Author | DecapitatedDan


The Dead Cell Graphic Novel Review

Posted on September 12, 2011 by

“How would the world be changed if the mentally ill were allowed to determine reality? The Dead Cell explores the experiments of the recently graduated Monica McCoy, and her employment with the secret “Dream Research Program” at Breckenridge State Hospital. While being briefed on the basics, nothing can prepare her for the horrors she encounters upon reporting for duty. What ensues is a tale of madness, reality, and the supernatural chronicling one woman’s journey as she comes face to face with the horror of The Dead Cell.”

I have been treated to Simmons’ work before, but it was not in a horror title (lookup Wannabe‘s). I think overall that the book worked on a high level. However there were a few panels that personally I thought some angles were a little off. Did it distract me from enjoying the book though? No not at all. I think the way that really odd/psychological stuff was depicted came off great.

[...more]

Drop Dead Dangerous Comic Review

Posted on September 8, 2011 by

“They thought it was over. They were wrong. Back on the hunt for the maniacal figure known as The Raven, private detective Jack Smith must face a nightmare from his past— but not all is as it seems. A new evil comes to town as he and his dumbstruck partner Alice, a young woman with secrets of her own, get tangled in a web of deception without realizing that the most dangerous truths are the ones they keep from each other. Meanwhile, The Raven paints the town red as the clock starts ticking for a final showdown in this debut issue of DROP DEAD DEAD DANGEROUS, a murder mystery manga by Chad Cabrera and Mike Banting set in the weird, weird west. Who will be left standing… and who will be left in pieces?”

Fans of the artwork found in Hellsing and Priest gather around because this book is right up your alley. This book had its moments where I didn’t quite see what was going on in the action scenes, but there might have been only 2 max. This book is drop dead GORE-Geous plain and simple.

[...more]

Deadworld: Last Siesta Graphic Novel Review

Posted on August 31, 2011 by

“King Zombie heads across the border and finds himself plunged into a bitter dispute between a former drug cartel and the assassin Raga.”

I bow down to you Mark Bloodworth. I have seen artists do styles like this, I have seen artists make it work within their own books, but I have never seen this style work so well. Mark was not afraid to show you anything in this book. From his character designs, to the way he laid out a page, there was nothing I could have wanted more from this book visually. The consistency was perfect, but the over the top work came from the way panels transitioned into each other and, of course, the depiction of the undead. Mark your work on Deadworld, whether old or new, is beyond what I need and I can not ask for more. You have achieved visual perfection on this book.

[...more]

Vault #1 Comic Review

Posted on August 18, 2011 by

“A small team of treasure hunters struggles to excavate a dangerous and legendary treasure pit before a massive storm hits Sable Island, the ‘Graveyard of the North Atlantic’.Equipped with all the latest technology, the scientists believe they are prepared against all of nature’s fury, but nothing can prepare them for what they are about to unleash from The Vault.”

This is seriously a solid-looking issue that doesn’t have a lot of horror elements in it until the end. A huge plus on this book was the characters staying perfect from panel to panel. Every page had so much detail that it was like a moving painting telling a visual story.

[...more]

Nightmare World Vol 2: Leave the Light On Review

Posted on August 5, 2011 by

“Thirteen new tales of terror peer into the lives of those affected by Lucifer’s diabolical scheme to kick-start the Armageddon! Stories feature characters as diverse as a conniving rock star wannabe, an abused teenager, a pair of star-crossed Mafioso lovers and the world’s last ultra-hero, the last of whom must choose between staying with the love of his life while the world goes to Hell (literally) and fighting the Great Cthulhu in a desperate (and most likely futile) attempt to save the world.”

Ugh, yes please! This is one great looking collection. Not a single story seemed to be any less visually appealing than the next. Some of the stories I liked the looks of best were Strays, No One Knows and Momma’s Boy.

[...more]

Witch Doctor #1 Comic Review

Posted on July 12, 2011 by

“Meet Vincent Morrow, a doctor looking for a vaccine… for the apocalypse! In this stand-alone first issue, a family needs Dr. Morrow’s help with their son’s illness: Demonic possession. But when Morrow attempts an experimental cure, he discovers the boy’s disease isn’t all spinning heads and pea soup – it’s like nothing you’ve seen before! Horror gets a brain transplant in WITCH DOCTOR, the book WARREN ELLIS calls Mental.”

I knew I needed to see this book just based on the cover art alone. Now let me tell you a few things I liked about this issues art, the colors popped off of every page. The “exorcism” scene at the beginning of the issue was just drop dead GORE-Geous and the demons were bad ass. My only downside was that I didn’t think the human cast stay as consistent as they could have. However it didn’t take anything away from this issue it was easy on the eyes.

[...more]

The God Machine Graphic Novel Review

Posted on July 8, 2011 by

“Stricken with grief from the death of his girlfriend, Sith, Guy Salvatore struggles to make sense of his world. He’s plagued with hallucinations of monsters that torment him with outrageous requests. Enter Satan: a strange, old man who implores Guy to call upon his latent power to break through his world’s plane to rescue Sith, who he claims is floating aimlessly in and out of dimensional planes known as the “Dream Worlds.” But is Satan to be trusted?”

