing stuff with the Transformers series. Plus, they released 30 Days of Nights, GI Joe and a few others...visit http://www.idwpublishing.com/ for more info on all the titles! The newest Godzilla comic book series promises to be FULL our favorite Godzilla foe.

So let’s dive in to the review:

Godzilla – Kingdom of Monsters #1

Written by Eric Powell and Tracy Marsh

Artwork – Phil Hester

For the premier issue, IDW decided to reboot the Godzilla storyline that we are all so familiar with. I actually like this choice; it allows the writers to put certain twists on the Legend of Godzilla. So far we, for the 1st issue, see children being eaten (always brings a smile to my face…haha…my Therapist isn’t a fan), Japan dropping Nuclear weapons on the “Big G” causing Godzilla to now have Atomic breath and plenty of the line “You have got to be F&*King kidding me”.

Big fan so far…slow paced, the Godzilla (for other nerds wondering) is based on the Millennium Godzilla and his is drawn: Fierce. Like I said, so far so good…obviously the further we get into a story, the more we will see how the opening holds up.

Grade B+ - I really enjoyed the fast pace, the look of Godzilla and the surrounding story. The panic and the reboot I am really hopeful for.

 

Smart Moves!! - The Marketing by IDW for Issue #1 was amazing. They released an offer to retailers that, if the retailer purchased 500 copies of Issue #1, they would give that retailer an EXCLUSIVE variant cover with Godzilla squashing their retail location. Now, my opinion, the timing for this was great....they planned this around Free Comic Book Day allowing retailers, if they desired to hand these out as an advertisement. IDW in the process released over a Whopping 100 Variant covers!! Go collectors get those...haha..plus, IDW added to the print run of an additional 37,000 issues to be out there. Extremely smart marketing on IDW's part. I know, for a FACT, if I still had my retail store...I would have been all over this one!

 

 

Issue #2

Ok, now we are getting somewhere...This issue we see Godzilla getting governments all over the world, very nervous...but that's not it...we also see the arrival of Rodan and Anguirus. Rodan is hatched out of an egg from a Russian museum and Anguirus rolls (literally) through Mexico! The story is more action based so far...we see a comical Father of the children from issue #1 becoming a human bomb, who launches himself at Godzilla...only to come off more like a small firecracker...Who else will show up?? How can they stop the Attack of the Monsters??? Gotta keep grabbing them to find out!

Grade B+ - if you are waiting for an A, keep waiting until we see some Monster on Monster destruction. So far so good...I would recommend it...but I think the story is gonna need to pick up shortly.



LET ME IN: CROSSROADS #1 Comic Review

COMIC REVIEW

LET ME IN: CROSSROADS #1

STORY: Marc Andreyko

ART: Patric Reynolds

PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics

REVIEW: Mark Mackner

As anyone with any taste can tell you, LET THE RIGHT ONE IN is easily the best vampire movie of the last decade. I didn’t get a chance to see the American remake yet, but I’ve heard good things. LET ME IN: CROSSROADS is the official prelude to the American film. What causes young girl vamp Abby and her mysterious caretaker to set up shop in a new town at the beginning of the movie? Why does Abby’s budding friendship with a young boy raise a red flag for the caretaker? This comic series seeks to answer those questions, in a presumably horrific fashion.



One thing that I find so intriguing about Abby (her name is Eli in the novel and the original film) and her caretaker is the mystery surrounding them. She leaves little nuggets here and there about her history, but there are still so many questions. Who exactly IS the caretaker? What’s his relationship to her? Why does he commit such atrocious acts in order to protect her and provide for her? How was she “turned”? How did she get by before she met the caretaker?

THAT’S what makes these characters so compelling. In this age of prequels and remakes that over-explain the origins of everyone from Wolverine to Willy Wonka (When it’s usually best left a secret), it’s refreshing to have characters that leave you wondering. Which is precisely WHY a prequel to this particular story is so alarming. My first thought was NOOOOO!!!! Don’t tell me any more about these characters! We know just enough to care about them and still by fascinated by them. Any more information will shatter the mystique, and that could ruin everything.



