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We are back with another batch of horror comic reviews in Haunted MTL’s original comics column, Graphic Content. We had a host of horrific new #1 titles to dig up last week; we have three more this week. Do these new comic titles offer something exciting for horror comic fans? Do we have a bold new Lovecraft comic in the rotation? What about revisiting the world of Hellboy, which is a kind of Lovecraft comic?

For the week of Sept. 12th, 2022, we have Lovecraft – Unknown Kadath #1, Castle Full of Blackbirds #1, and The Boogyman #1.

'Lovecraft - Unknown Kadath' #1 cover; a lovecraft comic

Lovecraft – Unknown Kadath #1 – “Dylath-Leen”

It’s always a good day for me when I get to start it off by reading a Lovecraft comic. I also knew I would like this title after the initial pages derive stylistically from Little Nemo in Slumberland. The rest of the comic turned out to be a fun, whirlwind tour of themes and elements of H.P. Lovecraft’s work, most notably the character of Randolph Carter, which I enjoyed quite a bit.

Something about Lovecraft’s universe lends itself well to severe and psychologically-derived horror. Still, it also makes for fun pulpy-adventure fodder, hence the longevity of the Call of Cthulhu tabletop game. The latter is where Florentino Florez draws his inspiration for his comic, it seems. Florez’s writing is solid, and he has created a breezy Lovecraftian adventure I am curious about.

As for the art, the comic opens with a lovely Little Nemo riff and establishes the dreamlike imagery found in the rest of the issue. Artists Guillermo Sanna and Jacques Salomon have created some excellent work here that, to me at least, evokes Mike Mignola in surreality and Hergé in great, lived-in details. I haven’t quite figured out each artist’s contribution to the overall work, but I am excited to learn more by the next issue.

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Impressions of Lovecraft- Unknown Kadath #1

Lovecraft – Unknown Kadath #1 is an excellent start to a series that gives me the 1920s adventure vibes I love in some Lovecraftian adventures. “Dylath-Leen” is a fun Lovecraft comic that evokes the tone and spirit of the dreamlike world that hides Kadath and pairs it with excellent artwork. Florez’s writing is well-paced, with enough explanation to keep the reader motivated. Sanna and Salomon’s illustrations are equally lovely and horrid as needed.

I am already dreaming of more. 4.5 out of 5 stars (4.5 / 5)

Lovecraft – Unknown Kadath is written by Florentino Florez and illustrated by Guillermo Sanna & Jacques Salomon. You can find more about the comic from Ablaze or your local comic shop.

'Castle Full of Blackbirds' #1 cover - from the lovecraft comic world of 'Hellboy'

Castle Full of Blackbirds #1

From the pages of Mike Mignola’s Hellboy and the BPRD comes Castle Full of Blackbirds. The exponential growth of the Hellboy IP has made it hard for me to keep up, so having not read the prior material leading to this one, I am somewhat new to this side of the larger franchise.

This story is set in the late 1960s, around the start of Hellboy’s early career, if I remember my continuity, and follows a young girl named Sara May Blackburn who seeks out a mysterious Linton School for Girls. Readers immediately get the sense there is a lot of background before these first pages, including a flashback to Hellboy himself. Writers Angela Slatter and Mike Mignola provide hints at what has come before, but new readers are likely to be lost as to what is going on. At least I was. Hellboy has always had a problematic relationship with witches at best, so how a school of witches connects to his adventures is enough to drive me forward.

Visually, the comic feels adjacent to what I’ve seen in the larger Hellboy universe without skewing too hard trying to emulate the angular look of Mignola. Valeria Burzo’s art is expressive and textured when needed but is also relatively simple and naturalistic. I am less keen on the colors by Michelle Madsen. They are effective for what they are, but the coloring style feels washed out, and the non-black-filled shading appears slightly muddy. Using gradients in spots is particularly noticeable and doesn’t complement the line art.

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Impressions of Castle Full of Blackbirds #1

I find myself exploring the Hellboy universe with this new limited series Castle Full of Blackbirds. I am enjoying the ride though this is the most disconnected from the universe I’ve been. This is due to the sheer avalanche of stories out there right now. The comic serves as an introduction, yes. However, it expects that readers know more than writers Mignola and Slatter are willing to recap. Visually, the art succeeds based on the strength of Burzo’s art. Yet, I feel Madsen’s coloring choices put a damper on the issue.

I am intrigued, but I worry that the comic may ask too much of new readers. 3.5 out of 5 stars (3.5 / 5)

Castle Full of Blackbirds #1 is written by Mike Mignola and Angela Slatter. The art is by illustrator Valeria Burzo and colorist Michelle Madsen. You can find out more about the comic from Dark Horse or your local comic shop.

'The Boogyman' #1 cover depicting a nightmare scenario

The Boogyman #1

Ablaze has had a terrific week with two intriguing #1s that play with horror themes. I enjoyed the first issue of The Boogyman, and I am looking forward to what is next. I especially like that it presents a Filipino approach to childhood monsters called the Aswang.

