Comics
Review: “Drumhellar” #6
“Drumhellar” #6 is one of those “between arcs” issues. Comprised of equal parts prologue and epilogue, it introduces us to a trippy new case for our intrepid hallucinogenic detective Drum Hellar. This new mystery looks to send him westward across the country to Whitlock, Washington. But before we’re whisked away on this new adventure we’ve got to “get off” of the previous one.
WRITTEN BY: Riley Rossmo & Alex Link
ART BY: Riley Rossmo
PUBLISHER: Image
PRICE: $3.50
RELEASE: June 18, 2014
Reviewed By: Torbin Chimners
That was a subtle way to inform you that a majority of this issue is an extended psychedelic sex scene (with some light bestiality on the side.) Pretty much every major character from the last arc gets a “release” this issue. This is the most straightforward and cohesive issue of Drumhellar yet. For the first time, I actually had a solid grasp of everything that was happening. This should be a plus, right? Wrong. If you’re looking for a cohesive narrative that goes from point A to point B in a logical, sensible manner you’ve come to the wrong place.
The erratic and aloof style of storytelling established in the first five issues perfectly reflects the state of Drum’s fragile psyche. It felt like we we’re bumbling through this drug addled fog together, but this issue feels a lot more formulaic and conventional in comparison. There’s still a girl modeling sexy outfits for a possessed dog so this isn’t your grandpapi’s comic, but I found the more scatterbrained approach refreshing and I’d hate to see Drumhellar become conventional.
The hallucinogenic trips here are simply sublime. Riley Rossmo continues to amaze and astound as the visual triple threat of penciler, inker and colourist. I regularly found myself getting lost in the whimsical and mind melting full page spreads which meld time, space, and the human form. This is all offset by the almost Chucky inspired child’s story that bookends the issue quite nicely. Using very subdued blue-grays that feel essentially black and white in comparison to the vivid purples that are one of Drumhellar’s few constants.
Drumhellar’s visuals are at an all-time high. Riley Rossmo’s art can do no wrong and hell, I’d love to see an entire issue consumed by a never ending psychedelic trip. Even with everything I said about this issue feeling a bit more conventional it’s still one of the most creative books on the shelves. Drumhellar oozes originality from every orifice and you’d be a boring fool not to support this stellar book.
Torbin Chimners AKA Torin Chambers is a rad dude from the nineties who does film stuff or something. Thomas the Tank Engine is his favorite transformer. Find him on Twitter@Vulgar_Rhombus
IDW Dark and Paramount recently joined forces to launch limited comic book tales set in the worlds of Smile and A Quiet Place, and we’ve learned today that they’ll continue hanging around in those franchise universes with two brand new limited series tales.
Entertainment Weekly has exclusively revealed this afternoon that IDW Dark’s Any Given Smile debuts in September, while A Quiet Place: Rising Tides arrives in November.
First up, from writer Stephanie Williams and artist Pablo Collar, Any Given Smile puts a football-themed twist on Parker Finn’s successful Smile movie franchise.
The five-part limited series is “set in January 1995, during the American Arena League football championship game in St. Augustine, Florida. The rising superstar of the Sharks, backup quarterback Dupree, is feeling the pressure from his teammates, the fans, and also the city’s gambling underworld, to whom he owes a considerable debt. Meanwhile, a sports journalist investigates a string of suicides that may be connected to the big game. At the very least, they are connected to a sinister entity that preys on the minds of its victims.”
From writer Declan Shalvey and artist Luke Sparrow, A Quiet Place: Rising Tides will also be a five-issue limited story. The comic book tale “brings the creatures to the Florida Keys, where a father-daughter duo attempt to survive on water in a houseboat.”
EW further details, “This tense family reunion coincides with the arrival of the vicious creatures that hunt through sound. Grace and her dad find safety on the open ocean, but she’ll have to make landfall sooner or later; the father’s oxygen tank and their supplies are running low, while a hurricane swiftly approaches.”
Learn more about both comic books over on Entertainment Weekly.
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