But, I’m happy to report that this new series from Dark Horse has no intention of shattering any mystique whatsoever. It’s merely an earlier chapter in the lives of Abby and her caretaker. A previous adventure, if you will. All the mystery is still there, the characters are simply in another setting, in a different situation.

This time, instead of the frozen, snowy backdrops of the films, we get a dried-up dustbowl in the Midwest. Instead of teen bullies, the villains are a greedy real estate tycoon and his drunken mess of a son-in-law. Seems they want to build on Abby and her caretaker’s property, and are trying to force them to move out. I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say that I’m pretty sure they’re gonna end up dead. That’s the inherent problem with prequels. It’s kinda difficult to build up suspense when you already know that the protagonists can’t be killed off. And the villains here are such one-note douchebags that you know they’re going to meet with a gruesome fate. These kinds of guys never see the light and change their ways in horror films/comics. They’re just written to be so unrepentantly evil that when they finally get their bloody comeuppance, you’re cheering it on.



This is one of those monster stories where the protagonist may be a monster, but the regular humans are the REAL monsters. It’s a timeless theme, and I’m sure there are many creative interpretations of it yet to be seen.



Another captivating element to the story is the fact that Abby was turned at a very young age, and now she’s trapped in a child’s body forever. She’s been around for ages, but she’ll never know what it’s like to be treated as an adult. Even her only friend, the caretaker, takes a parental role in her life. That expands the dramatic possibilities here, and makes Abby an understandably melancholy and tragic figure.



So far, there’s nothing uniquely gripping about this new story, but the artwork is terrific, and as I’ve said, the characters continue to be untainted by too much backstory.



If you felt the films and novel said everything that needed to be said about Abby/Eli, then there’s really no reason to get this. BUT, if you found yourself enthralled with the character, and wish to support her rise as a potential multimedia horror icon and believe that she has many thrilling stories yet to be told, then get to your local comic shop, and pick this up!

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When not hanging out at The Horror Hotel, Mark Mackner can be found creating such local indie horror gems as DAISY DERKINS: DOGSITTER OF THE DAMNED!, EVIL BREW, THE HALF-LIFE HORROR FROM HELL or: IRRADIATED SATAN ROCKS THE WORLD!, and EMBALMO!  He’s also the resident Spider-Man scholar over at geek site POPTARDS where he writes SPIDEY’S WEEKLY WEB-UP.  In 2011, he’ll be directing his latest original script PROM NIGHT ABORTION! 



The Living Corpse - Hack/Slash Crossover makes a Girl's heart go pitter patter

The Living Corpse - Hack/Slash Crossover makes a Girl's heart go pitter patter

by: Demonica (Kim Dimension)

Well, it’s me Demonica again…your resident Fan Girl and Head Demon in Charge, or better known as Kim Dimension, and I’m back with another comic review. Currently I have been hooked on reading Hack/Slash by Tim Seeley. I love Tim’s work with my main girl Cassie Hack. Who doesn’t love an ass kicking hero, especially when she is a girl? So, I just finished reading Hack/Slash Omnibus 3 and as usual, it left me wanting more. Thanks Tim for creating such a great character, it makes this girl proud to know that us females have a place in the slasher’s world.

 

I loved the last chapter titled, “The Living Corpse Annual #1: Guest Starring Hack/Slash” – It was written by Ken Haeser. Such a fan of the style that Buz Hasson & Ken Haeser’s draw Cassie, it borders on Japanese Anime, but still comes off classy and clean. The colors are vibrant and detail is given to everything, such great world they created.

Why is it that all young couples always seem to find trouble when they go into the woods to get some action? Can’t kids find another place to go for sex? Like an abandoned cabin…oh wait, that might be bad…how about when your Parents leave? Nah, bad idea on that one too. Geez, with all the evil that lurks in the woods, don’t you know that the woods are almost certain death? Still it still makes a great backdrop for this story.

