Creepshow Vol 3 #5 Review

 

Writers: Ed Brisson & Kami Garcia

Artists: Kael Ngu & Isaac Goodhart

Colorists: Kael Ngu & Miquel Muerto

Letterer: Pat Brosseau

Cover Artists: Martín Morazzo & Chris O’Halloran; Kael Ngu; Steve Beach

Editor: Ben Abernathy

Designer: Jillian Crab

Production: Richard Mercado

Masters Of Horror: Greg Nicotero & Brian Witten

Additional Creep Art: Michael Broom

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: January 22, 2025

 

Online dating can deliver a dream or a disaster. A new home can usher in tranquility or tragedy. What will Kristin and Agnes discover when they open new chapters of their lives? Let’s leap into Creepshow Vol 3 #5 and find out!

 

Story: Tent Revival

Jeff likes hunting and camping. But Kristin is surprised when he takes her on a backpacking trip. So many men have lied in their online profiles that she has considered closing her account. But Jeff is the outdoorsman he professed to be. When they reach a clearing facing the lake, Kristin revels in the sunset. But as night falls, and they sit by the fire sharing their tattered dreams of finding love, a woman walks through the trees and asks if she can join them by the fire.

 

For this first story in Creepshow Vol 3 #5, Ed Brisson delivers a classic Teens In The Woods horror tale. Kristin suspects that Angie isn't on the level. But who can she call on for help? Tent Revival reminds us that there is a natural order and that violence knocks that system out of balance.

 

Art: Tent Revival

While Jeff strides ahead, Kristin holds back, leaving ample space between them on the narrow path. But once they reach the clearing, she pushes past him to stand near the rocky edge. Instead of looking away from him like on the path, Kristin watches Jeff build the fire. She wraps her arms around him as they sit on the log. Jeff and Kristine shoot to their feet when a shadowy figure creeps up. But illuminated by the fire, they resume their seat, clutching each other, as Angie makes her request.

 

Kael Ngu’s panels resemble oil paintings in Creepshow Vol 3 #5. While Kristin sports pink and yellow, Jeff embodies the bulk of Ngu's palette in his ivory, gray, black, and red. The yellow fire forms a link to Kristine's boots and the jacket tied around her waist. After the first page of daylight, red seeps into the surrounding darkness. It makes Kristine's lips and hair glow. Crimson also colors Jeff's shirt collar. Disturbingly, red lurks everywhere in Tent Revival. It lingers on the edge of Jeff’s axe, adorns wood, suffuses leaves, and speckles characters and backgrounds.

 

Story: Prize Possession

Despite warnings of a mysterious death, a couple buys a house along the cliffs. Amid the grandeur of the three-story Victorian house, trouble sets in. When Mom and Dad celebrate their daughters' birthdays, Agnes likes her present, but Katherine disdains hers. Her parents don't know how to ease Katherine's growing unhappiness. Katherine seems determined to terrorize Agnes.

 

Kami Garcia tackles sibling rivalries and bullying in this second story in Creepshow Vol 3 #5. Prize Possession is a reminder that everything has a spirit, and we should notice how places and objects affect us. The story also pits rationalism against spiritualism. Like Star Wars, Prize Possession reveals the power (and costs) of embracing the Dark Side.

 

Art: Prize Possession

Isaac Goodhart begins by taking a leaf out of Wes Anderson's book. Panels reveal interior scenes within an exterior shot of the house while a raven watches the empty porch. Mom runs the household with her opening declaration, photographing the birthday party, and intuiting Katherine's emotions from her body language. When Dad tries to reason with Katherine, Mom lays down the law, just as she dismissed a local's reservations during their viewing. Agnes only gets a few moments of guarded happiness and clings to her doll.

 

Miquel Muerto brings a bright, cheery palette to Goodhart’s traditional comic art in this second story in Creepshow Vol 3 #5. Anges wears blue overalls and a white shirt, a pink nightshirt, and a white dress, while Katherine wears a black dress in the first half of Prize Possession. Later, she relaxes in black and gray. Her red sneakers link with the words in Agnes' diary.

 

Lettering & Additional Creep Art

Pat Brosseau lavishes black, uppercase words in ivory dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. The letters grow bold for inflection, swell for volume, and rarely shrink. Sound effects help us hear a hardworking axe and a character getting her just desserts.

