Comics
[Comic Review] “Archie Vs Predator” #3 Slows Down To A Bore
Archie vs Predator heads back to school this month for a slower for a much less viscerally arresting penultimate issue. If carnage was the name of the game last issue then this month is self preservation. Most are putting themselves first over the group, leading to poor cooperation and the inevitable loss of life. Except for Milton, who really comes into his own and essentially becomes the protagonist. He pushes the plot forward for a majority for the issue and keeps a level head during all the chaos.
WRITTEN BY: Alex De Campi
ART BY: Fernando Ruiz
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: 17 June 2015
Archies group of friends took a massive hit during their last encounter with the Predator, with only Jughead (the bait) surviving. Bewildered and in shock Jughead staggers back to Riverdale High School to reconnect with his fellow surviving friends. Possibly inadvertently leading the Predator right back to everyone, like leading the slaughter to the lambs. The remaining survivors grieve their losses and discuss what to do next. Not everyone is in agreeance though, resulting in a fracture within the group. After another dwindling the group is down to only 5 core members, and it’s only going to keep going down.
The Predator is featured here more than issue #1 but not quite as much as last month’s 2nd issue. He hangs back and stealthy spies on his victims for a bit, which would raise the tension if it wasn’t for how cartoony it comes off. A Predator peering through the grate on an air vent overlooking Archie and the gang all the while dripping green goo looks just a hokey as it sounds. Additionally both of the Predators kills this issue are the same. The situations are different but he uses the exact same technique which is lame.
The supernatural world of Korean folk horror movie Exhuma grows larger with the arrival of prequel spinoff webtoon Maengjong this weekend, Variety reports today.
Naver Webtoon debuts Maengjong on May 30.
The series hails from Haemuri (Olgami) and will trace the high school origins of how shaman duo Hwarim and Bonggil, played by Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun in the 2024 film, came together to face occultish threats.
The story is set to begin when “Hwarim, who has been concealing her identity following a childhood encounter with a snake spirit called Jin, crosses paths with Bonggil at their school.”
Variety notes that Exhuma director Jang Jae-hyun participated in the project’s early concept stage.
“We are presenting ‘Maengjong,’ a new series capturing the appeal of the horror-occult genre, ahead of the full summer season,” said Lee Jeong-geun, Naver Webtoon’s Korea webtoon content leader. “With the high school story of Hwarim and Bonggil, who left a strong impression in the film ‘Exhuma,’ enhanced by Haemuri’s characteristic tense direction, we expect it will be a welcome work for genre fans.”
“It is meaningful that the spin-off story of ‘Exhuma,’ loved by many audiences, expands by meeting the new grammar of webtoon,” said Lee Hyeon-jeong, managing director of the film business division at Showbox, which distributed the film. “We hope it will be a fresh experience for both film fans and webtoon readers.”
Exhuma was a breakout hit in 2024, becoming the first Korean occult film to surpass 10 million ticket buyers and the country’s highest-grossing film of the year. I wrote in my review that “the intricately woven Exhuma delivers one of the year’s biggest surprises in horror so far.”
The bond between Hwarim and Bonggil was one of the film’s highlights, making this prequel webtoon a must for fans.
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