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‘Cursed Comics Cavalcade #1’ (review)

Written by Riley Rossmo, Tim Seeley,
Bryan Hill, James T Tynion IV, 
Becky Cloonan, Gary Dauberman
Illustrated by: Riccardo Federici, Riley Rossmo,
Becky Cloonan, Mark Buckingham
Published by DC Comics

 

Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to read.

Cursed Comics Cavalcade is a ten-story anthology of Halloween themed stories with the likes of Batman, Superman, Swamp Thing, and more. Over eighty pages and a price tag of $9.99, DC unleashed an all-star lineup of artists and writers for this horror-filled collection.

Doug Mahnke’s Tales from the Crypt inspired cover perfectly sets the tone for what to expect.

While the superheroes play an essential role here, they never overshadow the stories.

It shouldn’t be surprising that Gotham City has their version of Camp Crystal Lake. Batman investigates, however, it’s what he’s investigating that takes center stage. Wonder Woman’s perilous battle against a vengeful spirit is more about the nature of things such as love and how they can turn deadly.

The creator pairings were well conceived, strengthening the books freaky objective. Tim Seely and Kyle Hotz open this showcase with “The Spread,” which deals with a virus targeting The Green. Swamp Thing’s motivating for serving the common good almost matches the visual terror on the page. Kenny Porter and Riley Rossmo fashioned a Guy Gardner short exhibiting everything fans love about the self-absorbed Green Lantern as he works to solve the mystery of dead bodies in space. The shifting tone makes for an engaging account, digging into Lantern Corps lore with a tad bit of humor mixed in.

Perhaps, the most anticipated contribution to this collection is the comic book debut of It and The Nun screenwriter, Gary Dauberman. Gorehouse features Batman in the investigation mentioned above, with a couple of twists and turns, which keeps things interesting. It’s well illustrated and augmented by dark color palette renunciant of being chased in the woods. The story is rather short, which left me wanting more.

Comic book consumers who crave continuity from their mainstream and independent publishers might take a pass on this book. The cost will be a turn-off, and despite being a well-produced collection of stories, it’s a one and done offering. There is no new issue to look forward to next month.

If you rank this solely on its entertainment value, Cursed Comics Cavalcade is an impressive cover to cover read that doesn’t disappoint. Even the stories involving characters I could care less about are fun.

Besides, where else are you going to see Clark Kent wearing Batman slippers while cooking breakfast?

Rating: B+

 

 

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