Review: Satanic Hell #6

Story: Grigoris Douros

Art: Kevin Enhart

Additional art: Newel Anderson

Colours: Jimmy Kerast

Lettering: E.T. Dollman

This week I've had the chance to look at the penultimate issue of Satanic Hell, which is available on comixology today. Now this issue was my first foray into Satanic Hell's world, so I had a little bit of catching up to do and as that meant reading more comics it was no trouble at all.

Comixology has the genre for Satanic Hell listed as 'music' and in a way I suppose it is, after all the titular characters are a metal band who become embroiled in a religious conspiracy. However if you scratch the surface this series is about so much more, it's a subversive, satirical look at theology and dictatorships in a world where everything isn't as it seems. At a deeper level it is a look at the dichotomy of good and evil, at what happens when everything you thought you knew was exposed as a lie, and it brings all these elements together nicely to make for a pretty enjoyable read. 

Coming away from the series and back to this issue. I'm not one for spoilers or just summarising an issue, so just a brief sentence or so on the plot. In this issue Reverend Scudder and Dr.Wartech's machinations for the Satanic Hell trio come to light, while Eva is desperate to prove herself after stepping out from under her father's shadow. 

The writing, on the whole, is solid. The characters are well built and you get a sense of their personalities throughout the issue, which helps to identify with the protagonists. In comics (in fact in entertainment all round) I think it's important that the villains are given elements of humanity, complex layers that build up an explanation of their evil nature and save them from becoming one dimensional. Of course there are exceptions but, generally speaking, evil for it's own sake isn't exciting. So it's a positive note that here the script does give subtle indications and hints at the antagonists remaining streaks of humanity; clues to their aspirations and dreams, albeit malevolent ones. However, on occasion, the story does take a few awkward steps and the pace suffers because of it, so there is the odd panel that is difficult to read. Overall though this doesn't draw too much away from the series building to its conclusion as a whole, so it's easy enough to overlook. The dialogue is suited to the tone of the book but at times it does suffer from being slightly predictable, which is one of the reasons the pace suffers as mentioned before. However it is still relatively easy to hear the conversations taking place in your head, which is a good marker a well scripted book.

The cover for this issue is dark and moody, which as the title is Satanic Hell, you would expect. The cover is a good indication for what's to come throughout the issue, as the artwork follows a similar tone; dark and moody. If I was being truly picky I would say that there is a slight inconsistency in the art in some panels, the odd face or place that doesn't quite match up, but these are very few and don't detract from the quality in general. There are some nice splash panels that show a lot of detail and are a joy to look at, also for all you gore fans there is a gruesome surgical scene that is intricate and quite horrifying too. The downside to the art is that sometimes the spacing of the panels could of been slightly better and there are times where the pages don't flow too smoothly, making them a little difficult to follow, but overall it's easy on the eye. Kevin Enhart's art pairs up nicely with Jimmy Kerast's colours and the book gets a dark, ominous feel that benefits it greatly. Kerast uses shades of black well and the muted colours conjure up images of the inferno just behind the pages. It helps build up the suspense and gives you a feeling that something is inevitable is about to happen, appropriate as the series heads towards the finale.

Overall this was a pretty fun read, and it succeeded in grabbing my attention sufficiently enough to go back and read the previous issues with vigour. There are a few negatives that do impinge on the flow of the story, making some pages difficult to concentrate on, but these shouldn't be enough to scare you away from what is a relatively poignant issue. I'd recommend this issue (and indeed series) to anyone interested in something a little deeper than a straightforward good versus evil scenario. Again if we must follow the archaic stereotype and attribute base values, then I would give this issue 7/10. It's only let down some clunky pace at times, but as I've said a damn good read otherwise.

Review: FUBAR, By the sword.

Release date: 23/9/15

Publisher : Alterna Comics

This week I found myself in the privileged position of reviewing this visceral offering of a collection of stories surrounding the again-walkers, hungry ghosts and the hordes of the undead. 

Now as this is the first review that I have posted on the page, allow me a moment to provide you with a little background information. As with many enthusiasts of comics, my passion began at a young age. It began with Spider-Man, Batman, Hulk, Superman and the X-Men to name a few, really my main focus was on 'the big two' namely Marvel and DC. However in the past 15 years as I have grown and matured (after a fashion) so has my passion become more erudite and diverse. My interest over the last few years has burgeoned into something much wider and more rounded, expanding into creator owned works and indie publishers. This expansion and discovery has allows me to enjoy comics much more and led me to uncover works that I wouldn't previously looked twice at, to my own chagrin. I'm glad that I didn't stay pigeonholed to the aforementioned publishers and books like 'by the sword' reaffirm that joy. 

Now like I've said I'm new to this, my interest in Alterna Comics is relatively recent and so this book is my first experience of the FUBAR world. However this didn't hinder my enjoyment as you aren't expected to know the intricate ins and outs of what's come before, this is a collection of 28 stand alone stories to be devoured and enjoyed. From your initial view of the beautiful cover, by Leonardo Pietro, it's clear that you're in for some hack 'n' slash action, which is no bad thing. There are so many contributors to this work that it wouldn't be prudent of me, or enjoyable for you, if I just listed them all now, instead you should honour them by getting your copy now and seeing their names with your own comic fueled reading devices we call eyes. If relevant though, I will mention creators.