Having The Living Corpse with Hack only makes it more interesting. We quickly learn that Cassie and Corpse are old friends….. imagine friends like them? Then throwing the Jersey Devil into the mix makes it more enjoyable. Vlad and Cassie get to take down the Jersey Devil, or should I say…beat the hell out of him! Vlad stumbles into The Living Corpse, or just Corpse as his friends call him (*wink). Corpse didn’t know Vlad, resulting in a fisticuffs’ meet up, cut short by Cassie, as she comes to Vlad’s rescue.

Corpse realizes that it is the one and only Cassie Hack (my note- let’s see these guys together again, big fan of these two together). As Cassie & Corpse begin to catch up, the Jersey Devil’s mother, who now is less than happy about the death of her little one, comes after them. We quickly discover Mrs. Devil’s ability, I will call it “Winged Demon Vagina Assault”, unleashes holy hell upon our heroes. It takes Vlad’s smart thinking to take down the mother of the Jersey Devil. Corpse as a tampon?…hmmm, interesting. Corpse, the victor, is now covered in the end trails of the mother and the woods are yet again safe for pre-adolescent, unsafe sex. Can’t wait to read more from The Living Corpse & Hack/Slash characters. Maybe someday, they will get to meet again…..I will hold my breath if it will help!

 

Thanks for a great chapter guys! Slay ya later Comic geeks....xoxo Demonica

For more info on Hack/Slash visit Image Comics

Plus the fan site Hack Slash Inc

For more info on The Living Corpse - Hit them up!!

COMIC REVIEW - ACTION COMICS #894 - Lex meets Death....and she's HOT

COMIC REVIEW

ACTION COMICS #894

STORY: Paul Cornell

ART: Pete Woods

DEATH’S DIALOGUE written by: Neil Gaiman

PUBLISHER: DC

REVIEW: Mark Mackner 

Hola, Action aficionados! ‘Tis I, resident Spider-Man scholar MARK MACKNER with a look at last weeks’ historic ACTION COMICS #894. 

Historic how? Well, this issue marks the very first appearance of NEIL GAIMAN’s character DEATH (from his SANDMAN series) in the regular DC Universe. Gaiman even makes a guest appearance on this issue, providing the dialogue for his adorable version of “The Grim Reaper”. 

This is not a standalone story. It’s actually Part 5 of an arc titled THE BLACK RING, where SUPERMAN’S arch-nemesis LEX LUTHOR has taken center stage as the main focus. The end of Chapter 4 saw the apparent demise of Lex, and this issue lets us in on what happens when Lex is faced with, well, Death. 

Death is as charming and good-humored as always, and it’s so very nice to see her again. I definitely got that feeling you get when you hang with an awesome old friend that you haven’t seen in a long time. And it’s really cool that they let Gaiman come in and write her, even though this isn’t his story. PETE WOODS’ pencils compliment the character well, rendering her striking beauty in every panel, lovingly detailed. 

Lex, well, as you could understand, is not very happy to be grappling with his own mortality. After all, he is a man on a mission, a mission that is not yet completed. So he goes through all the stages of grieving himself: disbelief (“You’re telling me Death is a teenage girl?”), anger (“You’ll regret this!”), sadness (“I feel… helpless. I CAN’T be helpless”), and bargaining (“What would it take for you to change this?”). But Lex, ever his defiant self, even in death, refuses to accept the situation. Even after witnessing his “Life Review”, featuring “lots of people fighting, and lots of people being clever.” Still, he’s not quite sold on this whole “being dead” thing. 

 In his rage, he even accuses Death of being involved with Blackest Night, to which Death replies, “Oh. Yeah. I noticed that. It looked like they were all having a great time. You know, people do come back from the dead. It’s not a big deal. I AM kind of busy.” She also politely states her resentment of Lex’s treating her “like a super-villain”. 

Through it all, Lex maintains his “misunderstood hero wrongly painted as the villain” position. And he does manage to evoke your sympathy here. You can’t help but feel a little sorry for the guy, as he’s so utterly convinced that what he does is for the benefit of mankind. Plus, he gets mad points from me for being a proud, outspoken atheist, which he describes.

