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Graphic Novel Review: Masque of the Red Death: Fine Art Edition by Steven Archer

cover art for Masque of the Red Death: Fine Art Edition by Steven Archer

The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allan Poe, art by Steven Archer

Raw Dog Screaming Press, 2020

ISBN-13: 9781946335319

Available: Paperback  ( Bookshop.org )

 

Prince Prospero, trying to avoid a deadly plague, the Red Death, ravaging the land, walls himself up inside his abbey along with a number of other wealthy nobles. To combat the boredom, the prince hosts a masquerade ball within seven rooms of the abbey, each one representing a different color. Near the end of the evening, a mysterious guest dressed as the Red Death reveals herself to the revelers and Prince Prospero.

The story is not a rewrite of the Edgar Allan Poe story of the same name, but the artwork provides a new context to the tale. Written in 1842, this story has a resonance with the current global situation with the COVID-19 pandemic. Steven Archer, a multi-media visual artist, has moved the story from the plague-ridden countryside to the decadent American modern-day city. Archer also transformed the nebulous Red Death from the male incarnation in Poe’s original tale to a woman in his artwork. The images are visceral, energetic, and haunting. There are several pages that I would love to frame and hang on my walls.

At first, the price tag raised my eyebrows, but seeing the quality of Archer’s artwork and how much went into the pieces, it is definitely worth it. There are 71 pages in the book, most of which include a full page of color art. Highly recommended.

Contains: nudity, viscera

 

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

 

Editor’s note: The Masque of the Red Death: Fine Art Edition is a nominee on the final ballot for this year’s Stoker Awards in the category of Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel. 

Posted on April 22, 2021 by , Reply

Graphic Novel Review: Hopeless, Maine (vol. 1) by Tom and Nimue Brown

cover image for Hopeless, Maine

Hopeless, Maine (vol. 1) by Tom and Nimue Brown   ( Amazon.com )

Sloth Comics, 2016

ISBN-13: 9781908830128

Available: Paperback

 

Hopeless, Maine tells the story of Salamandra, an orphan girl who is taken in to a home for orphans; strangely not many adults are around. Sal discovers the strange and sometimes nightmarish creatures on the island are things best to be avoided. She befriends another young girl, but no one else seems to be able to see her. Their friendship takes a dark turn when the young girl discovers Sal’s magical abilities. The girl also becomes jealous of other friendships that Sal tries to form. When Sal discovers the girl’s true nature, she must protect herself and a new friend, Owen, that she has made at the orphanage. They both want desperately to make their own ways and break the hold the island has over them. Sal finds out she may have family on the island and will do anything to know more about her kin and herself.

I like the dynamic between Sal and Owen, the headmaster’s son. Sal is outspoken, while Owen is more reserved and thoughtful, acting as almost a way to calm Sal when she gets her hackles up about something. She’s quite strong-willed, and Owen’s relaxed demeanor is a lovely complement to Sal’s headstrong ways. The artwork is rich and well executed. The character and creature designs are unique, and the colour palette that the artist chose is oppressive,  but that really brings out the glow of the candlelight and magic that is central to the story. It’s quite beautiful.

Hopeless, Maine contains a piece of poetry, two complete stories, a short story, and extra artwork. While the story and the artwork are wonderful, there are two major issues with the book. The size of the book is smaller than the typical loose comic or graphic novel size. A larger format would have helped both problems. First, it would be easier to read, especially the poetry at the beginning and short piece at the end. Frankly, I had to skip over them because the white text against the black background was far too small to be read comfortably. It’s definitely smaller than a ten-point font. Going with a larger format would also improve the text in the graphic novel portions of the book. Second, a larger format might have actually helped me appreciate the artwork more considering there are some subtleties to it that I had to squint in order to really pick up. Recommended if you have good eyesight.

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

Posted on July 21, 2020 by , Reply

Graphic Novel Review: Frankenstein: Junji Ito Story Collection by Junji Ito

Frankenstein: Junji Ito Story Collection by Junji Ito

Viz Media, 2018

ISBN-13: 9781974703760

Available: Hardcover, Kindle, comiXology

Junji Ito, the master of horror manga, adapts Mary Shelley’s classic, Frankenstein in this graphic collection. Victor Frankenstein is obsessed with creating life from death. He stops at nothing to create his giant, only to be repulsed by his design. Abandoned and angry, the creature takes his revenge on those Victor loves.

I read a few reviews that were critical of Ito’s adaptation, indicating that they felt that adapting Shelley’s novel restricted his horrific artwork and storytelling. I would have to disagree, particularly regarding the art. While it is true Ito is skilled at the grotesque, his ability to draw beautiful characters seems to go unnoticed. For instance, is titular character in Tomie is gorgeous, which I think makes the horrific scenes in the manga so effective. The same can be said of his art for Frankenstein. The Creature, and moreover the companion Victor creates for him, are horrific. The character designs are signature Ito. Ito takes some liberties with the story, but not enough that it takes away too much from Shelley’s original novel. Purists may be disappointed, however.

Included in this collection are six short stories that center on a high school student named Oshikiri who lives alone in a strange mansion while his parents are away. In “Neck Specter”, he murders his best friend Kojima over petty jealousies and buries him on his family’s land, only to discover that when he unearths him that his neck has grown longer. Soon he is seeing everyone around him growing long, winding necks and accusing him of his crime. “Bog of Living Spirits” tells the tale of a small body of water near Oshikiri’s high school where it is rumored the ghost of a jealous girl drowns handsome boys that wander into the area. In this story, Kojima is alive and followed relentlessly by the high school girls who adore him. When he volunteers to help the other students tidy up the land around the bog, the girls are distraught and beg him not to go. Were they right, especially when they witness him falling in and not resurfacing? Oshikiri becomes friends with a seemingly lonely girl in “Pen Pals”. The young girl begins receiving insults and death threats in letters after she tells them of her new friendship. Oshikiri finds out the disturbing truth when he visits her at home. In “Intruders”, Oshikiri befriends some classmates who are interested in alternate dimensions, and who want to explore his mansion after he describes the strange footsteps he hears. There, they discover their own graves, complete with rotting corpses.

“Hell of the Doll Funeral” is the shortest story in the book, but one of the most gruesome. Children are starting to turn into dolls, and parents burn them before the affliction completes its cycle. One mother refuses to do so, and the result is terrifying.

The last two stories in the book gives the reader an uncommonly light-hearted look into the Ito family, specifically the family dog. The Matlese named Non-Non was clearly the ruler of the family.

While this volume is a departure from works such as the aforementioned Tomie, Uzumaki, and Gyo, it is still very enjoyable. Ito’s art style is unique and highly detailed. I would recommend this title for those who like graphic adaptation of classic horror, body horror, horror manga, and interesting stories.

Contains: blood, body horror, gore, nudity

Highly recommended

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

Posted on May 27, 2020 by , Reply
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