Comics
Review: “Clive Barker’s Next Testament” #11
An action-packed installment, “Next Testament” #11 lets loose its dark imagination and never holds back. This is an adrenaline shot to the system. With its mix of shocking scares and twisted black humor, the “Next Testament” series never disappoints.
WRITTEN BY: Clive Barker and Mark Miller
ART BY: Haemi Jang
PUBLISHER: Boom! Studios
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: July 16, 2013
Reviewed By: Jorge Solis
The final battle between good and evil takes place inside the Roman Colosseum, where gladiators once fought to the death. While the all-powerful Wick changes the world to fit his image, Tristan and fiancée, Elspeth, have finally reached their destination in Providence. After searching through an endless library, the lovebirds find the right text and speak the cursed words to awaken the Devil and the Holy Ghost. Is the Devil fighting to save humanity enough to stop Wick?
You can tell Clive Barker and co-writer, Mark Miller, are having a lot of fun in this penultimate issue. This is their chance to throw away logic and character development, and just let the action speak for itself. When hearing Barker’s commentary about the making of his movies, “Hellraiser” and “Lord of Illusions,” there is always talk about constraints with the budget. But not this time, because there no limitations to what you can do in the comic book realm. This is what two creative writers can do when they let their imagination run wild.
This story is about the Devil, the good guy, trying to save the day from the bad guy, Wick. The dialogue is sparse but that’s why each line is so memorable. Tristan and Elspeth aren’t in the forefront, but that’s a good thing. This is really 22 pages of thrilling nonstop action and you just want more.
Artist Haemi Jang depicts Wick, the Devil and the Holy Ghost as three giants in a no-holds-barred boxing match. The three behemoths start their battle in the middle of the Roman Colosseum. Jang illustrates the massive destruction as each supreme being uses their powers against each other. In the climatic pages, Jang antes up the action by taking the fight to outer-space.
Because there is very little dialogue, Jang focuses more physical poses and character design with the Devil’s horns and two sharp fangs in his mouth does volumes for tension. A lot of attention is put into their facial expressions after each giant gets hit in the face. The last page is definitely a jaw-dropping shocker.
If you love action, you’re going to love “Next Testament” #11. I cannot wait for the exciting conclusion.
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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