When not hanging out at The Horror Hotel, Mark Mackner can be found creating such local indie horror gems as DAISY DERKINS: DOGSITTER OF THE DAMNED!, EVIL BREW, THE HALF-LIFE HORROR FROM HELL or: IRRADIATED SATAN ROCKS THE WORLD!, and EMBALMO!  He’s also the resident Spider-Man scholar over at geek site POPTARDS where he writes SPIDEY’S WEEKLY WEB-UP.  In 2011, he’ll be directing his latest original script PROM NIGHT ABORTION!

DC Universe Halloween Special 2010 review - Better than last year??

COMIC REVIEW 

DC UNIVERSE HALLOWEEN SPECIAL 2010 (One-Shot) 

STORY: “Trick for The Scarecrow” (Batman), by Billy Tucci. “Robin the Vampire Slayer” (Batman & Robin), by Joe Harris. “Time or Your Life” (Flash), by Alex Segura. “A Night to Remember” (Wonder Woman & Deadman), by Vinton Heuck. “Medusa Non Grata” (Miss Martian & Blue Beetle), by Bryan Q. Miller. “Fears of Steel” (Superman & The Demon), by Brian Keene.

ART: Billy Tucci, Lee Garbett, Kenneth Loh, Dean Zachary, Trevor McCarthy, Stephen Thompson.

PUBLISHER: DC

AVAILABLE: Now, at your local comic shop! 

REVIEW: Mark Mackner

Greetings once again, ghouls and ghosts! Tis I, resident Spider-Man scholar, MARK MACKNER with a review of the brand-new DC UNIVERSE HALLOWEEN SPECIAL 2010!!!! 

Last year, we were given a whopping 13 Halloween tales. This time, it’s just 6. But quality rules over quantity, right? So, do slightly longer stories make for an overall better book? The answer is (In this case, anyway), no, not really. 2010’s Special isn’t any better than 2009’s. But it’s just as good! Anthologies such as this are always a mixed bag, with some stories shining, others tanking, and some just not really making any sort of an impression at all. Some of them pass by so quickly that you don’t even have time to formulate an opinion on them, one way or the other. But, if you’re like me, and you eat these things up, then there’s plenty to enjoy here, though. And, if you’re also like me in that you have kids that you love sharing the joy of comics with, I’ll let you know which are kid-appropriate, and which are questionable. To wit, a rundown of what you’ll find in this year’s collection… 

BATMAN in “TRICK FOR THE SCARECROW”, by Billy Tucci. Scarecrow breaks into a home on Devil’s Night (aka Mischief Night, for those of us who don’t live in THE CROW’s universe), accidentally sprays himself with his fear agent, and is terrorized by two little kids in Batman costumes with a grudge. You see, Scarecrow stole their candy in the 2009 Special, and now it’s payback time. I liked the bit with the Mom, and seeing Dick’s more lighthearted Batman get a chuckle out of the whole ordeal. Breezy Halloween fun, suitable for all ages. Grade: B. 

BATMAN & ROBIN, with I… “VAMPIRE in “ROBIN THE VAMPIRE SLAYER”, by Joe Harris and Lee Garbett. Andrew Bennett (I… Vampire) leads Batman and Robin into a nest of some especially nasty vampires known as “The Cult of the Blood Red Moon”. But can Bennett be trusted? What’s his gripe with these vamps? Or is he setting a trap for the Dynamic Duo? A decent enough supernatural action yarn, spun in just 7 pages! Some action, but not bloody, so you could share with the kids. Which is good, because my kids will definitely be down for some Dynamic Duo vs. vampire action. Grade: B. 

