Comics
Review: “Hack/Slash Son of Samhain”
In “Hack/Slash: Son of Samhain” issue #1, Cassie has abandoned her slasher huntress life for that a different sort – scumbag bounties. It’s not until she’s met by Delroy, a grizzly, old badass-type, who convinces her, rather easily, to reclaim her title as a staunch enemy of the forces of darkness.
WRITTEN BY: Michael Moreci & Steve Seeley
ART BY: Emilio Lasio
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: July 2, 2014
Reviewed by Nick Brehmer
First, let me say that I’m a newcomer to the “Hack/Slash” universe. Unfortunately, I can’t say that I’ll be staying for very long. For those of you like me, here’s a little backstory: The “Hack/Slash” series began back in 2007 after a string of one-shot comics dating back to 2004. Cassie, the horror-victim anti-heroine of the series, is (or was, according to this new “Son of Samhain” series) a hunter of “slashers”, a collective of undead monsters and those who rally with them.
There’s a prologue that introduces us to a primordial evil known as Attan-Soolu who was vanquished by early humans eons ago. But, as Delroy explains, the slashers intend to bring him back. Much like hack and slash genre videogame play through, I expect that there will be a lot of underlings or “level bosses” before we inevitably see Cassie make some tough choices in order to vanquish Attan-Soolu.
Maybe fans of the “Hack/Slash” story will disagree with me, but even I can say a lot of what seems to be happening in the “Son of Samhain” series is pretty standard, if not recycled. We have a haunted, take-no-prisoners protagonist who is joined by a wise mentor and what may turn out to be a kid sidekick as they battle it out with some baddies to try and save the world. The writing even seems to hint at it’s own cliché’d nature (at one point, Cassie refers to Attan-Soolu sounding like a Star Wars character). Yeah, there are some decent internal monologues from Cassie and some quick banter between her and Delory, but it doesn’t stick.
The artwork is nice enough and it’s well paced but, again, the word that fits here is “standard.” Based solely off my own ignorance of the “Hack/Slash” plot so far, the one aspect of note is Cassie’s past; the idea of a former female lover who, although not a ghost, follows her as she begrudgingly moves through her life. No doubt, this will be explored in the upcoming issues but my opinion of issue #1 has not inspired me to stick around to find out.
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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