 

Michael Broom introduces Tent Revival with the Creep backpacking through the woods toward a skeleton. After forging this link with Jeff, the Creep ends the story by toasting marshmallows like Angie. He hovers over the Victorian house in Prize Possession, anxious to show his prized doll house. But the Creep closes this tale of domestic disharmony by revealing that appearances can be deceiving. Thanks to Image Comics and Skybound for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Kristin and Agnes discover that they are cherished and wanted. Kristine and Angie feel wronged. As in Friday The 13^th and Dark Shadows, vengeful spirits haunt picturesque settings in Creepshow Vol 3 #5.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Creepshow Vol 3 #4 Review

 

Writers: Mike Carey & Acky Bright

Artists & Colorists: Mark Torres & Acky Bright

Letterer: Pat Brosseau

Cover Artists: Martín Morazzo & Chris O’Halloran; Mark Torres; Steve Beach

Editor: Ben Abernathy

Designer: Jillian Crab

Production: Richard Mercado

Masters Of Horror: Greg Nicotero & Brian Witten

Additional Creep Art: Michael Broom

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: December 25, 2024

 

Sergeant Thomas Campion is a British Redcoat. Abigail loses her boyfriend to a prettier woman. What can these two people, separated by over a century, have in common? And how do they relate to us today? Let’s leap into Creepshow Vol 3 #4 and find out!

 

Story: Flesh Wounds

As Mike Carey's story opens, Sergeant Campion has enjoyed an impressive career beneath the Union Jack. Like Emil Blonsky in Louis Leterrier's film The Incredible Hulk, Campion doesn't care about advancing in rank. Each venture into the fray is a chance to prove himself the ultimate fighter. Yet after a dozen or more years on battlefields around the world, a Bedouin nearly kills him. This assault on his invincibility rattles him more than he wants to admit.

 

While tending Campion's wounds, the medic mentions hearing of a devil in the desert. British-born Campion has fought against Catholics often enough that any remark approaching religion from a Papist infuriates him. Notions like fiendish genies who grant wishes to supplicants sound too much like the mysticism the reformers worked hard to expunge from the Church Of England. But O’Riordan insists another soldier has profited from bargaining with this evil creature. So, Sergeant Thomas Campion rides into the desert to make a deal that sounds too good to be true in Creepshow Vol 3 #4.

 

Art: Flesh Wounds

Sergeant Campion cuts a striking figure adorned in red, white, and black. Mark Torres' muted colors lessen the battlefield carnage. Yet bright and florescent colors lend a heightened reality to Campion's lust for conquest. Campion and his fellow Redcoats evoke the toy soldiers beloved by generations of British children and treasured by modern wargaming enthusiasts. Yet Torres often paints the soldiers' skin gray, suggesting the British Empire thrived by sucking the lifeblood from its subjects.

 

Campion’s deal with the devil occurs beneath a light blue and pink sky, while green coats the ground and an ancient temple. After receiving what he most desired, Thomas' skin looks hale as he charges into battle renewed. Yet orange, pink, purple, and green dominate panels when the devil pays Thomas a return visit in Creepshow Vol 3 #4. Hyper-real colors invade Flesh Wounds thereafter.

 

Story: Face

Abigail has a problem. Her boyfriend left her for another woman. The scorned lover vacillates between revulsion and admiration as she stares at a photo of her boyfriend with his new paramour. Yet his choice is irrefutable. So, in Acky Bright’s story, Abigail visits a clinic promising to give her a new face.

 

At first, this second story in Creepshow Vol 3 #4 seems innocuous compared with the first. Yet Abigail wields her new beauty like a weapon. Like the Roman god the clinic is known for, Abigail becomes two-faced. Her cosmetic surgery was supposed to unleash the person inside her. Instead, Abigail's actions suggest that her boyfriend dropped her because of her "inner beauty."

 

Art: Face

Acky Bright portrays Abigail as a schoolgirl who prefers comfort to elegance. As Abigail stares at her phone, the brightly colored ad for Janus contrasts with the gray dominating the first page. The surgeon's proposed makeover evokes Lady Cassandra from Doctor Who. Abigail smiles when agreeing to the surgery. Yet, as she waits for the anesthesia to take effect, beads of sweat form on Abigail's nose and chin.

 

Pink and lavender welcome Abigail to the Barbie Era. Acky Bright adorns flashbacks of Abigail's breakup in peach and brown. The nurse at Janus holds something that links Face with Flesh Wounds and evokes scenes in a classic Universal Monsters movie in Creepshow Vol 3 #4.

 

Lettering & Additional Creep Art

Pat Brosseau orders black, uppercase words into ivory dialogue balloons and narrative boxes. White letters haunt black cloudy balloons. The words grow bold for intonation and swell for volume. Gunfire fuels the rapid-fire conclusion of Flesh Wounds, while a banging door heralds the end of Abigail’s existence in Face.

 

Michael Broom frames the introductory scene in Flesh Wounds with our narrator's welcoming embrace. Then, the Creep invites us into his home as Sergeant Thomas Campion’s story about the price of war comes to its haunting conclusion. Our narrator climbs into the beginning of Abigail's story. But be warned: the Creep amplifies the disturbing conclusion of this story about our definitions of beauty and fears of the surgeon's knife. Thanks to Image Comics and Skybound for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Two people separated by time, place, sex, interests, and any other criteria you can think of embrace shortcuts to omnipotence in Creepshow Vol 3 #4, only to discover no one can remain invincible forever.

