Comics
Review: ‘Grindhouse: Doors Open At Midnight’ # 5
The orgy of sex and death doesn’t quite get off to the rollicking bang it usually does in ‘Grindhouse: Doors Open At Midnight.’ Did I worry you? Both are still very much present, but they take some time. De Campi’s “Bride of Blood” has a slower start than pervious chapters. While artist Federica Manfredi treats us to fluttering birds and the embrace of a beautiful medieval wedding before tearing everything to shreds.
WRITTEN BY: Alex De Campi
ART BY: Frederica Manfredi
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: February 5th, 2014
The medieval world can be quaint and beautiful. Nature hadn’t been conquered by modern technology, excessively joyful clothing is prominent but so is rape and murder. Of course De Campi knows how to sow seeds of shock and awe. This isn’t her first rodeo of disgust. A wedding is about to commence. So naturally we’re treated to a beautiful ceremony in more ways than one.
Needless to say the whole thing comes crumbling down very quickly. Horrifying displays of medieval violence are certainly in high supply on these pages. Yet, lost within the shuffle of it all is the protagonist. She has some horrible things done to her, but she feels like an afterthought in this issue.
On the flipside the chaos that disrupts the wedding is filled with beautiful displays of savagery. Limbs are lopped off, arrows are sunk into skulls, and blood paints the forest floor. It’s all a ton of fun, and its in great contrast to Manfredi’s wonderfully glowing style that begins the story. Everything feels frail and warm. The landscapes are untouched and flowery. The paneling is even framed in an ornate style that antiques the entire experience.
When that ideal is shattered the story is able to sink into debauchery with relative ease. Although, for some reason it didn’t do it for me here like in previous months. The setting is still outstanding, the art is totally stellar, but I felt like I didn’t know the characters well enough. Perhaps that’s a testament to De Campi not making flat characters. This series can so easily fall into throwaway characters who require little more than a couple action beats to fulfill their “arc,” but here I just didn’t get the time with the bride that I craved.
It looks like all will be well come next month. The end of the issue provides a tantalizing tease for what’s to come next. I sincerely cannot wait to see how the finale plays out, because if it even remotely scratches the surface of the insanity from the second half this month than it might prove to be Grindhouse’s best chapter yet.
Your monthly ticket to debauchery has arrived and it’s still the same glorious book you missed since December. Such perverted wonders cannot be found elsewhere and if gore is your thing, will prepare to have your pants in a bunch, this book has death erection written all over it.
Rating: 3/5 Skulls.
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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