THE FLASH in “TIME OR YOUR LIFE”, by Alex Segura and Kenneth Loh. Monsters stalk the streets while a Halloween festival is going on in the city. Frankenstein’s Monster shows up, and people fear him because he’s stitched together from parts of multiple corpses and also he’s freaking HUGE. But is he the true threat? Or is he there hunting something far WORSE? The other monster in this looks like something out of a Sam Raimi film. WAY “Army of Darkness” or “Drag Me To Hell”. A text message brings Barry Allen, THE FLASH, to the rescue! There’s a decent scrap between The Flash and Frankenstein’s Monster, which I guess is cool in and of itself, but there’s not much else to hang your hat on here. The boobs on the other monster and some blood might make you wanna skip this one if reading with your little ones. Grade: C.

WONDER WOMAN and DEADMAN in “A NIGHT TO REMEMBER”, by Vinton Heuck and Dean Zachary. Deadman tails a lowlife to a cult ceremony led by FELIX FAUST, who’s had CHEETAH steal something from the museum in order to complete the ritual. Wonder Woman shows up and cleans house, and Deadman gets the brief pleasure of a woman’s touch, when Wonder Woman rewards him with a kiss on the cheek for his heroics. This was a nice story. I liked Deadman’s voiceover, and Wonder Woman vs. Cheetah is always fun. Grade: B. 

MISS MARTIAN and THE BLUE BEETLE in “MEDUSA NON GRATA”, by Bryan Q. Miller and Trevor McCarthy. KLARION THE WITCHBOY (And his cat TEEKL) go out trick or treating, and wind up being laughed at by a couple who answer their door, expecting to see kids there. Klarion doesn’t appreciate the reaction he gets, so he turns the couple to stone. He then starts turning EVERYONE to stone! Meanwhile, Blue Beetle is teaching Miss Martian about Halloween, and accompanying her on a walk through the neighborhood, stopping for treats of their own. Klarion’s antics grab their attention, and a quick conflict ensues. I rather enjoyed this one. The flirtation between the heroes is endearing and cute, and Teekl the Cat totally steals the show as Klarion’s familiar. “I can haz ur soul?” is the best line in the whole book. No gore, a talking cat, and art that looks to be pulled directly from a TV cartoon show means the kids will probably dig it, and I think most comic readers can relate to both the Blue Beetle AND Klarion in this story. “I detect an inflated sense of self worth. From the cat.” Nicely played. Grade: B. 

SUPERMAN and THE DEMON in “FEARS OF STEEL”, by Brian Keene and Stephen Thompson. Some kids out for Halloween fun in Metropolis stumble upon a very distressed Superman. They’re not sure what to make of it, but we the readers can see that he’s got an invisible parasitic demon on his back, attempting to take over the Man of Steel’s mind. The fiend has him seeing all the things that rattle him most: Lois dying, his Earth and Kryptonian fathers seeing him as a disappointment, etc. THE DEMON shows up and talks Supes out of it, makes him see that people care about him and that he has nothing to fear. If all this sounds kinda hokey, that’s because it IS. Blah. Grade: C-. 

Overall, I’ll give the book a B-. SOLOMON GRUNDY’s presence is sorely missed here, as he’s featured prominently on the cover, and he’s a natural fit for a Halloween story, yet he’s nowhere to be found inside the book. I would’ve liked to have seen more season-appropriate villains, like TOYMAN maybe, in some creepy kinda stories, but the only villains included are Klarion, Felix Faust, Scarecrow, and Cheetah. Still, if you’re just in the mood for some spooky fun, and don’t feel like being bogged down

with crazy continuity issues, you’ll find many iconic heroes here, in stories that are instantly accessible to all. But if you only have money for ONE Halloween special from the Big Two, Marvel’s TOMB OF TERROR is a bit better. Though, that one’s certainly NOT for children!

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When not hanging out at The Horror Hotel, Mark Mackner can be found creating such local indie horror gems as DAISY DERKINS: DOGSITTER OF THE DAMNED!, EVIL BREW, THE HALF-LIFE HORROR FROM HELL or: IRRADIATED SATAN ROCKS THE WORLD!, and EMBALMO!  He’s also the resident Spider-Man scholar over at geek site POPTARDS where he writes SPIDEY’S WEEKLY WEB-UP.  In 2011, he’ll be directing his latest original script PROM NIGHT ABORTION! 

