Connect with us

Reviews

[Comic Book Review] Take A Hard Pass On “The Evil Within” #1

Published

on

“The Evil Within” is an unoriginal, bland and just plain bad tie in to the recently released The Evil Within video game. From what I can tell this is a completely separate story with entirely new characters, just set in the same world. A world that has looked intriguing in the trailers/demo for Evil Within but comes across as anything but in this comic. So with the only similarity between the two being a letdown we have no place left to go but down.

STK643240

WRITTEN BY: Ian Edginton

ART BY: Alex Sanchez

PUBLISHER: Titan Comics

PRICE: $2.99

RELEASE: October 15, 2014

Reviewed By: Torin Chambers

To be fair the book does start off promisingly, with a beautiful cover by Ben Templesmith but this is the only highlight. Our protagonists are Dana and Paul, both are mysteriously sucked into some strange world. Dana was out putting up missing person’s posters for her friend Kate who disappeared when she found herself lost and with no signal. She comes upon a diner/gas station and goes in to investigate. It’s devoid of life and maybe has plates with strange fleshy chunks on them. I say maybe because I really can’t tell and Dana doesn’t seem to mind them, so whatever.

Next she looks out the window and sees a shadowy figure then suddenly on the following page she’s outside the diner looking over her shoulder running yelling at it. I’m assuming it’s somehow supposed to be her closing the door as she goes back outside but I honestly can’t tell what is happening. The art isn’t ‘bad’ it’s just the lay outs are confusing as all hell.

This continues throughout the whole book, you’re constantly fighting with the layouts to understand what is actually happening. The general sense I’m getting form the world is that things are a bit off and weird stuff is constantly happening, but writing off these insanely difficult to follow sections as being deliberate would be giving the book way too much credit.

It’s a horror book but all we ever see are the protagonists successfully running away. They avoid literally every trap set for them and escape every monster pursuing them. There’s no sense of danger at all. Dozens of monsters are chasing them and Dana has the time to take a good few moments to stare at a ghost of her disappeared friend. Then later they escape the big bad guy from the cover by putting a rolling medical table in front of the door. A ROLLING medical table!?

If you’re excited for Evil Within this comic will kill that excitement. If you’ve already played Evil Within and are looking for more then please look elsewhere. I cannot even recommend this book to hardcore horror fans. Trust me and give The Evil Within #1 a hard pass.

Torin Chambers is a rad dude from the nineties who does film stuff or something. Thomas the Tank Engine is his favorite transformer. Find him on Twitter @TorinsChambers

Books

‘In Search of Darkness’ Book Review: A Must-Have for ’80s Horror Fans

Published

on

In 2019, the documentary of 80s horror In Search of Darkness became an instant hit with horror fans. Now, a beautiful coffee table style companion book is available and is a must-own for all fans of one of horror’s greatest eras. The book is a walk down the horror aisle of the best mom and pop video store in the heyday of VHS, featuring full color photos, poster art, insightful essays and more. More than just a nostalgic throwback, In Search of Darkness is the kind of book I wish I’d had back in my years as a burgeoning horror fan but is also satisfying for the film fanatic I have become in the years since.

The format is beautifully and simply laid out, with at least a dozen (usually more) movies from each year of the decade presented in order of release accompanied by informative and insightful essays by the authors Heather Wixson and Patrick Bromley. Both authors have been mainstays of film journalism, specializing in horror, for many years. Wixson began her career in 2007 with Dread Central and has spent the past ten years as the Managing Editor of Daily Dead, from which she recently retired to focus on books and other projects. She has devoted the past several years to interviewing and writing books about the Make-up and Special Effects wizards that have brought so much to film over the years, specifically the horror genre.

Bromley is a film journalist and critic whose work can be found all over the place including right here on Bloody Disgusting. He recently provided the commentary for the Vinegar Syndrome release of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and is known as something of a Tobe Hooper expert. He is also the founder and editor of F this Movie!, an eclectic film website, and host of its accompanying podcast. So, to be clear, the authors know their stuff.

Wixson and Bromley divide writing duties roughly in half and though each has a distinctive voice, their writing styles dovetail beautifully into a cohesive whole. Each author plays to their strengths. Being familiar with both their work I didn’t even have to look at the bylines to know that Heather covered Christine and Terror in the Aisles and Patrick took on The Funhouse and Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers. Wixson’s passion for make-up effects is clear and comes through in many of her contributions. In general, Wixson takes on the “big” titles, the movies that defined the decade the most, and Bromley covers what the more cynical among us might call schlock, but he would likely call pure cinematic bliss. There are exceptions and surprises, of course, as there should be (Patrick covers The Shining for example). Each essay dives into the history behind the film, the major players involved, the reception, and legacy with often surprising aspects drawn from interviews with the filmmakers from various sources and insights from the authors.

For all their in-depth explorations of each film, in general the authors keep their critics’ hats safely stowed, keeping in mind that every entry on the book has its fans. In fact, they may well have sold me on finally hitting play on some of the schlockier offerings of the decade like Evilspeak, Nightbeast, and Blood Diner. Hell, I may even give The Beast Within a spin for shits and giggles. The point is that this book is a celebration through and through. The authors are honest about the critical receptions of the films, which were often unkind, and sometimes let their own opinions shine through, but recognize how beloved even the schlockiest films can become given time and availability. And that is an ongoing theme of In Search of Darkness. What may have been dismissed in its day often becomes revered as the years pass. Variations on the phrase “the years have been kind to…” referring to various maligned projects like The Thing, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, The Blob and many, many others, can be found throughout the book for good reason.

Each chapter of the book also includes a rundown of the top horror movies at the box office for the year as well as the top movies of all genres for context. The final page for each year highlights some of the major news and pop culture events including the top songs, albums, and television shows. There is a large central section that pays tribute to the talent involved with the greatest horror films of the 80s including directors, actors, effects artists, and more. This section includes brief biographies of John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Stephen King, Tom Savini, Barbara Crampton, Robert Englund, and many others presented in a dynamic and engaging fashion.

One of the beauties of the book is that it covers so much ground. Sure, you’ll find Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Hellraiser, and the Halloween sequels in it, but you’ll also find deeper cuts like The Changeling, The Being, and Tetsuo: The Iron Man. I was happy to find the same love given to Frank Henenlotter and Larry Cohen as to George A. Romero and David Cronenberg. In other words, In Search of Darkness is extraordinarily eclectic, highlighting the diversity that truly defined what is often viewed as a homogenous decade. The authors make the case that the 80s was horror’s greatest decade, and with what they lay out throughout this book, it’s tough to argue against that. I even came across a film or two I hadn’t even heard of before, which has become increasingly rare as the years go by.

At just shy of $85, the cover price may give some horror hounds pause, but believe me, it’s worth every penny. This is a beautiful volume that every fan of 80s horror will want on their shelf or prominently displayed on their coffee table. Filled with favorite titles, hundreds of full color photos, insightful and informative writing, this is simply a must own.

You can order your copy now.

Continue Reading