DC Horror Presents #1 – David Dastmalchian/Leah Kilpatrick, The Boulet Brothers, Writers; Cat Staggs, Butch Mapa, Artists; Romulo Fajardo Jr, Kristian Rossi, Colorists
Ray – 8/10
Ray: Just in time for Halloween, DC is kicking off this new horror anthology which tells dark, mature-readers tales set in the DCU – a divergence from past DC horror projects. First up is “Love You To Pieces”, which follows a young woman who sees her boyfriend die in a freak fall. She’s incredibly desperate and unwilling to accept that he’s dead – so much so that she attacks the EMTs, steals his body, and goes on the run to her father – Dollmaker, an obscure villain who seems to be a cross between Toyman and Professor Pyg. The story turns into a Frankenstein pastiche, as they figure out how to repair the horribly broken body and resurrect him through mad science – until the story takes an incredibly dark turn in the last act. This is definitely the kind of story that couldn’t be told in a main-line book, although that’s not necessarily a good thing – it’s particularly gross and bleak.
The second story is stronger, taking place on Themyscira – as a mysterious force has been hunting Amazons, killing them, and leaving them as a twisted warning. An investigation reveals that it’s Hippolyta – but the Amazon queen is long dead, and something has created a monstrous, hungry revenant out of her. What ensues is a pitched battle with Diana and Donna Troy taking the helm, and the chilling art by Butch Mapa is the highlight here. Themyscira is a great setting for a dark horror tale, and this story actually has an explanation for why things went so horribly – implying it might be in continuity. So far, this series shows some promise, but I’m hoping it sticks to telling unique stories of the DC characters in darker situations rather than leaning on gore and shock value.
To find reviews of all the DC issues, visit DC This Week.
GeekDad received this comic for review purposes.