Tomb of Terror - Marvel's One Shot - Any Good? ....Read on True Believers

TOMB OF TERROR #1 (One-Shot) 

STORY: “Descent of The Beast” (Man-Thing), by Paul Hornschemeier. “Silence” (Son of Satan), by Rob Williams. “The Cure” (Werewolf By Night), by Joe Pruett. “The Heist” (The Living Mummy), by Joe R. Lansdale. 

ART: Man-Thing, by Mark Texeira. Son of Satan, by Pablo Peppino. Werewolf By Night, by Jordan Raskin. Living Mummy, by Giuseppe Camuncoli. 

PUBLISHER: Marvel. 

REVIEW:  Mark Mackner

Greetings, ghouls and ghosts, guys and gals! OK, so maybe there aren’t any actual gals reading, but let me just cling to my fantasy, will you? It’s these little illusions that keep us going sometimes, you know? Anyway, Tis I, Poptards’ resident Spider-Man scholar MARK MACKNER with a review of Marvel’s Halloween spook-tacular, TOMB OF TERROR!!!! 

And who better to consult about HORROR COMICS than life-long comic geek and horror film luminary MARK MACKNER, eh? No one, that’s who. I knows my comics and I knows my horror. Two of my most intense passions, truly. I pick up Marvel and DC’s Halloween offerings every year, and I really do look forward to them. Halloween is just a more fitting holiday to celebrate in comics, when compared to the others, with their messages of peace, joy, and togetherness. 

 

So how does Marvel’s new TOMB OF TERROR rank among past Halloween offerings from the Big Two? Well, usually, they go the humor route, with DC’s entry last year serving up several of their big heroes in a mostly light-hearted take on All Hallow’s Eve. And a few years back, Marvel had their wonderful MARVEL MEANS MONSTERS series of one-shots, featuring the likes of FIN FANG FOOM, DEVIL DINOSAUR, and other monstrous Marvel creations not seen since the glory days of TALES OF SUSPENSE and JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY. But, again. Those were all fun and games, though I kinda wish they would go that route every year. Really, Marvel. We deserve a FIN FANG FOUR adventure once a year. I can’t be the only one who’d love to see that. 

But this time, with TOMB OF TERROR, they’re really getting dark and gritty. HOW dark and gritty? Well, it’s actual HORROR this time, folks. Presented in glorious BLACK & WHITE, just like the recently resurrected CREEPY. So, yeah. Totally different mood here. No jokes. No irony. Just a straight up, old-school horror comic. People get ripped in half, infant triplets are murdered, werewolves eat hikers. Hey, I’ll take it! It’s a classic formula, the horror comic anthology. I don’t get these too often, so it’s a fun holiday treat. 

The first story, DESCENT OF THE BEAST, starring MAN-THING, is told mostly as an internal monologue. Man-Thing has been granted a brief period of consciousness as a human by Dr. Strange, and we catch him as he heads back into the swamp, preparing to become a monster once again. Some rednecks are chasing a black man, and Man-Thing interjects. 

Up next is SON OF SATAN in SILENCE. Yes, you read right. SON OF SATAN!!!! How long has it been since you’ve seen THIS character? Just the fact that it’s a Son of Satan story is cool enough, but let’s not go handing out free passes just yet. Here, Daimon Hellstrom visits the son of an astronaut who mysteriously vanished during re-entry after a space mission decades ago. The other astronauts were still in the shuttle, brutally murdered. The astronaut’s son is driven to commit evil acts by voices in his head. Is it his father? Or Daimon’s father, SATAN???? 

That’s followed by WEREWOLF BY NIGHT in THE CURE. Our hero, JACK RUSSELL (Yup, that’s WBN’s actual name) is investigating the brutal murder of two hikers in the woods. He’s attacked by another werewolf, and is taken in by an old Native American man who lives out there. This is my favorite out of the bunch. First, it’s a monster story. Second, it expands on the werewolf mythology (If one kills another, the curse is lifted), and third, it had a neat twist ending. Not bad for 10 pages. 

