Comics
Review: ‘To Hell You Ride’ #4
With such unforgettable imagery and expressive prose, To Hell You Ride #4 delivers another knockout installment. Since the first issue, I have truly enjoyed the “To Hell You Ride” series because of its epic storytelling and vibrant artwork. I can’t recommend this book enough.
WRITTEN BY: Lance Henriksen and Joseph Maddrey
ART BY: Tom Mandrake
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: May 15th, 2013
No one is spared, neither the guilty nor innocent, when a deadly curse is put into motion on the small town of Telluride. Because of the contaminated snow, the town itself is divided by the wrath of angry spirits. Frightened by the snow, the Insiders hide themselves behind locked rooms. Afraid of the heat, the Outsiders sit in the cold and stay far from the fire. A civil war is brewing between the Insiders and Outsiders, while military forces are keeping the town quarantined. Haunted by his past, Two-Dogs must rise and become the hero the forgotten town desperately needs.
Lance Henriksen and Joseph Maddrey do a wonderful job of exploring their themes in an allegorical sense. All of the Outsiders happen to be Native Americans in the narrative. After years of racism and hatred, people have reached their boiling point. Instead of uniting after a tragedy, the worst of human nature overtakes the townspeople. There is no turning back when both sides reach for their guns. As the town of Telluride crumbles into chaos, the theme of abandonment harkens back to Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans.
Since the first issue, Henriksen and Maddrey have been building the emotional growth of Two-Dogs. The guy who hated everybody suddenly has to save those who despised him. Even if he accomplishes his mission, Two-Dogs also knows he isn’t going to make it out alive. He takes one last look at his home before burning all his belongings to ashes.
Tom Mandrake’s artwork is unbelievably eye-catching. The Watchers are the angry spirits that are causing the townspeople to spontaneously combust. Only Two-Dogs is able to see where the Watchers are and what they are doing. Aided by the colors of Cris Peter and Matt Lopes, Mandrake perfectly illustrates the Watchers as they are described in the text, as “two fireflies swirling in a vortex.”
In a splash page, Mandrake portrays Two-Dogs’ long history of loneliness. Covered in shadows, Two-Dogs walks away from his burning home. He leaves behind a horse and his rusted jeep as he heads towards his final destination. Nothing is holding Two-Dogs back as he moves forward. In the background, the mountain range is lighted from the blazing fire and there is a shooting star in the sky.
With the body horror and suspense ramped up to full effect, readers should definitely pick up “To Hell You Ride” #4. With one more issue to go, the final chapter is close upon readers. I can’t wait to see how it all ends.
4.5/5 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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