Comics
Review: “Black Science” #8
After Kadir’s heroic but ultimately disastrous rescue attempt last issue our heroes have been divided into two separate yet equally important groups in “Black Science” #8. Kadir and what’s left of the Black Science team, including the mentally compromised Chandra, and Grant’s children, who can only rely on each other in an utterly foreign forest.
WRITTEN BY: Rick Remender
ART BY: Matteo Scalera
PUBLISHER: Image
PRICE: $3.50
RELEASE: August 27, 2014
Reviewed by Torbin Chimners
The issue swiftly opens on Pia and Nate in a free fall following their tumble over the cliff last month. Before then even make landfall they are assaulted by the spectacularly out of this world local wildlife. Nate narrates the whole intro and it’s really damn engrossing. He speaks at length about his relationship with his father, Grant, about how he raised him with some rather unorthodox parenting. Up until this point Nate’s mostly been like a piece of scenery that no ones really paid much attention to besides to protect, with no real personality to speak of. Now he’s finally coming into his own and becoming one of the paramount characters of “Black Science.”
As we move out of the jungle and into Kadir’s camp we’re reminded of Chandra’s alien gas ‘condition.’ I’d forgotten all about this and had to go back a couple issues and refresh myself, but that didn’t make it make any more sense. I’m sure this subplot will come to a head by the end of this arc but for now it’s still as confusing as ever.
To counteract that confusion the Shamans startling reveal answered some questions I’d forgotten I’d had from way back in issue #2. Although I’m still convinced that he has some kind of secret connection with Grant, possibly being the Grant McKay of his dimension.
The void left by Grant is really starting to sink in now, a few issues after his death. While he was the glasses through which we saw the world of Black Science, with him dead there’s a lot of room for secondary characters to really grow and show their true colours. It’s an exciting time for the series.
Last issue was all spectacle with Kadir’s valiant rescue attempt but this issue is all character. Nate and the Shaman fundamentally take over as the stars and boy do they shine. While I miss Grant immensely the series high level of quality has not wavered an inch. As the book continues I’m sure we’ll see many characters come and go, some well before their time, because not one character is infallible. The star of the show and true backbone of the series is and always will be, for lack of a better word, The Multiverse of “Black Science.”
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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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