The only thing I knew about this book before diving into it was how GORE-Geous is was going to be. I will admit though that what took it a notch above most is that Chandra took the time to create every element on every page.

[...more]

Orc Stain Vol 1 Comic Review

Posted on June 8, 2011 by

For a million millennia the world has cracked and convulsed under the indomitable mob of the orc. Savage, bloodthirsty creatures, they are without number, staining nearly every corner of the globe. The mighty Orc Tzar, newest leader of the mob, marches ever north to find the lost organ of a forgotten god. Only a lone, one-eyed orc with a mysterious gift can find the key to breaking the cycle forever.

This book is so Gore-Geous it’s beyond words. Wait I can’t do that to you can I? The character designs go way beyond cool to a level of pure awesome. Add on top of that the ink and you just made me drop my jaw. The real clincher though is the colors. This book is just vibrant, I honestly got lost in its radiance time and time again. I want to go back to the characters now, mostly because of the amazing amount of detail used.

[...more]

General Jack Cosmo and the Vampire Men of Kothos Review

Posted on June 6, 2011 by

“Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas” meets Flash Gordon in GENERAL JACK COSMO AND THE VAMPIRE MEN OF KOTHOS. If Hunter S. Thompson had decided to pursue a career in space-heroics, he would be General Jack Cosmo: Unapologetic ass-kicker, savior of the emerald planet Zur, drug-powered freak and certifiable weirdo. In the tradition of Hunter’s gonzo writing and classic pulp sci-fi like the work of Edgar Rice Burroughs, GENERAL JACK COSMO AND THE VAMPIRE MEN OF KOTHOS is a fast-paced sci-fi/horror adventure.”

I’m glad I get to talk about the artwork first, thank you format I came up with, because well it’s purty as hell. You really want to know what this book reminds me of, Voltron. The colors of the characters and environments all I keep coming back to is Voltron.

[...more]

Hellboy: Being Human Review

Posted on May 30, 2011 by

“A horrible witch and her zombie servant host a dinner party for a family of corpses, and Hellboy and Roger turn up to blast them all back to hell in this team-up story from Roger’s early days at the B.P.R.D.”

This is Richard Corben? Really? Wow so different from what I am used to, yet I still love it. This book has the typical Hellboy visuals done right. Mostly I base that on the flat color style. The action scenes were a lot of fun here and the character designs stayed solid all the way through. Overall a great looking Hellboy comic.

[...more]

The Last Zombie 5 Comic Review

Posted on May 13, 2011 by

“Ian and his team find themselves under attack from a roving army of marauders. Now they must fight to the death to protect not only their mission, but a small group of civilians who, against all odds, have survived the zombie apocalypse. But even if they defeat the attackers, will the victory come too late, given Ian’s fateful prognosis?”

Have you taken a second, sat down and looked at the way Joe Wight draws an issue of The Last Zombie yet? I am guessing if your reading this you probably haven’t so lets start simple. PICK UP THIS BOOK! Not that the art is the only thing going for it, but this issue is full of action, death and fire.

[...more]

Blokes Tomb Of Horror 666 Review

Posted on April 29, 2011 by

“Created and put together by writer Jason ‘Bloke’ Crawley this latest issue contains 7 devilishly delightful tales brought together to form the hellish Issue 666. This is but one of 6 different cover variants for this issue so be sure to check out the other covers that are available here on Indyplanet including the Cover F wraparound Werewolves Vs Vampires!”

6th issue means 6 different covers! Can you believe that! 6 Covers to choose from and they are all above, Grade A top choice visual meat! The interiors on this one are on the level with the past issues. Nothing is short of Gore-geous from page to page, but Borroni stood out the most to me. Every story has a different look, and they all look great.

[...more]

Bride of the Wolfman 1 Review

Posted on April 25, 2011 by

“It’s the not-so-typical story of girl meets wolf as told by David Gruba (writer) and Rene Castellano (artist). See what happens when the mother-in-law comes to visit and when the Wolfman goes out on his late night jaunts. This all ages book will appeal to kids, married couples and joke book enthusiasts.”

Artwork: 4.0 out of 5
You can call it cartoonish, you can call it manga inspired, or you can just call it plain good. This book looks great. I love the character designs, no wait do I love them… yeah I really love them! Look at the cover alone, do you not see the calf? That is just funny! The interiors look the same, except they are in glorious black and white and man… do they POP! Okay hands down, I LOVE the look of the mummy the most. Can we have a book on him please?

[...more]

Careful… No 1 Comic Review

Posted on April 18, 2011 by

“What if you could wish revenge on everyone who makes your life hell, and someone (or something) would do the dirty work for you? When bullied Deacon learns the dark past of his small town Texas high school, he discovers a vengeful ritual used to wreak havoc on his enemies – like the school’s all-star quarterback. But when Deacon wakes up covered in someone else’s blood, he realizes that the ritual was no childish game. And with every passing day the lines blur between the payback he envisioned and the revenge he’s commiting.”