As is the case with the collections opening story 'The Draugr' (story and art by Matt Smith) which is an undead take on the Beowulf legend. For me it's a good story to begin with as it pretty much sets up the pace and tone of what to expect. The art is moody and dark, befitting of a collection about undead ghouls and the story jumps quickly into the action. 

In line with this, there are a few stories which seem to be interpretations of classic legends, stories and archetypes, Don Quixote, The Millers tale and a Trojan Horse to name a few. Some would accuse the collection of relying on subverting these tales but I think they work well and each tale has its own tone and twist to make them interesting varied. There are also zombie pastiches of certain situations, such as the strongest warrior decides the victor and this is given a nice twist too to help keep the excitement flowing.

There are also a lot of stories that are heavily influenced by far eastern culture, these stories echo themes of love, honour and sacrifice, of nobility among the undead menace. In fact one of my favourite pieces 'The Grove' (story by Benjamin Truman, art and letters by Peebo Mondia) reads like a classic whodunnit mystery with elements of the Far East and zombies entwined, however I do think that a lot of the stories use this far eastern, samurai warrior motif a little too frequently. Don't get me wrong they're great stories and it doesn't put me off to the point where I wouldn't read them, because I would again and again, but a little more variety wouldn't of hurt the overall feel of the book. I would of liked to see one or two more Norse inspired stories, Hell even one or two Kung fu hand to hand combat stories would of given this Far East theme a little extra spice. What I did like about this theme is the variety in art, a different artist was used for almost each story and it's nice to see how each envisions the setting and we get some stunningly detailed panels and splash pages because of this, it's clear that they enjoyed working on this book. This invariably leads to some cracking panels of brains being eaten, limbs being hacked off and eyeballs popping. This enjoyment comes out in the writing too, each writer is writing a gory story and absolutely loving doing it, which makes the dialogue flow, easy to read and helps the panels move generally seamlessly.

Inevitably, as with any compilation or collection of stories, there are some comparatively weaker works. There is the odd tale in which the pace of the story is a little awkward and I think this is largely due to the size of the length of the stories, it is difficult to fit everything you want to convey into a few pages sometimes and the writing does suffer on occasion because of this. However I think these weaker stories are only salient because they're rubbing shoulders with well crafted companions and, if you were to take them away and read them as a separate entity, this shortcomings would be much less noticeable. So it's really only a minor drawback. 

I'll give mention to the artwork on the title pages for the stories now, which is underrated but gives you a glimpse into what to expect on the next few pages. I think they work well, not only as a set up to a story, but to who's tale you'll be engaging in. However sometimes the structure of the panels is a little too rigid in the story telling, sticking to standard layouts. It would of been nice to see some of the action sequences breaking out the panels and through the gutters, but it doesn't impinge on the storytelling overall. At the back the pin up artwork is really impressive too and you can't help but feel a slight bitter pang of jealousy knowing that anything you try to draw, just won't be quite as good. 

So, in summary this was a really enjoyable read. The stories are broken down in separate entities nicely and it's easier to dip into the book, but then oh so difficult to put down. Just one more story you will find yourself saying, until you suddenly find yourself on the last page. As said there are some stronger stories in the mix that not only entertain you, but offer moments for introspection and reflection on different subjects. Then you're greeted with a gore fest to bring you back down to earth. The artwork throughout is pretty consistent, appropriate to the story and tone and there are some truly amazing pages and panels. The writing, apart from the odd slip up is solid and creates believable characters in a few short pages, which is no mean feat. 

So if we were being archaic and attributing points out of 10, then I would give this title a solid 8. It's fun, it's enjoyable and you do find it difficult to put down. So if you're after some good zombie action, or looking for something a bit different to your standard comics then get to your local comic shop or nip on over to comixology and give 'FUBAR by the sword' a try. I know this has inspired to see what else the FUBAR world, and indeed Alterna Comics have to offer.

Welcome to the page.

Greetings and warm salutations, welcome to the inaugural post of Retro Reviews. As you can see from the basic and wildly off target layout of the page there is work to be done. Work that will hopefully see this page transform into a safe and comfortable home where one can read about comics, science fiction, films and the various ephemera that are often categorised as geeky or nerdy interests and pursuits. Worry not this will be a place free from judgement where anyone and everyone is welcome to comment and debate upon any subject or article as they desire.

Retro is defined as:
1- retroactive
2- of or designating the style of an earlier time.
It is a term that is often now used as a prefix applied to something a little old fashioned or from the past., perhaps a little erroneous but the word serves my purpose her. I will, indeed, be offeeing reviews on comics, books and films from the corridors of history. Trawling through that vast ocean of time that has passed and passing comment on the fish that I find. The idea came to me when I was at my local comic shop, buying the classic and timeless Sandman series. Had it not been for the friendly man who runs the shop, I would of had little insight into what I was buying. Now in this case I wouldn't of needed insight to read this seminal work, but that isn't always true and reviews of things several years old are often hard to come by; in true cliche form, Retro Reviews was born.
Though worry not, if you have come here looking for reviews of modern or upcoming works there is a place for you too, I will not exclusively looking into the past but at our esoteric passion as a whole. So there will be reviews of new and ongoing series. So if you have any ideas, or are a comics publisher looking to have your work reviewed, then please do get in touch. In the meanwhile I'm working on something to make this place a little more, homely.