Man, another great title from @aftershockcomics! I’ve just recently gotten into their stuff and they’re killing it! Picked this one up on a whim and I’m so glad I did.

I love a good vampire story, and this one does not disappoint. It’s clever, fast-paced, and outrageously violent. Our main vamp Chip spends much of the story trying to save his girlfriend Evie and killing vampires in various creatively vicious ways (one of my favorites is stuffed swordfish to the skull). The story is also playing with layers of social commentary, and though some of its satirical I still got a little lost in the message (at least we can all agree racist nazi vampires are the absolute worst). Overall it was a fun ride, and I’m very much looking forward to the next volume!

Full disclosure: I am 100% biased towards Jeff Lemire. I find the stories he writes to be fascinating, engaging, and full of heart and humanity. No surprises here. Descender, Vol 1 nails all of those elements and is another excellent series in the Lemire comic cannon.

The setup for this series is great. Ten years ago giant planet-sized robots called Harvesters appeared suddenly and wreaked havoc across the galaxy, killing millions and severing the tenuous diplomatic threads between planets. With anti-robot sentiments at an all-time high, of young android named TIM-21 wakes to find ll robots have been outlawed. But TIM's machine DNA may hold clues to understanding the Harvesters, and he quickly becomes the most wanted robot in the universe. With bounty hunters, feuding factions, and various other dangers around every corner, TIM embarks on an epic quest of adventure and discovery.

This first volume is full of thrilling action scenes, a variety of great characters (I think the lumbering mining droid Driller might be my favorite), and plenty of twists and turns in the plot. And the art by Dustin Nguyen is simply stunning! Vivid colors and beautiful full-painted panels adorn every page, elevating an already good story to the next level.

I've been craving some science fiction, and Descender certainly helped scratch that itch. But it's also just a great story, and I'm very much looking forward to continuing the series in the next volume!

This initial issue does a fairly good job of setting up the characters and conflict, revealing just enough of Jacey’s backstory to foreshadow where the story is headed next. There are still a lot of unknowns, but for now all of the story’s cryptic dialogue and playfully oblique artwork is effective in enticing the reader to turn the page. There’s an underlying tension and a good amount of suspense built up by the end ready to carry over into the next issue.

The second issue continues the story of Jacey and David’s quest to find her missing brother. However, any momentum the comic had begins to wane, as most of this issue is focused on the flashback story line. It feels like thirty pages of set up, instead of events that move the plot forward. The story appears to be building towards a series of revelations, but the slow burn approach is losing its appeal.

Here the story finally begins to grind back into action. New layers of plot and character development are revealed, but they lack a satisfying resolution. We also get more backstory on David, and while it adds a much needed dynamic to his character, it comes off as convoluted and thus uninteresting. But at least at this point in the series we have a new target for this tragic duo and a new plan of action.

In terms of sci-fi horror, Rogue Planet doesn't break any new ground. But the comic also manages to elevate above being a completely awful rip-off. There's enough here - between the intriguing concepts and provocative artwork - to keep readers engaged in the story, even when they're confused or find themselves feeling déjà vu. Though previous entries in the genre have tackled the same concepts with better results, the creepy images and stellar coloring make this one still worth a read. Just lower your expectations and have fun with it.

Full review will be posted at www.puzzleboxhorror.com

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I’m a bit torn on my final thoughts for this one. On one hand it never takes itself seriously (definitely the right move for such an absurdly obscene story) and it entertains provocative ideas on the topics of social media, reality shows, and celebrity status. It’s like Chuck Palahniuk writing an episode of Black Mirror with a horny Michael Myers randomly thrown in - and in most cases that would be a resounding compliment. Unfortunately, the surface level farce doesn’t dip into deeper territory of true scares and thought-provoking messages. I don’t mind shock value, but I do need it to be balanced with a bit more substance.

Full review available at https://gobeyondtheveil.co.uk/

A mysterious, poetic, and dark fairy tale.

Those are the first few thoughts that come to mind as I turn the last page, and they relate to both the plot and the prose. I have a lot of questions about the book, but not necessarily in a bad way. It's more like a captivating desire to learn more: more about the characters, the circumstances, and the author's research/writing process.

The writing style is intoxicating: strange in some areas, unnerving in others, and ultimately very lyrical in nature. Our characters don't have names, and the exposition is often delivered in a manner similarly to stage/film directions (setting the scene, describing the characters, etc). There are a few minor aspects I got hung up on (such as the descriptive names for the daughters), but overall I really enjoyed the lush, dense descriptions and vivid imagery.

The story itself is pretty interesting as well. It was a little hard to get into at first, mostly as I adjusted to the style of storytelling, but then it picked up the pace around page 30 and I was golden the rest of the time. It's hard to discuss without spoilers, but the story kept me on the edge of my seat through many chapters, and there's even the inclusion of a true crime element at the end.

One of the aspects I liked most was feeling like I was reading some sort of dark phantasmic fairy tale. Many of the scenes had a dream(nightmare)like quality to them, punctuated by genuine pain and trepidation from the characters. We read, helpless, as the woman seems to spiral down a treacherous hole with no real idea (us and her) what is going to happen next. It made the pages fly by, and yes I'm not ashamed to admit I gave my students extra Independent Reading time in class so I could finish this haha.

I honestly can’t remember the last time I read a play outside of work (as an english teacher). But after reading this I’m convinced that it’s a genre, like dark poetry, that needs more mainstream attention in the horror world! Here the author does a great job of blending mystery, suspense, and character drama in a way that I really enjoyed. I found the characters and their marital conflict pretty relatable. I’m not a vlogger (yet?), but the issues of followers vs family and misplaced priorities has certainly come up in my own life

I also love the paired down nature of the story: very few set changes and essentially only two characters on stage. It forces the drama to turn inward in much the same way as a Carver or Chekov short story, relying on strong characterization and dialogue to drive the story. Luckily all of these things deliver, along with one genuinely disturbing moment and a lot of tension. I’ve gotten greedy for bigger twists in horror, and that’s one area I felt shortchanged (that and I really want to know more about The Boxer). But overall if you’re looking for a dark little morality play then this is for you!

Big thank you to author @brianamorganbooks for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!

A Disgusting Supermarket of Death (2021) by Jim Harberson is a collection of stories overflowing with darkly intriguing and obscenely provocative ideas. Boasting twenty-two stories full of dark comedy, horrifying consequences, and outlandish conceits. Here you’ll find tales of healthcare workers responsible for massive car wrecks in order to murder their victims, extreme haunted houses where the scares are a little too real, retirement communities that bathe their residents in orphan blood, as well as clones secretly harbouring serial killer identities and homicidal urges. Every single story has a premise that is wildly inventive and compelling. Unfortunately, it’s in the execution that they begin to fall apart.

To read my full review, go here: https://gobeyondtheveil.co.uk/books/a-disgusting-supermarket-of-death-review