Comics
5 Skull Review: “Dark Ages” #1
“Dark Ages” #1 is phenomenal. I loved it, from the wordy start, to its juicy, action-packed center, all the way to its awe-inspiring finale.Don’t keep yourself in the dark ages, buy this book and let it light up your life. Now I’ve gotta write about 350 more words to complete this review, but they’re all about how superb and what an extraordinary treat this book is.
WRITTEN BY: Dan Abnett
ART BY: I.N.J Culbard
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: August 13, 2014
Reviewed By: Torbin Chimners
Dan Abnett, who you should all know of now in a post “Guardians of The Galaxy” world, writes “Dark Ages.” He’s one half of the writing team that brought us the Guardians we know today. Abnett is joined by I. N. J. Culbard who rocks the powerhouse of artist, letterer and cover artist, the two have collaborated in the past on “The New Deadwardians.”
The book picks up near the tail end of the Dark Ages. We follow a group of mercenaries led by the morally questionable Hawkherst. His inner thoughts narrate the opening pages, telling us of his thoughts on God and War. His perspective on the world around him is incredibly engrossing. The manner in which he speaks of war is very cavalier; he sees it as a means to support himself and his men.
War is when his kind prosper, kings and princes always want to wage war and he’s more than happy to take their coin. Him and his men think of God in an interesting and refreshing way. They don’t want to owe him anything, believing that praying for a miracle of God would then put them in his debt.
It has all the makings of a great swords and shields medieval adventure. It could have continued down that road and still been a great time but then something happens. Something extraordinary that has me beyond jazz’d for the future of “Dark Ages.” I dare not spoil it here but just know that this is a fundamentally different book at the end than it is at the start.
“Dark Ages” #1 wasn’t even on my radar when it was plopped on my lap to review. I would have probably passed it by in the comic store and never given it a second thought. That is not what the book deserves. It demands to be read and I’ll be damned if I’m not going to push it on everyone I know.
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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
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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