 

Rating 9.5/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Creepshow Vol 3 #3 Review

 

Creepshow Vol 3 #3 Review

Writers: Chris Condon & John Arcudi

Artists: Martín Morazzo & Shawn McManus

Colorists: Chris O’Halloran

Letterer: Pat Brosseau

Cover Artists: Ryan Carr; Martín Morazzo & Chris O’Halloran; Steve Beach; Martín Morazzo

Editor: Ben Abernathy

Designer: Jillian Crab

Production: Richard Mercado

Masters Of Horror: Greg Nicotero & Brian Witten

Additional Creep Art: Michael Broom

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: November 27, 2024

 

Stories are reminders of yesterday. But when we obsess over stories, how might they color our interactions with others? Let’s leap into Creepshow Vol 3 #3 and find out!

 

Story: The Murder Variant

Donald is a comics collector. He hunts for treasure. His passion is rewarded when he finds what might be a rare issue in an abandoned storage unit. The manager of the storage complex sees the pile Donald pulled from a long box and accepts his offer. Why not? They’re just old indies. As Donald leaves, the manager locks the unit and says, "Happy reading, Bub." It's a good thing Donald didn't pull any Wolverine titles!

 

Chris Condon's story in Creepshow Vol 3 #3 portrays a collector's passion. It also highlights the difficulty of navigating relationships as we grow. Donald's wife doesn't share his interest in comics. And this evening, as he returns home in triumph, Marge is more concerned with preparing supper for them and her brother. She craved his help. Donald ignored her text to pursue his hobby. Marge wants him to invest in their relationship and show hospitality to their guest. But Donald focuses more on the discarded remnants of the past than what happens in his present.

 

Art: The Murder Variant

As Donald searches a long box, his phone buzzes atop a comic sporting Death in the title. Donald's eyes bulge, and he smiles as he lifts a bagged and boarded issue. When the manager peers over his reading glasses, Donald hurries to let the manager inspect his finds.

 

Martín Morazzo portrays Donald as an overweight man who leans forward when walking and climbing stairs. Donald drives an inexpensive family car in Creepshow Vol 3 #3. Chris O'Halloran's dark blues, browns, and yellows color Donald's fading neighborhood. Lavender walls and lights and blue, green, and brown accent colors reveal how his active wife has made their apartment's kitchen and dining room a tranquil haven. A brown ceramic cat waves while gray Human figurines on a counter raise their hands in warning. Marge works frantically to complete her meal. Donald's gray jacket and Marge's red hair hint at their deadly destiny.

 

Story: Tru-ish Crime

The authorities jailed Alex Hinton for his daughter's death. Now, they want his wife’s body. News stories about Alex’s domestic disaster prompt Lynn and Bern to gather information and search for Nicky Hinton.

 

John Arcudi’s story in Creepshow Vol 3 #3 addresses our relationship with the spiritual world. If Bern can’t see or touch something, he disregards it. But his wife feels a connection to Nicky’s spirit. So, Bern uses GPS data and tips from other interested parties to track Nicky's last known location. But Bern’s disbelief prevents him from investing in the search and hampers their investigation. When danger threatens, Lynn takes charge. John Arcudi’s story bursts with clues, connections, and implications for our lives.

 

Art: Tru-ish Crime

Bern and pink-haired Lynn are an appealing young couple. As they trek through the woods, falling yellow leaves suggest autumn. Yet two trees with green foliage frame the gray arch of a cave entrance. Wispy light green surrounds a figure in Bern's dream, complimenting the green ground and his shirt. Shawn McManus lavishes a loaded palette on his art in Tru-ish Crime. Yet green seems a backbone, linking Bern and Lynn with the person they discover at the end of their journey. Green also frames Alex as he speaks through a glass partition with a lawyer and colors the other participants seeking justice for Nicky.

 

It’s easy to see why the court found tall and muscular Alex guilty. A skull and crossbones adorn his neck. A scar and stitch marks climb his cheek and forehead. The lawyer jerks back when Alex becomes a raging monster. Yet while the true crime aficionados tap away at their phones, Alex reads books in the prison library.

 

Lettering & Additional Creep Art

Pat Brosseau lavishes black, uppercase words in white dialogue balloons and white letters in green narrative boxes. Lowercase black letters inhabit green-tinted cloudy balloons, and dark green uppercase font haunts light green clouds. A creaking door presages a metallic clunk, while a roaring in a cave precedes an ominous rumble in Creepshow Vol 3 #3.

