Comics
[5 Skull Comic Review] “Dark Ages” #4 Is Enlightening
The thrilling and action packed finale of Dark Ages is upon on us, and boy is it awesome. Hawkherst, Lucifer and company prepare for the final battle against the aliens, or as they still refer to them: Demons. With a new synthetic arm and a fighting chance provided by their new robotic ally Hawkherst leads his men in what could possibly be their last stand.
WRITTEN BY: Dan Abnett
ART BY: I.N.J Culbard
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: November 12, 2014
Reviewed By: Torin Chambers
The opening interaction between Captain Hawkherst and his synthetic friend shows that Hawkherst is much less open and accepting of their ally. It’s nice to see he’s not completely on board at first and is cautious; he was just revived with a new arm only moments ago. He has his doubts but ultimately must put his trust in the robot for the sake of his men.
This new ally gives them their fighting chance; it informs them that their enemies communicate through scent. If they can defeat the demon captain and cut out one of his glands then the demons will cease their assault. Of course Hawkherst pushes back against this at first, being from the dark ages he cannot fully grasp what he is being told. Hawkherst’s newfound bound with his robotic savior gives him the confidence to carry out an action that he doesn’t full understand.
As our heroes do battle with the demons a separate but connected battle rages within the forts walls. Most of the priests are not who they appeared to be, becoming agents of the demons assaulting the fort. The battles are bloody as all hell; it’s a total joy to read. Characters are decapitated and demons are cut down chunk by bloody chunk. The fight wages for a majority of the issue and it does not fail to deliver a the glorious final stand that its been building to since issue #1.
Dark Ages #4 doesn’t outright answer every question or completely wrap up some plot threads but it does utterly satisfy. I’m a big fan of how it doesn’t perfectly wrap everything up in a bow, because it didn’t need to. The final two pages are a bit confusing and I’m not 100% sure what their significance was but that doesn’t tarnish the book in any way. If anything it adds to the bountiful amount of wonder Dark Ages has given over these 4 issues, and so marks the end of my favorite mini series of the year.
Don’t stay in the dark ages like fool, pick this series up and become enlightened.
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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 @TorinsChambers
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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