Mathieu Salvia had crafted a fun and grim little tale of childhood trauma, murder, and fantastical guardians. Some fun questions arise from what precisely the boogymen are and their purpose that I am eager to see explored. I also find the mystery of Father Death and his relationship to the other boogymen an intriguing hook. I do wonder how far ahead young Elliott’s narration comes from, however, because I feel a misstep between what is being presented as internal expression and his status as a child. Then again, I could also be underestimating the mind of a child though, too.

Visually, I think Djet, new to my radar, is just my speed in stylistic expression and detail, finding a real sweet spot in the art for this horror comic. Character forms are overall realistic in their proportions, but stylistic choices give them expressive faces that read well on the page. The level of detail is also lovely overall, with some extra spice when it comes to the nasty, creepy stuff. The sketchy nature of the line art is also complemented well by the coloring choices using some fun lighting overlays and a subtle but effective shading style.

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Impressions of The Boogyman #1

The Boogyman looks to be a strong contender for an ongoing horror comic. The juxtaposition of children’s fears and what seems to be deeper mythology is compelling enough. The cliffhanger written by Mathieu Salvia has inspired me to await the second issue. I think the artwork by Djet is particularly strong. It finds the right mix of exaggerated expressiveness and serious, grim tones. Consider me intrigued. 4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

The Boogyman #1 is written by Mathieu Salvia and illustrated by Djet. You can find more about the comic from Ablaze or your local comic shop.


What do you think about this week’s assembled comics? There seems to be a bit of a Lovecraft comic theme between the topics of dreams, witches, and Hellboy. Do any catch your eye? Let us know in the comments.

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Horror in graphic novels

Creepy Comics Collages by Jennifer Weigel, Part 5

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Well, you won’t get rid of me that easily… Ha ha, I lied about coming to the end and the afterlife in the Creepy Comics Collages segment, it was just an opportunity for rebirth. Besides, it’s World Collage Day! So having come into another comic book to rework, here we go again…

The Voice creepy comics collage by Jennifer Weigel
The Voice creepy comics collage by Jennifer Weigel

Creepy Comics Story 9: The Voice (of God or Reason or perhaps an homage to my ex)

“Come to me my children, the voice of God awaits!… Don’t let them escape!” Please beam me up out of this weird comic collage alternate reality. “God I am your hand! Lift me… to your place. I commend my spirit!” I want to go back to dreaming about starfish.

The computer programmer behind the scenes turns to face us and smiles. “Guardians! This is a place of God!… Come to the true voice of God!” “I am everything.” “Come to the voice!” And the horrific AI generated creatures abide by his every coded word.

Just like last night in the — signs posted for Nightmare, No Exit. The deer spirit faun screams in surprise, “Eeek!” “No! I defy you!” She returns to the form of a little girl with arms outspread to the open sky. “Y’know, a day like today makes all the stuff that happened last night seem just like a bad dream!” The dream seems so real…

Somewhere in the city, the computer programmer sits up at night in pensive monologue, “You try to make a difference… But it doesn’t really matter.”

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The City creepy comics collage by Jennifer Weigel
The City creepy comics collage by Jennifer Weigel

Creepy Comics Story 10: The City (Metropolis becomes self-aware)

This segment is brought to you by Dead Artists and Talking Dinosaurs. No really, wait for it…

Woooooo Uhhhh Wooooooo Uhhhh… Wump! Uff! Wump! Uff! “She belongs to The City!” The Glenn Fry 1985 hit single looms ominously overhead as Metropolis becomes self-aware. “The City… will live!… The City… will breathe!” The City gasps for air, “Got to… breathe!… Got to… Breathe!

Her breath is the wind… Her eyes are windows. Her heart pumps fluid through buried plumbing… “I’m The City!” Her mind is The City!

And we have a celebrity appearance by Rich Koz “Son of Svengoolie” WFLD 1973: “I take a nap for 10,000 years and look what happens… some-body builds a city!” Kerwyn chimes in, “Geez! Somebody’s been busy!” And we cut out to a scene of Svengoolie standing alongside his coffin.

Portrait of myself with dark makeup and crow skull headdress, backlit by the sun.
Portrait of myself with dark makeup and crow skull headdress, backlit by the sun.

Well, that’s all folks. Or is it? For now, any way… until I get more comic books… Duh duh DUHHHH…

If you want to see more art, check out more of Jennifer Weigel’s work here on Haunted MTL or on her writing, fine art, and conceptual projects websites.

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Horror in graphic novels

Creepy Comics Collages by Jennifer Weigel, Part 4

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Wow, I can’t believe you’ve stayed the course through four whole strange story posts of these creepy comics collages. But this is the final frontier, the last segment, the standing ovation as it were. So here goes…

The Grave creepy comics collage by Jennifer Weigel

Creepy Comics Story 7: The Grave (shallow enough for ya?)

“It should take longer, it seems to all of them. Such holy flesh should not give before a blade so easily.” “His brow is growing so cold.” “Yes it would be. He’s dying.”

“My god… I’m not dead.” Put the shovel down. “Life is a no-win situation. Besides… You’re already dead!”