Why what do we have here? Another great looking comic by Paper Street Comics is what. I will just say that I deducted half a point only because of the neck on the final page. Other than that this book is a treat to the eyes. It has a kind of tv cartoon feel to it.

[...more]

Blokes Tomb of Horror 2 Review

Posted on March 30, 2011 by

“Featuring 7 tales of terror, Virus Comix is proud to present the second issue of its anthology series, bringing together a collection of art styles from around the world into one issue.“

Wow, seven awesome looking stories. The art styles range from realistic to cartoonish, they go from highly detailed to perfectly inked. I can’t say enough on how nice this issue looks. I don’t even want to try and pick a favorite. One thing that most of these stories had in common was that awesome old school horror look. Nicely inked pure black and white panels that just add so much to the story. I want more and I want it now. Lets get these guys doing more books for my viewing pleasure.

[...more]

Comic Review Little Shivers No. 1

Posted on March 11, 2011 by

Fantastic from page 1 to page 32. This is a fun looking issue that I wouldn’t mind if it were done for adult readers, but since it is for kids I can say it rocks! Every artist brings a unique look that is inviting and yet scary enough for the genre. I knew I was in for a treat when I saw the pumpkin grow eyes in the first story. I also want to add that black and white was the right way to go here.

There were 6 short stories in this issue and every single one of them I enjoyed. Sometimes you can really get things played down to the target audience but I can happily say that I enjoyed this and I think the age range should go from 6 – 200.

[...more]

Feeding Ground 1 – 2 Comic Review

Posted on February 25, 2011 by

“This new series is ripped right out of the real-life drama unfolding on the Mexico-Arizona border! FEEDING GROUND reaches a large and diverse audience no matter your personal point of view on the issue. In this factious story, a famine caused by Blackwell Industries drives Diego Busqueda, a noble “coyote,” to lead a band of Mexican border crossers across the unforgiving Devil’s Highway, a desert cursed with blistering days and deadly nights. Back home, Diego’s daughter Flaca discovers that something hungrier prowls the factory fields. Stalked and persecuted, can the Busqueda family maintain their dreams of immigration or will the horrors of the desert tear them apart?”

[...more]

Skullkickers 3 – 4 Comic Review

Posted on February 3, 2011 by

“ONE THOUSAND OPAS AND A DEAD BODY,” Part Three—A pilfered poison pabulum has pickled pieces of our protagonist’s paunch while portentous poetic prophecies proudly parade apace, parlaying a perilous paradigm. Paraphrasing: SKULLKICKERS is a particularly perfect packaged pamphlet of plucky pulp worth every precious penny in perpetuity. Purchase!”

First of all the “tripping sequence” are you serious? How can you relate that both verbally and visually any better in a comic book? Ridiculous! onto this issue, it rocks. I find myself flying through the pages, not because there is nothing on them of course, but because I get lost in this universe so well.

[...more]

Lenore: Cooties Graphic Novel Review

Posted on January 26, 2011 by

“Lenore might only be small, but her talent for mischief — and occasional wanton destruction — is anything but. Witness the mayhem that ensues when Lenore and friends are attacked by a gaggle of vicious militant mice, and cower in the face of an assault by undead German soldiers from Hell! Never has the term ‘something for everyone’ seemed more sinister and bizarre.”

While I can honestly say that this style may not appeal to everyone, it sure does appeal to me. In my teens I recall watching cartoons like Invader Zim, Agh Real Monsters and even today catching an episode of Courage the Cowardly Dog. So a book like this just comes off to me as looking great.

[...more]

Dracula: The Dead Travel Fast Review

Posted on December 21, 2010 by

I didn’t know what to expect with this book right off the bat, ha I said bat. I wasn’t sure if it was going to be just another vampire book or going off how I interpreted the item description, an update on the classic story. I read this book as more of the later, and I was not let down. Actually I never read the Bram Stoker version, just seen the movie, but this came across in the same kind of vain. However it was updated to the 1930′s.

The artwork was just fantastic. It has a nice dark and gloomy look to it, that really sets the visual tone for the story very well. The pages actually come off to me as these great digital paintings. Lets just say that I like the look of this book.

[...more]

Published by FR Press

Monthly Newsletter Sign Up

join our monthly mailing list
* indicates required

The Devil’s Night WoD SAS

Free Devil's Night | White Wolf

Become a Fan on Facebook!

Reviews Wanted!

The new Review Guidelines have been posted on the Flames Rising website. We are currently seeking a few good reviewers to help us expand our collection of horror and dark fantasy reviews. RPGs, fiction, movies, video games and more are all welcome on the site...

What do you get out of it?

Beyond helping out fellow Flames Rising readers by letting them know what you think of these products, we're giving away some pretty cool stuff. Regular Reviewers can earn free products to review, which is their to keep after the review is submitted to the site.

Note: We are especially looking for folks interested in reviewing eBooks (both Fiction & Comics). We have lots of great titles in digital format and even get advance copies sometimes.

Use the Contact Page to submit reviews or let us know if you have any questions.