Written by Joe Hill
Illustrated by Leomacs
Published by DC Comics
June Branch is dealing with the fallout of chopping off the head of an escaped convict, Sal, who tried to kill her.
The body is dead, but the head is very much alive, due to the mystical Viking ax. June also wants to know if her boyfriend is still alive. June and the head get to know each other a little bit more. Sal is comfortable one minute, and then he remembers his current predicament and freaks out.
June tried to get answers out of him, which eventually she does.
The authenticity of the information is subject to much scrutiny.
However, Joe Hill makes the reader wonder if the head is being honest.
I enjoyed how June had to travel with her new friend and can’t get him to stop talking. It’s reminiscent of trying to get a child to calm down; only onlookers wouldn’t find her little guy so cute.
Leomacs depicts these moments with a cinematic style that is true to the horror genre.
There is a moment where June yelled at Sal, wishing she left him to drown. Sal got the creeps as he thought about ocean life feeding on his face without end. The fear was palpable, which exemplifies the fantastic visual work throughout the series.
The previous issues felt a little too short; however, this installment had a lot of meat on the bone. The grittiness shines through in spades and anchored by June, who is tough and sweet, making her a sincere character to root for.
It’s no secret that Joe Hill can write a great horror comic book, and Basketful of Heads has quickly become another fun series on his resume. While DC Comics’ Black Label imprint has gotten off to a rocky start, the complete opposite can be said for Hill House Comics.
Rating: B+