“I’m not dead. I’m not dead!… Oh, Oh my god… I can’t move… What’s happened to me?” Buried alive. Or maybe not.

“Dead?” Perhaps I am actually dead. I was expecting something… I dunno… different.

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“I’m not hungry, I’m dead. I’m not sure what I’m doing here, in fact.” At least I’m not a zombie. That seems a small consolation right now though. “My organs are shutting down. It is a relief.”

“Three days have already passed.” We’re just sitting here, rotting. Like Norman Bates’ Mother. At least someone was kind enough to supply a rocking chair. “Oh, one last thing before I go… You’re doing my fucking head in.”

Adrift Afterlife creepy comics collage by Jennifer Weigel
Adrift Afterlife creepy comics collage by Jennifer Weigel

Creepy Comics Story 8: Adrift Afterlife (why you save the best gold coins for the ferryman)

How’d we get here? “I do not stand alone. I am sat in a boat.” “.. to be millions of miles away from any care in the world.” Was that the Ferryman? “Only liberty I know.”

“He does not remember arriving here, or if he has been here before. It is not the island he grew up on, though it feels so very familiar… He has been waiting for the night tides to come in, for they will bring starfish. He has always liked watching them cling to the beach before the current pulls them back into fathoms.”

“And the ocean brings him starfish… Perhaps his father had nothing to do with this place at all.” The ferryman stands on the far shore. It makes no difference now.

“Beneath the ocean, razor-sharp coral grows and plunges towards the surface, sent by a green place that would not like to burn.” “The sand is soft between his toes and he is not ashamed of anything.” The ghosts are here, contentedly it seems.

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Portrait of myself with dark makeup and crow skull headdress, backlit by the sun.

Thank you for joining us for these creepy comics collage art stories. But here’s where we have to leave it off. Trust me, it’s best that way. Besides I’m out of creepy comics to collage with.

If you want to see more art, check out more of Jennifer Weigel’s work here on Haunted MTL or on her writing, fine art, and conceptual projects websites.

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Horror in graphic novels

Creepy Comics Collages by Jennifer Weigel, Part 3

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We’re ba-ack… Are you ready for the next creepy comics collages graphic story overload? After the last time and the intermission I wasn’t sure I’d see you again, but here we are, together again. You’d almost think we put something in the water – wink.

Now where were we? Oh yeah, the world was going to hell… or was it?

Alien Invasion creepy comics collage by Jennifer Weigel
Alien Invasion creepy comics collage by Jennifer Weigel

Creepy Comics Story 5: Alien Invasion (A Fist Full of Physics!!!)

“Elsewhere… months… earlier…” “It begins as a flicker pin-point of light getting closer ever closer until it takes form.” The sky is falling, damn you Chicken Little.

“…unconfirmed rumors of extraterrestrials have surfaced this evening following reported sightings in upstate New York earlier today.” There’s the news for you. Always blowing things up to increase viewership ratings.

“Then I would suggest a test immediately.” ‘K Doc, we get it; maybe there’s cause for concern. Guessing these aren’t friendlies based on intel, or that the government pissed them off. “Where’s William Shatner when you really need him?”

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“Next morning… City Hall…” “A Fist Full of Physics” Blamm-o! “As if that’s some kind of homage.” It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I was feeling fine but now I’m not so sure. “All of this is on your head.” You can thank the world governments with their shoot first, ask questions later policies for that.

“The act was deplorable. It’s ramifications were permanent.” Doc looks unamused. “And the doctor drones on in his cold monotone… ‘Then we all die.’”

Werewolves creepy comics collage by Jennifer Weigel
Werewolves creepy comics collage by Jennifer Weigel

Creepy Comics Story 6: Werewolves (Londoners, eat your hearts out)

“Fables Werewolves… no one can hear you howl.” So now we’re elbow-deep in lycanthropy? This story just keeps getting weirder and weirder…

“… I feel so… disoriented… is this vertigo?” No, you wouldn’t be so lucky. Once bitten, twice shy. It’s The Change. Prepare yourself for the transformation.

“Hello dear.”

“What now?” Enough with the damned interruptions already, can’t you see I’m at work?!

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“Shall we start a war?”

“No! No! Leave me alone! Leave me alone! No!

“What now?”

“I know one thing.” “Never will you suffer the indignity of this animal’s touch again.” The wolf seems somewhat offended by that statement. No really. And probably rightly so.

“Maybe it’s just an excuse, a fucking cop-out for when we inevitably fuck-up our lives and hurt people… We’re not cursed, we’re rotten, or mad or…”

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“I don’t deserve this!” he howls. Stop blaming the werewolves for your own human indecencies. Teacups get broken and the London werewolves get angry.

Portrait of myself with dark makeup and crow skull headdress, backlit by the sun.
Portrait of myself with dark makeup and crow skull headdress, backlit by the sun.

Thank you for going all in with us over this series, there’s… one… more… final… huzzah… In the meantime, check out more of Jennifer Weigel’s work here on Haunted MTL or on her writing, fine art, and conceptual projects websites.

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