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Review: Stephen Kings’ The Stand Soul Survivors #2

Published

14 years ago

on

Marvel’s ‘The Stand’ arcs have thus far exceeded all expectations, following in the footsteps of the ever exciting ‘Dark Tower’ spin offs. It would seem that Stephen Kings’ stories, no matter how old, always seem to have relevance, and most importantly, the ability to chill you to the core. You’ll find the full review inside.

The Stand Stephen Kings’ ‘The Stand: Soul Survivors’, written by Roberto Aguirre Sacasa (“Sensational Spiderman”, “Angel Revelations”, and HBO’s “Big Love”) is the latest arc in the ongoing story of survival in a world ravaged by a deadly plague that is swiftly wiping out humanity.

The story of issue #2 finds us hot on the trail of a surviver named Larry Underwood once again as he makes his way across the countryside. Still haunted by the nightmares of The Dark Man and Rita, finds salvation in a small home in Maine. He finds that the dreams cease when he is there, and so he decides to roost awhile. Thankfully Sacasa doesn’t dwell too much on this period, instead transports us to Larry’s journey to the ocean. The peaceful moment is shattered almost instantly by a young boy named Joe who attacks Larry with a knife. The scuffle ends with Nadine, the boys mysterious yet beautiful guardian, talking the child down. Later on they are also joined by a young blonde woman named Lucy who also shares their reoccurring nightmares.

From then on we start to learn quite a bit more about the happenings in the world of ‘The Stand’, but like any 1 episode of ‘Lost’, we are given 1 answer and 52 new questions. The script for the issue is tight and compelling. Aguirre-Sacasa has done an outstanding job of capturing the feelings of despair and loneliness in a world God forgot. It is not easily forgotten that King himself has almost all creative control over his creations’ side stories. His touch is found in almost every bubble of dialogue, each character seeming to breathe the life of the beloved characters within his novels.

This is not to say that ‘The Stand: Soul Survivors’ doesn’t sputter a bit. the further we get into the story, the more questions we are given, and rarely are we handed answers. I do understand the importance of mystique, but if I wanted to feel annoyed and confused I’d watch Criss Angel.

Art wise Mike Perkins is as strong as ever, pushing us through the story with a steady hand. The vivid detail he contributes is one of the great draws of the series, and it never goes unnoticed just how well a job he does. The book ends with Nadine fainting oddly as the group are reading a note left by Harold and his group whom they are following. From the looks of it Nadine has some secrets of her own that just might tie her to Larry in a very personal way.

Rating: 4 out of 5 Skulls

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‘The Toxic Avenger’ Returns with Cover Artwork for First Issue of New Comic Book Series [Exclusive]

Published

1 week ago

on

May 13, 2024

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With a remake on the way and a new 4K restoration of the original classic now streaming, it’s a good time to be a fan of Troma’s The Toxic Avenger. Additionally, Matt Bors — the founder of The Nib and a political cartoonist who has twice been named a Pulitzer Prize finalist —and acclaimed artist Fred Harper (Snelson) are collaborating on an all-new 5-issue comic book series starring the satirical superhero of the Troma Films cult classic films!

TOXIC AVENGER #1 will land in stores on October 9, 2024.

While you wait, you can exclusively check out the issue #1 cover art from Fred Harper below, along with a set of emojis designed by Harper for the extremely online teens of Tromaville.

“The Toxic Avenger delivers what Troma fans want,” said AHOY Comics Editor-in-Chief Tom Peyer. “The series has violent action, gross mutations, bursting pustules, eye-popping visuals, and trenchant humor.” 

“If there was ever a superhuman hero for these toxic, miserable times, Toxie is the one!” said Lloyd Kaufman. “Only AHOY Comics and Bors & Harper could pull this off…er…mop this up! Toxie and the Troma Team can’t wait ‘til you read -no, experience – the art and stories that the Toxic Avenger Comic Book will explode in your brain, your soul, and your heart. Above all, remember – Toxie loves you and so do I.”

“This series will combine elements of the original films with the Toxic Crusaders cartoon and characters in familiar ways, updated to tell a story of environmental devastation, corporate control, and social media mutation,” said Bors. “The Toxic Avenger is first and foremost an environmental satire, one about a small town and its unremarkable people trapped and transformed by circumstances they don’t control. The story Fred Harper and I are telling is about people frustrated by authorities telling them not to worry about their life, that things are fine, even as their dog mutates in front of their eyes. And at its core it is about a powerless boy, Melvin, who finds out he can be incredibly strong, hideously mutated, well-admired, and incredibly heroic… but still ultimately powerless over human behavior.”

In The Toxic Avenger, teenager Melvin Junko helps run his parent’s junkyard in Tromaville, a small town in New Jersey where nothing much ever happens — until an ill-timed train derailment of toxic waste transforms Melvin into a hideously deformed creature of superhuman size and strength: the Toxic Avenger!

Under a media blackout imposed by Biohazard Solutions (BS) and their PR-spewing Chairwoman Lindsay Flick, Melvin emerges as a hero fighting against BS and the mutated threats that keep popping up around Tromaville.

Eventually Melvin uncovers a vast conspiracy more far-reaching than he could have ever imagined — but he knows if everyone is simply made aware of the crisis, they’ll act to stop it. Right?

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