Comics
Review: ‘Spike: A Dark Place’ #4
With only one more issue ready for release next month, Victor Gischler delivers a fast-paced fourth installment that finally tells the readers where Spike: A Dark Place is headed; not only in terms of plot development leading towards the finale, but also regarding Spike’s character growth and place in the grand narrative of “Season 9”. It’s just a shame that it took 4 issues of a 5-issue miniseries to see this kind of progression.
WRITTEN BY: Victor Gischler
ART BY: Paul Lee
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: November 21st
Following the events of “A Dark Place” #3, Spike leaves the ruins of Sunnydale with Morgan, the Courtesan (sex) demon, who wants nothing more than to return to her home dimension. Unfortunately, due to the destruction of The Seed, leading to the loss of magic on earth, her efforts are hindered. Spike, playing the hero, offers to help look for the pieces of the destroyed Seed, or any remnants of leftover magic, in order to connect Morgan to her world. But as the issue progresses, it becomes abundantly clear that this enigmatic “damsel in distress” might not be as helpless as she appears.
Jenny Frison’s cover effectively, though somewhat ambiguously, portrays Spike’s uncertainty regarding which direction he wants to take with Morgan (romantic or otherwise), who continues to use her demon “influence” over him for her own selfish reasons. But while her intensions may or may not be honorable, she does play a significant role in helping Spike come to terms with his heartache over our favourite Slayer.
Because this mini is supposed to plug into the grand narrative of “Season 9”, I’m hoping that Gischler’s efforts to show Spike’s inner journey through an abundance of monologues, self-reflection, and now character development, finally leads our boy back where he belongs. Spike is an incredibly strong character and an obvious fan favourite, but after the progression of this series, it seems that he is best suited for driving the other BuffyVerse characters’ stories forward, rather than take the lead amongst an ensemble of unfamiliar faces.
Overall, issue #4 is a vast improvement on the previous 2 installments, especially with Lee on board to draw Spike and Morgan. Their facial expressions are expressive to a hilarious intent in certain panels, and it definitely helps Gischler’s script come to life. With Spike’s loyal bug minion, Frisky gearing up to take action against Morgan, here’s hoping the conclusion to the series will lead to something significant to the “Season 9” arc, and not something anticlimactic.
3/5 Skulls
Reviewed by – ShadowJayd
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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