Connect with us

Comics

Advance Book Review: “Beyond Fear: Reflections on Stephen King, Wes Craven, and George Romero’s Living Dead.”

Published

10 years ago

on

An  interesting and insightful examination of the horror genre itself, Beyond Fear: Reflections on Stephen King, Wes Craven, and George Romero’s Living Dead is an ambitious historical textbook of the visionaries who created the most memorable nightmares in our society . This is a great follow-up from the creative co-writer of the epic comic masterpiece, “To Hell You Ride.”  This is the book you want to read in the middle of the night.

Beyond Fear Cover-500x500

Written By: Joseph Maddrey

Cover By: Tom Mandrake

Publisher: Bear Manor Media

Price: $24.99

Release: July 10, 2013

Review by Jorge Solis

No one can deny that the three masters of horror, George Romero, Wes Craven, and Stephen King, are responsible for making the genre what it is today. Through interviews, critical analysis, and  in-depth research, we discover what made their nightmarish works a living legend. How did “Night of the Living Dead” become a staple in the zombie norm? What was it about Craven’s sense of spirituality that inspired the resurrection of child-killer Fred Krueger?  Why are King’s ordinary characters revered so much by many readers?  Maddrey asks these questions and finds his answers through his cinematic breakdown.  

What’s really impressive about Maddrey’s writing is how he makes you, the reader, feel for the material. I’m not a huge fan of King’s “Danse Macabre” but I have a better appreciation of the nonfiction book because of Maddrey’s well-developed viewpoints. I was able to see “Danse Macabre” through different eyes  because of the evaluation. As the text continues, there is such an underlining passion about each of the three subjects being critiqued.

Just like  the events in “To Hell You Ride” were a metaphor to Hurricane Katrina and post 9/11 mentality, Maddrey’s analysis comes from a historical viewpoint. The ’60s were a major influence on Romero when he was starting his first “Living Dead” film. You have to understand more about art house cinema before realizing their significance on Craven’s “Last House on the Left.”  I have a better understanding of what it takes for a filmmaker, through their social class and economic standpoint, to make their dark vision come true. You’ll notice that with the first draft of Romero’s “Day of the Dead.”

Saving the best for last, Maddrey dissects King’s growing line of successful books. Each novel gets a spotlight, even the more recent ones. Our author hits on the right spots, discussing the political overtones of “Under The Dome.”  I never knew there was connection between Paul Edgecomb of the “Green Mile,” to Johnny Marinville in “The Regulators.” The short story, “Rage,” which is about a school shooting, is even more relevant because of Maddrey’s introspection.

I am such a huge fan of Tom Mandrake’s artwork in “To Hell You Ride.” To see Mandrake’s gritty illustration again on the cover is so worthwhile. This is another reason why you should buy the “Beyond Fear” book.

Readers will definitely have a lot of fun going their favorite subjects in “Beyond Fear: Reflections on Stephen King, Wes Craven, and George Romero’s Living Dead.”  I even found myself rereading Craven’s sections the most in the book.

“Beyond Fear” will hit stores on July 1O. You can preorder the book from Barnes & Noble or from the official site here.

Related Topics:
Advertisement
1 Comment

Comics

‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics

Published

2 days ago

on

April 18, 2024

By

Witchblade cover

Witchblade, the popular comic series that initially ran from 1995 to 2015 and launched a TV series, is getting resurrected in a new comic series from Top Cow and Image Comics. It’s set to unleash heavy metal, black magic and blood this summer.

Look for the new Witchblade series to launch on July 17, 2024.

In Witchblade #1, “New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini’s life was forever fractured by her father’s murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power, or will she be consumed by it?”

The series is penned by NYT Best-Selling writer Marguerite Bennett (Animosity, Batwoman, DC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide Squad, Power Rangers, Red Sonja). The creative duo is working with original co-creator Marc Silvestri, who is the CEO of Top Cow Productions Inc. and one of the founders of Image Comics. They are set to reintroduce the series to Witchblade’s enduring fans with “a reimagined origin with contemporary takes on familiar characters and new story arcs that will hook new readers and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the 90’s Image Revolution that shaped generations of top creators.”

Bennett said in a statement, “The ability to tell a ferocious story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible.” She adds, “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.”

“The Witchblade universe is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade. So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac,” Cafaro stated.

Marc Silvestri notes, “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the 90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.”

Witchblade#1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 17th, for $4.99 for 48 pages. And it’ll come with multiple cover variants.

  • Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover

  • Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color)

  • Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color)

  • Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color)

  • Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color)

  • Cover H (1/250): Line art by Marc. Virgin Cover, Inks (B/W)

Witchblade #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.

Witchblade comic panel Witchblade #1 cover image

Continue Reading