Comics
Review: ‘Bedlam’ #1
Its Halloween week and Image comics chose this unique opportunity to introduce their newest serial killer to the world of comics. From the brilliantly creative mind of Nick Spencer comes the twisted story of Bedlam, a city, that has recently, gotten over the terror of the murderous acts of a sick and twisted man who preys on the local children and women. Especially children. This book isn’t the customary serial killer story, and the wonderful art by Riley Rossmo reflects its untraditional style.
WRITTEN BY: Nick Spencer
ART BY: Riley Rossmo
PUBLISHER: Image
PRICE: 3.50
RELEASE: October 31st
The story of “Bedlam” is a solid one; it uses flashbacks to explain the origin of Madder Red, a psychopathic serial that at one time slaughtered thousands of people just for the hell of it. Now, he’s dead but the city is still haunted by his work. As the book progresses it becomes clear that the main protagonist, Fillmore, has a dirty little secret. At this point the flow of the book can be hard to follow; utilizing the flashbacks to progress the story of Madder Red with lots of dialogue that helps the reader get into his head while showing Fillmore’s life in the present day. As the book comes to its conclusion the story definitely fits cleanly together and makes sense but throughout the read it can be tedious at times.
Nick Spencer knows what he’s doing; he’s become known for his stray-from-the-beaten-path storytelling that keeps the reader guessing from start to finish. It would be hard for anyone to read Spencer’s Madder Red and not think of the Joker, but regardless I love it. The book starts off with a bang and keeps pacing well throughout. There are times when the story slows down for some expositions, but even when the dialogue is hefty the delivery is done in such a way that it doesn’t feel slowed. Where “Bedlam” really starts to take shape is the final few pages of the issue, showing that this is not just a Joker ripoff, but something else entirely. Something that could never be done in the DCU.
The art in this book is the kind of awesome you’d expect from Rossmo. The flashbacks images are look as though they are not finished, adding a sense of grit and unease. At these stages of the story the images are also in black and white except for anything red, whether its clothing or the enormous amounts of blood, adding to the uniqueness of the art. When the story follows Fillmore, there is still an emphasis on the colour red but the art is much more cleaned up and with many other colours in the spectrum.
“Bedlam” has a lot of potential, though the story was confusing at times the ending tied together well, leaving so much room for the creative team to run free. The issue is also extra-sized, which gives you an extra bang for your buck. Every fan of the horror genre should read this book.
3.5/5 Skulls
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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