#stormkingcomics

Visit The Kubert School’s booth and attend the Joe Kubert Distinguished Storyteller Award Ceremony at Comic Con Revolution - Ontario this weekend!

John Carpenter Presents Storm Kids: Monica Bleue: A Werewolf Story #5 Storm King Comics 2019 Written by Steve Niles Illustrated by Damien Worm Colour Assists by Alyzia Zherno Lettered by Janice Chiang     MONICA BLEUE: A WEREWOLF STORY #5 (of 5)     Monica must use her own vicious powers to fight the werewolf before it kills her father. Yet the beast holds even more secrets that may cause an all out war.     I have been really impressed with the way that Steve has been telling this story. It really captures the whole teenage spectrum of emotions, feelings and life as we know it. Granted a teenager might think differently but then I remember what I was like as a teenager and what I have seen throughout these pages is something pretty damn special. I think the fact that we see the opening the way we did and how the story travels through to the last page has been absolutely magnificent to see. The characterisation is flawless and reminds us why we revere Steve as a writer and by doing this story he also says hey look I can do a story that is easily accessible and more family friendly if you will while still keeping it firmly in the horror genre.     The way this is being told is utterly bloody brilliant. How we see the sequence of events unfold and how the reader learns information is extremely well presented. Steve's style is wonderful as we don't see the twists and turns coming he keeps us as much in the dark as the characters we've come to know and love. For me this heightens the reading experience and brings a great deal of tension to the shoulders. It is how it was always meant to be as none of us know what is happening outside our own purview. The character development is phenomenal to see. How the characters have changed, grown and evolved through the circumstances and situations they've found themselves in is portrayed perfectly. The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the twists and turns and showing us how it all works together to create the books & flow while highlighting the books structure is amazing.     I am a fan, I may not typically be the target audience but the way this has been handled in every aspect of the book keeps it not only real but far from the realm of gore. While Alfred Hitchcock was infamous for placing the audience in the role of voyeur, There is a prevailing obsession with voyeurism running throughout Hitchcock’s oeuvre. He knew that human beings have a fascination with watching. We are naturally nosy, curious, intrusive in our daily existence, he utilised the audiences own minds as they were glued to the screen.     The interiors here are what makes it really feel like an all-ages title. It has some really, really interesting attention to detail through how the varying weights are being utilised and the techniques that we see. I would like to see more backgrounds, it's the only drawback I see in the interiors. I want to feel that they are in a bedroom and how closed in the fighting is. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkable eye for storytelling. The colour work is gorgeous as well. I do like that we see the various hues and tones within the colours, and especially when they are in the dark as well. To see colour utilised in this manner is impressive to say the least and it really does make a difference in how the viewer sees the story. ​      While I'd love to see more of Monica and her father this really is a complete story. Sure it's open for another arc but it isn't necessary and that alone is worth it's weight in salt. At this point I shouldn't be surprised by Storm King Comics but each time I believe I won't be they prove me wrong. This is an absolutely amazing non-traditional coming of age story and it's not to be missed.

John Carpenter’s Tales of Science Fiction: Twitch #1 Storm King Comics 2018 Written by Duane Swierczynski Illustrated by Richard P. Clark Lettered by Janice Chiang Cover by Tim Bradstreet      The desert above Los Angeles is a harsh, unforgiving place. The heat does something to people's brains--or so thinks Lieutenant Ron Pinkerton, who is investigating a series of shockingly violent crimes perpetrated by the most unlikely suspects. Meanwhile, just a few miles away, astrophysicists at the Mount Wilson Observatory are grappling with another kind of threat, one that threatens to extinguish humanity in the time it takes for your eye to twitch.     YES YES YES all day YES! Oh my god you know what this reminds me of? Old science fiction horror films which unfortunately you find on Mystery Science Theatre 3000 these days. Still without those we wouldn’t have modern day tales and here because Duane is a writer of par excellence he really makes this blend of classic and modern work on so many levels. Even concept wise this is something that has been touched upon before but never like this and that’s another area in which Duane stands out.      The opening is intriguing for a few reasons and the narration is a large part of that. It almost feels ambiguous so that it could mean any number of things and the visually speaking we aren’t sure what exactly is happening. That is what makes the reader want to see and learn more. Seeing how it does start this whole thing off later in the story is very well done. So how the book is structured shows that seasoned hand, well in this case mind, that he has.     That we see this crazy scene unfold before us and it too is pretty intriguing because your like what’s going on here? I will say this gotta give a shout out to Janice because the balloons and the font in the lettering stands out and catches the eye and attention nicely. Honestly this sequence of events would have also made one hell of an opening of it’s own so it could be considered a second opening and one that starts off the adventure in earnest.      So at Mount Wilson Observatory we meet Dr. Stringfellow or just Marissa. Now I don’t know how, why or when this all happened but that’s part of the mystery that is occurring here. Though thanks to Marissa we see some kind of aftermath that has left much of the Observatory in quite the state. So I do so hope that at some point this is a flashback sequence, after all when the truth all comes out it’s going to have to be recounted.     I really am enjoying the interiors here. Richard has a very nice grasp on how to manipulate the varying weights of the linework in order to bring such attention to detail to his work. The lines are strong, sure and confident feeling to me which is something that a reader feels but doesn’t always recognise. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows a really great eye for storytelling. That we see backgrounds utilised as we do is great to see as they really flesh out and expand moments and show a size and scope to the story. Also the colours here equally as impressive I love the red and blue lights, the red inside the Observatory and the overall shading and use of light sources is nicely done. ​     The introduction of characters here is so well done and the pacing of it all has this incredibly natural feel to it. When I finished reading this I cannot accurately describe just how I felt because I was filled with so many emotions. Above all however was how classic this felt and how original and thrilling it is. Duane has written a stellar first issue to his arc and the pacing, story & plot development and characterisation alongside these sensational interiors make this better than an episode of the X-Files.