Comics
Review: ‘Mars Attacks’ #4
I can’t say was a big fan of Tim Burton’s Mars Attacks movie when I saw it so many years ago. Nor was I even alive when the trading card were going around. Suffice it to say, I held reserves about the new “Mars Attacks” series from IDW, but what I found is a dashingly fun, furious ride packed with stellar artwork from John McCrea. John Laymon does an excellent job developing the wild Martian universe through the use of flash backs and a strong narrative arc, while John McCrea’s art brings it all to life.
WRITTEN BY: John Laymon
ART BY: John McCrea
PUBLISHER: IDW
PRICE: 3.99
RELEASE: September 26th, 2012
The story follows the Martian warlord, Zar, who is organizing a mass invasion of Earth from his flagship. The issue shows his family history, who at one point have come and made contact with Earth. These past visits always resulted in death and war which is why Zar has assembled a massive invasion team to wipe the planet clean. Layman brilliantly places two human men on the ship who come from different time periods. one is a South American aboriginal and the other is from colonial America, this is a cool take on the alien abduction paranoia inherent to our culture. The story is perpetuated by the use of quirky flashbacks, which reveal essential background details of the invasion and the humans involved in the story.
As Layman and McCrea bring the reader through the historical context of the invasion, it culminates with a skirmish and leads into what will be a massive conflict on Earth. John Laymon’s story is much deeper than I would have thought possible, giving testament to his skills as a writer.
Despite how good Layman’s script is, John McCrea steals the show. He brings incredible depictions of the alien life forms, and all the death and destruction that comes with them. This book is laced with bloodshed from spear wounds to the Martian ray guns. One of McCrea’s panels is a clinic in over-the-top gore, where a Martian unloads a ray beam into a human leaving the head and legs intact while nothing but his skeleton remains of his torso. Stylish, hilarious, and bloody.
From the first issue, the writing and illustrations have been top notch, with no shortage of comical violence.
3.5/5
Reviewed by –GreenBasterd
Comics
‘Curse of the Where Wolf’ Bites Into August Release With Trio of Werewolf Theatrical Screenings [Exclusive Preview]
Larry Chaney‘s hairy misadventures are continuing in the sequel graphic novel Curse of the Where Wolf from creative team Rob Saucedo, Debora Lancianese, and Jack Morelli, and its author is celebrating with a trio of horror’s greatest werewolf films.
The Curse of the Where Wolf hits shelves on August 7 from Encyclopocalypse Publications.
That coincides with the launch of a theatrical screening event in Houston, Texas, featuring a trio of seminal werewolf flicks turning 45 this year: The Howling on August 7, Wolfen on August 14, and An American Werewolf in London on August 21.
Each screening features a “werewolf in film” presentation as well as a book signing from Where Wolf author and River Oaks Theatre artistic director Rob Saucedo.
In the new graphic novel, “Being a werewolf sucks. Reporter Larry Chaney wanted to be a hero. Instead, he became a werewolf. Now, caught between incredible new powers and a desire to eat everything (and everyone) in sight, Larry must find a cure for his curse. Or die trying.”
“With Where Wolf, I wanted to tell a whodunit set in a furry convention, so the story was pretty contained within a very specific setting and genre. With Curse of the Where Wolf, I wanted to celebrate everything I love about the possibility of comic books. Curse of the Where Wolf is a funny book, in every sense of the phrase, but it’s also an earnest look at a person’s struggle to become a better version of themselves, especially when the alternative is to become a literal monster,” Saucedo says of Curse.
The original graphic novel was previously serialized as the first webcomic hosted on Fangoria before being collected by Encyclopocalypse Publications in 2023 and has already been optioned for film, podcast, and television development ahead of launch by producers James Fino (“The Freak Brothers” for Tubi, “Rick and Morty” for Adult Swim) and Charles Horak (First Date for Magnolia Pictures).
Expect Larry to find himself in even weirder situations in the 362-page full color sequel; Saucedo has provided Bloody Disgusting with exclusive art pages from the upcoming graphic novel that showcase lupine humor.
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