All Hallow’s Eve TBP
Writer: Ty Thomas Luckman
Art: Dave Mims
215 Ink
Comics are ideally a 50/50 relationship. You would hope for outstanding art, and a story that is also fantastic. It’s rare when such balance is achieved.
That balance doesn’t happen on All Hallow’s Eve either.
So first the good news.
One look at the gorgeous art of Dave Mims and I was drooling over this title. It is the stunning style which would make the book an immediate impulse buy. If you thumbed through a copy at the comic book store Mims art would be whispering ‘buy this’ from the first peek.
Artistically this is a top-drawer title.
On the story side Ty Thomas Luckman has written a story that is enjoyable enough, fitting the theme of Halloween nicely, but there was nothing particularly fresh here either.
There are parts of the storyline which have most certainly been done elsewhere, the devil having minions doing his bidding in taking souls the primary one.
And of course the story is populated with lots of simply reprehensible characters, many deserving a coach ride to Hell.
Based on the story All Hallow’s Eve is average at best, maybe a smidgen below average really.
But the art carries this one to the must have list. In fact, I’d love this book sans word balloons, so I could just flip pages and enjoy the art.
- Calvin Daniels
The October Faction TBP Vol #1
Writer: Steve Niles
Art: Damien Worm
IDW Publishing
I am a late adopter when it comes to reading The October Faction. It was already on issue #9 in the ingoing run of the series when I laid my hands on the earlier issues.
I delved into issue #1, was hooked, and binge read the first six issues rather than crawling into bed, a decision I regret only somewhat as I write this tire-eyed the next afternoon.
While I read the books as six solo issues, I am combining the review to match the already release TPB which includes the issues in Volume #1.
Now I should preface this review with the fact I generally do not read, or watch horror. For the most part it is either boringly predictable (The Walking Dead), glaringly cliched (The Walking Dead), or simply the gore shot of the week (yes The Walking Dead).
But Damian Worm’s artwork drew me to The October Faction. It has a bit of a Nightmare Before Christmas feel to it, albeit a bit darker without being stupidly bathed in washes of blood.
The characters, without reading a word, also caught my eye. A comparison to The Addams Family is natural, and yes in my younger years I watched that series.
Of course any comparison the Addams Family is in general at styling. The October Faction is not a comedy, although there are a few places you will smile.
But on to the story by Steve Niles. He spends the first six issues/Vol #1 TPB weaving an intriguing number of story threads.
The parents of this family were hunters, retired and trying to live a quiet life. It has meant mom and dad have lost the pizazz in their lives.
Their son and daughter though want to be hunters, a career choice their father is set against.
We have a werewolf dying of cancer; a bad guy who takes a bullet to the head, and is deathly afraid of his mother, and a metal masked kid who has been stored away for years, and is a tad angry once released.
It all adds up to a bit of a romp on the fine line between horror, reality and comedy. That is not an easy place for a writer to maintain their balance. One false step and the story could slip into the tripe pile. Through six issues Niles has nimbly carried it off.
The result is a great read, the art a perfect match to the story.
This is one easy to highly recommend.
- Calvin Daniels
