Comic Reviews: The Return of Evil Ernie and Purgatori
It’s Resurrection 2005 as Chaos! Comics have returned with three titles to get you back on track. The World’s Sexiest Vampire has returned – and she’s sunk her fangs into Devil’s Due! When human civilization was in its infancy, legend spoke of a woman cursed to walk the earth forever, whose deadly beauty was irresistible to man and woman alike. A being who would eventually threaten the gods themselves! Her name is Purgatori! Also now on newsstands is your favorite, Evil Ernie, the book combines elements of slasher horror, black comedy and postmodern existentialism as Evil Ernie begins a path of soul-searching destruction in Santa Fe. Read on for the review…
The Return of Chaos! Comics… And giving the Devil His Due
Purgatori and Evil Ernie return to comic form!
By Jessica Dwyer
Horror and comics, as I’ve said in the past, are two great things that are great together. Much like chocolate and peanut butter they compliment one another perfectly, and are quite tasty. And far less fattening.
Not since the days of Vampirella and wonders like EC Comics had this been shown with a passion and gusto like was done by Chaos! Comics. Chaos brought to life some of the most beautiful characters to grace a bloody page and one of the most ape **** crazy killers to be seen in years.
Evil Ernie, a tragic boy who’s real name was Ernest Fairchild, only wanted to be loved. He’s abused by his parents and carted off to a mental health facility. After we discover he has telepathic powers he meets the beautiful (and well proportioned) Lady Death, who visits him while he’s in a kind of dream state. While he’s shocked and “treated” in the good old fashioned way, a scientist decides to use a new method on him called Neurotech. Neurotech gives birth to Evil Ernie, a semi skeletal, heavy metal, slaughtering machine who does it all in the name of love.
Chaos had a great run but went away far too quickly after giving us characters like Ernie, Chastity (a hot vampire assassin), Lady Death (who was the mold for all the future female characters Chaos came up with later; gorgeous, deadly, and usually covered in blood), and Purgatori (who I shall get to in a moment), among others.
Purgatori is one of my personal favorites. She is a vampire demon bitch goddess. No, I’m not making any of that up. Hailing from Egypt, Purgatori started out as a beautiful slave girl named Sakkara. She fell in love with the Queen of Egypt, who in turn fell in love with her. Bad things happened though, as they always tend to do, and Sakkara was betrayed. Distraught she looked for a way to avenge herself and after a little dealing with the devil and a vampire, she become the red skinned, winged goddess she is today. Purgatori is such a ballsy gal, she even had the audacity to seduce Satan just so she could bite him and get some of that fallen angel blood. She’s crazy that way.
I was very sad to see this line go away. It was an amazing bunch of characters with some of the best artwork and story writing to happen to horror comics in a long, long time. And now, Devil’s Due Publishing has resurrected Ernie and Purgatori in a big way.
Evil Ernie In Santa Fe starts off this show. Done by writer Alan Grant and artist Tommy Castillo, Ernie is brought back apparently free of all the strings that commanded him. He’s lost his Lady and he’s lonely without her, but he’s still got Smiley (the snarky living Smiley Face button who talks to him.) He slaughters his way around and through the town of the title whilst pissing off some Satanists along the way.
All of it is brought to gorgeous life by Castillo in a painted style. It’s eerie and just damn pretty to look at. Ernie’s green glow and the other colors look sickly slick on the page. And when nasty things happen, it’s a sight to behold through Castillo and Grant’s eyes. This 4 issue series is something every horror fan should check out.
And just released Devil’s Due has brought back Purgatori. The Goddess is reborn in a new origin story over 4 issues. Writer Robert Rodi and artist Cliff Richards in the first part of issue 1 show us the life of a buxom and lusty slave girl who just doesn’t want to listen to her parents warnings about the creature who lurks in the night. She decides to go out anyway, with some unhappy results. We will see how Purgatori became her slinky red self starting with issue 2.
Purgatori is shown in all her dark glory. She’s a creature of desire and hunger, and it shows through Richards amazing art. He and Rodi do justice to the mythos and the strong sexual undercurrent of Purgatori’s past comic incarnations. Man or woman, you won’t be able to resist her.
Vampire fans and horror comic enthusiasts alike should check out this new 4 issue series.
This is Jessica Dwyer signing off, and on a comic high.
Jessica Dwyer
Fiction Reviewer
www.bloody-disgusting.com
Editor-In-Chief
www.fangirlmag.com
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