Comics
UPDATED: BD Pick of The Week: ‘Victorian Undead’ #5 Read The First 5 Pages Now!
It is crazy just how successful Wildstorm Comics zombified twist on the Sherlock Holmes legend has been, and early reports are saying that this week’s 5th issue in the 6 issue mini has sold out on several internet comic providers. This is all for good reason, “VICTORIAN UNDEAD” has been nothing short of fantastic since its first issue last year, and as the story heads towards an epic finale we here at Bloody-Disgusting have decided to shine the spotlight once again on Ian Edginton’s title choosing it as our “BD Pick Of The Week”. Read on for all the details, and as always, why you should care.
WRITTEN BY: IAN EDGINTON
ILLUSTRATED BY: DAVIDE FABBRI
COVERS BY: SIMON COLEBY
“The zombie assault has London in shambles and the government panicked! Attempts at containment are failing, and they turn to Holmes and Watson for a last-ditch attempt at stopping the madness. Can they solve the riddle of the undead before a final decision on total annihilation is reached?”
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE
Very rarely does a zombie title show as much innovation as Ian Edginton’s “VICTORIAN UNDEAD” has in the past few months. The zombie genre is overly cluttered with so many titles, and it seems like everyone and their brother is trying to cash in on the popularity of the undead lately, but what Edginton has done over at Wildstorm is bring an entirely new fanbase to the horror sub-genre. Many wondered just what type of direction the scribe was going to take the series in when it was first announced late last year, and it wasn’t very clear to fans if the series would be able to balance the genres of horror and mystery in a way that would be successful. Well now that we are into the eve of the end of the series that will conclude late next month, readers can rest assured that the title has indeed succeeded.
The first issue of the mini sold out nationwide when it was released drawing in horror fans and Sherlock Holmes fans a like as it rode on the coattails of the major motion picture starring Iron-Man himself, Robert Downey Jr. Since then every issue of the series has been a hit for the company leading many to speculate that the story might get approval for further issues.
But even if that never happens, and the 6th issue in the arc is indeed the end of the road for “VICTORIAN UNDEAD”, then at least it can be counted as a success. The series has delivered thrills, gore, mystery, intrigue, and most importantly: fun. There is a fanbase hungrier than even the most vicious of the undead that are chomping at the bit to get their hands on this one, and we can’t blame them. If you missed out on this one then you truly did just that.
“VICTORIAN UNDEAD” Issue #5 Shambles Into Stores This Wednesday From Wildstorm Comics! (MSRP-$2.99)
The supernatural world of Korean folk horror movie Exhuma grows larger with the arrival of prequel spinoff webtoon Maengjong this weekend, Variety reports today.
Naver Webtoon debuts Maengjong on May 30.
The series hails from Haemuri (Olgami) and will trace the high school origins of how shaman duo Hwarim and Bonggil, played by Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun in the 2024 film, came together to face occultish threats.
The story is set to begin when “Hwarim, who has been concealing her identity following a childhood encounter with a snake spirit called Jin, crosses paths with Bonggil at their school.”
Variety notes that Exhuma director Jang Jae-hyun participated in the project’s early concept stage.
“We are presenting ‘Maengjong,’ a new series capturing the appeal of the horror-occult genre, ahead of the full summer season,” said Lee Jeong-geun, Naver Webtoon’s Korea webtoon content leader. “With the high school story of Hwarim and Bonggil, who left a strong impression in the film ‘Exhuma,’ enhanced by Haemuri’s characteristic tense direction, we expect it will be a welcome work for genre fans.”
“It is meaningful that the spin-off story of ‘Exhuma,’ loved by many audiences, expands by meeting the new grammar of webtoon,” said Lee Hyeon-jeong, managing director of the film business division at Showbox, which distributed the film. “We hope it will be a fresh experience for both film fans and webtoon readers.”
Exhuma was a breakout hit in 2024, becoming the first Korean occult film to surpass 10 million ticket buyers and the country’s highest-grossing film of the year. I wrote in my review that “the intricately woven Exhuma delivers one of the year’s biggest surprises in horror so far.”
The bond between Hwarim and Bonggil was one of the film’s highlights, making this prequel webtoon a must for fans.
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