Rounding out the anthology is something REALLY different, THE LIVING MUMMY in THE HEIST. This is different in that it’s NOT a comic story. It’s a work of short fiction, accompanied by a few illustrations. Three treasure hunters seek fortune, and end up with more than they bargained for. You know. That story.

AAAAAANNNNNND, here’s the wrap-up!!!!!! 

DESCENT OF THE BEAST (MAN-THING): Story, C-. Story-wise, this one’s pretty blah. Man-Thing’s consciousness is quickly descending from a man’s to that of a monster. And in these final moments, he makes a human decision to do something that, while heroic in a sense, is still quite monstrous in itself. The twist was appreciated, but nothing brilliant. Art, B. Tex puts in more decent work here. Nothing revelatory, but it works well within the B & W scheme here. 

SILENCE (SON OF SATAN): Story, B. Now this story was kinda intriguing. I liked the intro in space, and where it led us. The triplet murdering was uber-creepy, and we were left with some questions at the end. What the hell DID happen to the astronauts? I like the mystery here, and was craving more. Plus, it was nice to see SON OF SATAN again, however briefly. Art, B+. This had, in my opinion, the best art in the book. Best use of B & W, easily. Simple, yet effective, with skillful use of the shadows. Nice! 

THE CURE (WEREWOLF BY NIGHT): Story, A. This was a really good Halloween horror story. Two werewolves. Old Indian guy with a secret. The voiceover bits were well-written, and there was some action in this one. Great twist at the end, too. THIS doggie is the pick of the litter! Sorry. Couldn’t resist. Art, C+. The art was OK here, but the werewolf fights were confusing. Who was winning? It was like the fights in the TRANSFORMERS movies. They looked too similar, and the B & W made it harder still to differentiate.

THE HEIST (THE LIVING MUMMY): Story, C-. Nothing original here. You’ve read this story a thousand times before, and it was probably better than this. Not that it’s terrible, it’s just nothing new. People try to get rich quick raiding the Mummy’s crypt and get ripped apart. The End. Yeah, that’s all it is.

In summary, the bookends (Man-Thing and Living Mummy) are pretty weak, but the meat in the middle (Son of Satan & Werewolf By Night) makes for a tasty Halloween treat, if you’re into this sort of thing.

And THAT is THE WORD!!!! 

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When not hanging out at The Horror Hotel, Mark Mackner can be found creating such local indie horror gems as DAISY DERKINS: DOGSITTER OF THE DAMNED!, EVIL BREW, THE HALF-LIFE HORROR FROM HELL or: IRRADIATED SATAN ROCKS THE WORLD!, and EMBALMO!  He’s also the resident Spider-Man scholar over at geek site POPTARDS where he writes SPIDEY’S WEEKLY WEB-UP.  In 2011, he’ll be directing his latest original script PROM NIGHT ABORTION!

Late Night at the Horror Hotel gets a 5 out of 5 Review!!

 

Evan Brehany from JournalismG2KM blogging site, mainly focused around Kaiju and Sci-Fi took a look at our Tv show and scored it a whopping 5 out of 5!!! His Favorite episode is #3 - Gamera the Invincible (you can actually watch that episode on the right side of the page...right now!!)

Evan says : "This, and three other episodes I have seen have proved to me that this is a great show." Wow, thanks Evan, glad you liked it. This means a lot to us, as everyone works EXTREMELY hard to make the show what it is.

To read all of Evan's review, please visit http://journalismg2km.blogspot.com/2010/08/late-night-horror-hotel-dont-miss-it.html - Tell him where you heard about us!!

Zenescope's The Waking mini review

Raven Gregory's The Waking

Released through Independent comic makers - Zenescope Comics, The Waking is a very well written, deep zombie thriller. Zombie you say? Well sort of...

Raven Gregory coming off his successful trilogy series for of the Wonderland titles, (Escape, Return and Beyond) I thought this was a great chance for Gregory to take a risk and show people what kind of a writer he really is. I found the story deep and having a heart...well thought out and he brings you full circle.

