Review: Flesh and Blood Book Two
A comic review article by: Jason Sacks
The second issue of Monsterverse's
"monster rally" is an awesomely fun, intensely exciting treat for all
fans of the classic monsters.
This 80-page story moves
at near breakneck speed with operatic intensity as it chronicles the
intense battles between Dracula, Baron Frankenstein, Carmilla, a
werewolf and the inevitable Abraham Van Helsing in decaying Gothic
castles, treacherous mountain passes and terrifying darkness.
Flesh and Blood Book Two
is a grand and thrilling tribute to the classic Hammer horror films of
the '60s and '70s, chronicling the exciting crossover adventure that
that much-renowned studio never produced. But of course, Hammer's
budgets would have forbidden the production of a film this large in
scope and adventure, full of terrifying monsters and outrageous special
effects. From the opening scenes, which feature gravediggers and
lycanthropy, through to the ending and its unexpected sexual liaison and
talk of time travel, this story is a thrill-ride of unpredictable
characters, thrilling adventures and wonderful settings.
This
story starts fast and never lets go. The evil creatures in this book
all have their own agendas and of course will kill, maim and destroy
everything in front of them in an effort to achieve their goals. There
is no compromise in any of these formidable foes, so the battles between
them all become overwhelming, intense struggles between intensely evil
beings. Can even a good person triumph over evil without sacrificing his
very soul? If you know these stories, you know the answer to that
question.
Neal
Vokes draws the hell out of these pages, using a style that places
large characters front and center in the panels and de-emphasizes the
backgrounds and the spaces that the characters live in. This emphasizes
the evil creatures that we all want to read about, and subtly tamps up
the intensity of the battles. The grand personalities of these
characters lead to grand battles. That's a point that's emphasized by
Vokes's smart panel layouts in this book.
There
are also two text pieces and two backup stories included in this book.
The most intriguing of the bonus features, for me, is "Operation Satan"
with writing by Tinnell and art by '70s Marvel artist Bob Hall. Hall's
art reminds me in many places of the work of the great John Buscema, and
the presentation of the story in black and white and the storyline of
an exorcism make this short reminiscent of the best of the '70s Marvel
monster mags. It's too short at five pages – I really want to read more
of this story.
As usual, the folks at Monsterverse have
produced a monster book that will excite anyone who loves classic
horror. And even for people who only sort of like that stuff, the energy
of this title might just move you into the group of people who love
this stuff.
Jason Sacks is Publisher of Comics Bulletin. Follow him at @jasonsacks, email him at jason.sacks@comicsbulletin.com or friend him on Facebook.
