Comics
Final Issue Review: ‘Hack/Slash’ #25
There is no turning back now as Hack/Slash #25 hits its readers with this last issue. The slasher slayers make their last stand towards a somber and perfectly fitting conclusion. Longtime fans of the “Hack/Slash” series should be prepared for their favorite characters to meet some misery.
WRITTEN BY: Tim Seeley
ART BY: Elena Casagrande
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: March 27th, 2013
At a rock concert, a poisonous black liquid has been injected into a shipment of soda refreshments. After taking a sip of the poison, the concert-goers are suddenly turning into psychotic killers. With the clock ticking, Vlad and Cassie have to stop the Black Lamp Society from reaching their final goal. As the last song plays, innocent lives will be sacrificed and the entire world will be at its end. The slasher slayers are the only ones who can stop this terrible nightmare from coming true. Will Vlad and Cassie triumph in the end? Or, will they die a tragic hero’s death?
Because this is the last issue, writer Tim Seeley wants to do the best for his protagonists and give them an ending they deserve. I’m sure there are fans who will be upset, but Seeley has provided a great conclusion to the series. Cassie and Vlad are given a truly epic battle, where sacrifices are made at the last minute and characters reach the end of their arcs. Seeley throws his protagonists into deadly scenarios, which keep getting worse and worse, but never hints that they will walk away towards a happy ending.
One of my favorite characters in the series is Cat Curio, the intrepid detective. Seeley gives Cat the best lines as she faces the Murder Messiah at the rock concert. Used mostly as the comic relief, Cat is the last person you would think to turn things around. True to her character, Cat comes up with something incredibly smart, while delivering some witty one-liners.
Artist Elena Casagrande hooks readers with the best illustrations of Vlad and Cassie. In a tender moment between the two, Cassie and Vlad just look at each other. For this quiet scene, there is no dialogue between the characters, nor are there any thought captions. Readers just know what the two are thinking based on their facial expressions. Casagrande paints a lot of emotion into the close-ups before the panels break into a wide shot.
Casagrande escalates the gore and mayhem as Cassie takes down the psychotic killers roaming the concert. In a big panel, Cassie takes down a swarm of killers with her baseball bat. Full of rage, Cassie keeps fighting, even though her leg has just been stabbed. Nothing is going to stop Cassie as she slashes her way towards the Murder Messiah.
After so many bloody and twisted adventures, Cassie and Vlad reach their final destination in “Hack/Slash” #25. This is exactly the type of ending I wanted these characters to have. Having been a fan from the get go, I am definitely sad this series is ending, but the conclusion is very satisfying.
4/5 Skulls
Reviewed by – Jorge Solis
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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