 

Michael Broom surrounds The Murder Variant with stacks of comics and shows the Creep reading a book Daniel values. The Creep climbs into panels with Bern, Lynn, and Alex and clutches the white space bordering the final panel to encourage our curiosity. Thanks to Image Comics and Skybound for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

Our interests can separate or unite us. But is unity with everyone something to be grasped? One person's democracy can become another's communism, even if those you interact with deal with you honestly. Creepshow Vol 3 #3 muses how our evolving interests affect our relationships and the dangers of pursuing justice.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Creepshow Vol 3 #1 Review

 

Writers: Chip Zdarsky & James Stokoe

Artists: Kagan McLeod & James Stokoe

Letterers: Pat Brosseau & James Stokoe

Cover Artists: Martín Morazzo & Chris O’Halloran; James Stokoe; Steve Beach

Editor: Ben Abernathy

Designer: Jillian Crab

Production: Richard Mercado

Masters Of Horror: Greg Nicotero & Brian Witten

Additional Creep Art: Michael Broom

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: September 25, 2024

 

Stories remind us of our communal past and teach us how to function within society. But what happens when we embrace stories that break the strictures we live by? Let’s grab our paint sets and carving tools, leap into Creepshow Vol 3 #1, and see!

 

Story: Let ‘Er Trip

Jane Miller craves order and calm. She suppresses her imagination and discourages creativity. So when Jane's daughter Mary grows up and leaves home, Jane gets angry. Naturally, the police refuse to help. They're just like her coworkers in the office, who only obey the rules when it suits them and don't understand how society should function. Chip Zdarsky’s story in Creepshow Vol 3 #1 ponders what happens when we violate another person’s right to view the world in the way they choose. It’s easy to belittle those who refuse to see things our way. But those who bind themselves in the heaviest chains may do so for a reason.

 

Art: Let ‘Er Trip

When Jane studies her daughter's art, Jane's lips form a line, and she presses her fingers against her head. Then, the first page fast-forwards as Jane slips on her coat to visit the police station. The color of her sweater may have changed, and grey streaks her square-cut brown hair, but she still wears a buttoned-up long-sleeve dress shirt, jeans, and boots. While Jane inhabits a world of textured color, white dots glow in the pink and blue sky above the Higher Heart's old farm buildings and the broken-down school bus. The cult leader may resemble Ben Franklin but doesn't practice the American founder's famous thrift in his red-lit home. Intriguingly, and despite her taste in art, Mary dresses less colorfully than her strait-laced mother.

 

 

Story: Scrimshaw

When a reporter hunts for a story about a remote island, the locals point him toward a lobster potter. In this second tale in Creepshow Vol 3 #1, the reporter finds the man at the Cutty Sark and asks him to share his story. The man seems reluctant but obliges when the reporter insults his town and helps himself to the man's beer. One night, while checking his pots, the lobsterman found a severed arm. Someone had carved a story onto the exposed radius and ulna. The lobsterman’s mind filled with visions of a Navigator fighting a storm to return home.

 

The lobsterman lived alone in his beach shack. He identified with the Navigator’s struggle and couldn’t banish the vision from his head. So, fate rewarded him with another chapter etched into a severed leg. Yet, like Herman Melville's novel Mardi, the Navigator’s seemingly unending tale stoked the fisherman's hunger for more. So, like any captivated reader, the fisherman sought out more chapters about his hero. James Stokoe’s story speaks to our insatiable hunger for a good story and reminds us how stories can usurp reality.

 

Art: Scrimshaw

The Creep hovers over the forested island guarded by a lighthouse. Inside the pub, the reporter extends a hand to the bedraggled lobsterman. In his tale, the lobsterman reaches into his pots and studies a severed arm before a full moon. Waves roil behind him. Tendrils of water fill the air as if the storm-tossed saltwater were transforming into a leviathan. James Stokoe’s red and blue ocean scene evokes blown glass and contrasts with the red-haired lobsterman's nights in the orange pub. In this richly drawn and colored tale, as the lobsterman again searches his pots beneath a green sky, red and blue letters slash diagonally across a panel. When the lobsterman sees a green figure with pink eyes crouching amid purple waves, red and blue briefly obscure the background. An aurora brightens the already colorful sky as the creature tosses the lobsterman a severed leg.

 

Lettering

Pat Brosseau lavishes black, uppercase words in white and colored dialogue balloons and narrative boxes on Let 'Er Trip. Music notes accompany a voice lifted in song in Creepshow Vol 3 #1’s first twisty tale, and the swirls of color filling the air infect the splat-like balloons. James Stokoe’s expressive uppercase letters in Scrimshaw offer a handwritten appeal. The dialogue and narrative range in size, while abundant sound effects heighten the lobsterman’s infectious story. Thanks to Image Comics and Skybound for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

People who hunger for more than they need pay for their greed, while those who seek the benefits of conventional society discover a world beyond anything they imagined in Creepshow Vol 3 #1.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.