Dirk Manning has worked almost exclusively with horror comics throughout his career, and to say he loves the genre would be an understatement. He is, after all, from Hell, Michigan according to his Twitter profile. This week Manning (alongside artist Seth Damoose) brings back his post-Rapture desperado for another bout with otherworldly monsters in Tales of Mr. Rhee: Karmageddon #1. The first issue is a lot of setup with promises made for what’s to come in later issues. Of course, there’s some fun and violence along the way to help launch a new chapter for Mr. Rhee.
ART BY: Seth Damoose
PUBLISHER: Devils Due Entertainment
PRICE: $1.99
RELEASE: September 17, 2014
Reviewed By: Lonnie Nadler
One thing that remains from the first volume of Mr. Rhee is the eponymous character’s cagey past, and daily struggles with former ghosts. Such matters kick off the issue, but even with those glimpses into a dark past, this is a story anyone can understand without prior knowledge. In medias-Armageddon-res, Rhee has just killed a bunch of demons and some innocent bystanders along the way. An overzealous Christian man uses his last breath to ask that Rhee protect his surviving children and get them to safety. Rhee agrees and they hit the road, hell-bent on getting to his “teacher’s” place before the demons come completely to surface.
There is a lot of back and forth dialogue this issue between Rhee and Abby, the eldest daughter, which mostly functions to set up her religious background and her concern for her siblings. As a result the latter half of the issue lacks action, but it comes with the guarantee that the next issue will see Mr. Rhee, and the children he’s sworn to protect, in the heart of apocalyptic chaos.
One thing you always get from Manning, regardless of the project, is a distinct feeling of love for his work. The issue bleeds with passion for the genre, and there’s no substitute for that. It is evident how much he adores this black-magic drifter and the crazy world that surrounds him.
Damoose’s art is hit and miss throughout the issue. While his style is distinctive, it comes with a digital look that I’ve never been too keen on for horror comics. The exaggerated features make light of the subject matter at specific moments that call for dramatic tension. A lot of my issue comes down to coloring. The last volume of Tales of Mr. Rhee was done in monochrome, which perfectly matched the mood of the story. The vibrant colors on display here often fail to connect with the apocalyptic setting. Combined with the lack of action, it feels that Damoose wasn’t able to spread his wings. I hope that will change for issue #2.
Despite the slow start, I am rather excited for this series to get rolling with some Lovecraftian goodness that is promised at the end of this issue. And anyone that knows Manning knows Great Cthulhu is never far off.