Comics
Review: ’68: Jungle Jim’ #2
With tons of zombie thrills and machete action, ’68: Jungle Jim #2 dives into the bloody goods and never looks back. The undead are about to meet their match in the sweltering heat of the jungle. In a confrontation you would never expect, a tiger takes on an army of zombies in the”’68” series.
WRITTEN BY: Mark Kidwell
ART BY: Jeff Zornow
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: May 1th, 2013
As the Vietnam War continue, the innocent are stuck in Hell trying to keep everyone else safe. A school teacher is trying to protect her students from the atrocities of war. But, how much time does she have left before the undead start attacking the children? In the heart of darkness, a lone figure named Jungle Jim walks across the jungle, waiting for the enemy to strike. Wearing a gas mask, Jungle Jim wanders in search of the remaining uninfected. Will he watch an innocent family get caught in the crossfire? Or, will he actually do something to save them? Did I also mention there is a tiger in this issue?
Writer Mark Kidwell does such a great job with dialogue and I find it interesting with how little he uses it during a suspenseful scene. After a little girl witnesses her family being slaughtered, Jungle Jim is trying his best to calm her down. The major problem between them is that Jungle Jim doesn’t speak a word of her language. Because they can’t communicate with each other, Jungle Jim has to resort to other means. Notice how the two are silently looking at each other when Jungle Jim offers her a bar of chocolate.
When the tiger makes his appearance, I was worried at first. This outrageous scene could have gone straight towards cheesiness. But, what I like is that Kidwell keeps the scene under his theme of miscommunication. Because there is no dialogue, the tiger and Jungle Jim don’t know what to do with each other until the zombies show up. Are they enemies or are they supposed to work together?
Jeff Zornow’s grungy artwork visually captures the unforgiving violence of war. When the schoolteacher is being attacked by a zombie, a student of hers picks up a rifle and starts shooting wildly. Because he is just a kid, his aim isn’t even perfect. Zornow illustrates the zombie’s ear being blasted off its head. In a close-up, we then see the rotten ear hanging from a tree branch.
The major highlight of this issue is when the tiger is hunting after the zombies. With Jay Fotos’ bright red colors, Zornow doesn’t hold back on the bloody rampage. The tiger slashes a slew of zombies with its own claws. Then, the tiger is trying to eat the zombies during the battle. In a panel you will never forget, the tiger has a zombie’s head stuck in its mouth.
A must-read for horror fans, “’68: Jungle Jim” #2 is such an incredible visual experience. It’s blood and guts galore in this installment, which is why the “’68” series never disappoints.
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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