Comics
Review: ‘Sheltered’ #2
A riveting follow-up, “Sheltered” #2 continues to be a thrilling read that doesn’t know the meaning of “slow down.” Suspense hits its peak in this violent take on the war between parents and their angst-filled teenagers in the community of Safe Haven. In “Sheltered”, surviving the apocalypse means never trusting anyone over 20.
WRITTEN BY: Ed Brisson
ART BY: Johnnie Christmas
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: August 7, 2013
To protect their children from the dangers of the outside world, the parents took them to Safe Haven, a gated and isolated community. Safe Haven belongs to the like-minded “Preppers,” survivalists who are ready for the inevitable end of the world. Suddenly, the children changed and their minds snapped under pressure. The teenagers eventually turned against their parents, killing them one by one. After taking away the rest of the food, ammo, and guns, the teens have nothing else left to do but to get rid of the dead bodies. Who will Victoria ultimately choose to side with when a gun is pointed at her head?
Writer Ed Brisson explores a plausibly realistic and terrifying premise where children turn against their parents. The rebelliousness of youth is taken to the extreme as the adults are entirely wiped out from Safe Haven. Readers are slowly going to learn how the teens are going to get rid of evidence of their bloody massacre. In a world without adults, who is going to run the show from now on? Even though Lucas killed his parents, he’s forced to grow up and make even tougher decisions without them.
Brisson presents Victoria as a loner, someone who lived by her own rules and made her own decisions. But now, she is forced to conform to the will of a violent community. Victoria isn’t playing by Lucas’ rules and refuses to be a team player. But since the teens cold-heartedly murdered her father, what will the group do to an outsider like Victoria? Even though she is in the age range like everyone else, Victoria doesn’t want anything to do with them.
Co-creator and artist Johnnie Christmas captures a dreary atmosphere using the barren tress of the snowy setting. Trapped in the woods, Victoria has become stranded in a distant world that never felt like home. Because she is far away from the loud noises of the city, Victoria jumps when she hears the sounds of loud gunshots. Christmas then builds the suspense through the close-ups of the teen murderers, who are always on the verge of a mental breakdown.
Because the narrative takes place during a single night, Christmas plays around with shadows and the snowy surface. Because there is little electricity in the woods, the teens build a massive fire, which serves as their only light source. In the wide shot, the light from the fire bounces off the smooth surface of the snow. The teens recognize their loss of innocence when they see the blood of their parents on the snow.
“Sheltered” #2 picks up momentum and brings readers with a suspenseful thrill ride. As the story heads into “Lord of the Flies” territory, I can’t wait to see what happens in the third installment.
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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