The Waking follows four Police detectives trying to solve two murders. They quickly discover that these murder victim s are coming back from the grave to avenge their deaths. Seeking, stalking the murderers and delivering the fate given to them. I would love to say it's Zombies here ...but it has a very VooDoo feel for me...nice change actually. We begin to see the stories unfold...

For me, this story is more of a feel good story about a Father's love for his daughter, what steps some parents might take to hold onto their child forever. We soon realize that the homeless man, was given a power as a child and this power has been transferred to his daughter, but there is a catch...(you have to read it...we are spoiler free)...all 4 issues are out in stores now!

Usual fans of the Wonderland series will still enjoy this, plenty of boobs to go around. I think this series captured the stories of old, mysterious..not so blunt. Was fresh to read something creative...some writers are still taking chances out there...you gotta look around. I would recommend this comic series...it's only 4 issues and well worth your time.

Late Night visits Kaiju Movie Review!

Yep, you read this correct. Your favorite graveyard workers, John Cannon and Rob Dimension will be working with Kaiju Movie Review providing some guest reviews.

Daniel Wickwire, the man behind the fantastic review site is equally excited with the joint venture. Wickwire will also be providing reviews for the Late Night at the Horror Hotel site, up first is "Day of the Dead", the classic George A Romero cult zombie film.

Rob Dimension had this to say "Both, John and I are huge Kaiju fans so for us, this was a simple request. I reached out to Dan and he was just as happy. Our review will feature both video and written. Sometimes you just can't get enough on video." Dimension also said that the first film they will review is "Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster", that should be a fun one.

Visit the Kaiju Movie Review at http://kaijumoviereview.blogspot.com and tell them we sent ya there!!

Looking back - Marvel Zombies - A review of the start of the madness

Marvel Zombies

A retrospective look at how it all began

by : Rob Dimension

Well, another Free Comic Book Day has come and gone. Hopefully everyone did their best and went and supported the Comic Industry. I am always thinking the comic business is always on the brink of bankruptcy, not sure why, just always seems that way to me. I mean, kids read less and less, are more into video games plus the adults are the main buyers and the economy is still in termoil, so spending is less.

Luckily for all us comic book geeks, the Comic HYPE is greater than ever. With success at the box office with films like The Dark Knight, Iron Man, Hell Boy, Watchmen and recently, Kick-Ass (which by the way was amazing...if you haven't seen it yet and your into violence, gore and Nick Cage doing an Adam West impersonation, then it's the film for you), the interest in our beloved heroes and villians is on the climb.

Marvel Zombies was released back in December 05 and ran through April of 06, meaning now, the trade paperback is easily accessible. Written by Robert Kirkman, who will be gaining massive attention soon once AMC gets going on The Walking Dead series, and puts a new twist to our Marvel Universe. While everything was always about saving the girl, doing the right thing, now things now have become about death, destruction and stopping the "Hunger".

In an alternate Marvel landscape, a virus has hit the Earth causing some of our most popular Heroes into Zombie frenzied, eating machines. The story is fun and I can't tell you how many giggles I had watching Spider-man, Hulk and Captain America fight with legs missing, half the skull exposed and once becoming human again, realizing they ate too much, let loose and terrorize the planet. As for our heroes, nothing can stop them, not the Silver Surfer and possibly, not Galactus himself...yes, the World Eater. This battle is a must read!!!

Without spoiling much of the story, the plot is very easy to see but the action is outlandish. Everything a comic geek, that loves Horror and Zombies, could ask for. The gore is plentiful, the dialogue is well written and quite honestly, this comic series was a blast to read and see what unfolds. 

I highly recommend this, especially since Marvel Zombies 5 is currently being released, you have more than enough reading to catch up on. The original trade retails for $15.99 plus, look for side stories like Dead Days and The Marvel Zombies vs.The Army of Darkness....think Ash can save the day??? Remember this kids - "Shop Smart, Shop S Mart"