The Dusk County Chronicles - Advance Reader Copy - Issue 2

Advance Reader Copy!
The Dusk County Chronicles 2
Publisher: Metal Ninja Studios
Publication Date (Forthcoming)
24 pages of story and art

The Dusk County Chronicles returns for a second issue, thanks to the creative talents of Joel Rodriguez (writer) and Roman Gubskii (artist). The nightmares that plagued this small county are not over yet, as Rodriguez and Gubskii provide four more tales of terror, providing unexpected twists on somewhat familiar stories...only this time, Rodriguez goes beyond the well known into the little known fairy tales, children's stories, and folklore to give readers more chills than before!

The book begins with "A Mother's Love," a story about the lengths a mother will go to protect her child. The story opens with a women carrying a little boy, running through the woods with the realization that monsters are real.  A shadowy creature is chasing them, and the woman is determined to do whatever it takes to protect her child.  Night has fallen, and she knows she only needs to last until the break of dawn, at which point, the monster will be gone, and they will be safe.  Or will they? Remember, in The Dusk County Chronicles, everything is not always what it seems...oh, and if you are wondering what story this was taken from? Well, there's mention of a bag and an umbrella, so you figure it out...

"Niki" is a completely different sort of tale (or is that tail?).  Dan is in the hospital, unconscious.  Michelle is attending, and her friend, Eddie, who is a police officer, is there to keep her company.  When she tells him Frank is on the way with the equipment they need, Eddie becomes a bit concerned.  "Frank's coming?" he asks. "Does he still have that damn dog?"  The dog in question is Niki. And then the lights go out. And then there is a "thud" in the other room. And then Frank shows up, bloody, missing a hand, with Niki. You see, Niki is a dog that looks like a wolf. Plus, Niki sees things. Niki knows things.  And before the night is over, Eddie will learn that outward appearances can be deceiving...

The next story returns readers to the station of DC-34, where a young woman sits, remembering the land of wonder she once visited (gee, any idea who she might be?).  "No Longer" is told completely in rhyme, and therein, the young woman finds her cherished wonderland has been turned into a nightmarish wasteland, with old friends dead, and those who aren't have become dark and deadly.  But just when she thinks her time is up, just when she thinks she's reached the end, her eyes flutter open and she sits up in bed.  It was only a dream. Only a dream.  But it wasn't a dream.  Remember, this is Dusk County, and in Dusk County, a dream is actually nothing more than ... a nightmare ...

The horror story that rounds out this issue is "The Toy Box," and quite frankly, this is possibly the darkest of them all, and that's no lie!  A father stops by a toy story to pick up something for his newborn son.  This toy shop is very special, as the owner practically raised the man when his parents left.  But the owner has recently died, and his son now runs the shop, carrying on his father's tradition. So, would he like to buy one of his latest creations?  He can make stringed puppets just as well as his father could - some would say even better! After all, they are so life-like.  So realistic.  So, do you want one?  Do you?  C'mon, don't leave me hanging...

The stories are getting darker, bloodier, and scarier - which means to say, they are getting better and better! Dusk County is not a place I would want to visit for real, that's for sure, but I definitely will be back for another visit when The Dusk County Chronicles issue 3 comes around!  After all, this is the kind of horror anthology title that is missing from comics today!

RATING:  10 burning mushrooms out of 10 for terrifying tales that will satisfy the most rabid horror fan!

The Dusk County Chronicles - Advance Reader Copy - Issue 1

Advance Reader Copy!
The Dusk County Chronicles
Publisher: Metal Ninja Studios
Publication Date (Forthcoming)
24 pages of story and art

When you read The Dusk County Chronicles, as the tagline in the back of the book says, there is only one thing of which you can be certain - your childhood is not safe!  Not your literal childhood, but all of those stories you grew up reading ... all of those childhood films you grew up watching ... all of those fairy tale stories you grew up hearing - in The Dusk County Chronicles, they are all fair game!

I was fortunate enough to receive an advance reviewer copy of this first issue - the kickstarter for which will begin running on March 1st and continue through March 31st.  I have no doubt that the creators will raise more than enough money to publish this first issue, and with any luck, enough to get working on the second issue!  This first foray into the world of Dusk County does way more than wet your appetite - it draws you into the dark world of twisted fairy tales and childhood nightmares.

Toy Story. Peter Pan. Superheroes. Goldilocks. Everyone is familiar with these stories in one fashion or another. Toys that come to life to aid their little boy owner. A young boy who never grows old and flies. Superpowered men and women who protect the world. A young girl who stumbles across a house in the woods and helps herself to what's inside. For those of us outside of Dusk County, these are light-hearted stories filled with hope that bring smiles to our faces. Inside Dusk County, however, it's a completely different story...

"A Friend in Me" was featured in the ashcan preview copy that I received a couple of months ago. The characters from Toy Story are reimagined in this tale of toys left alone in a car on the desert highway. But what happens when one of those toys, the spaceman, suddenly turns on his friends and begins to attack them. In the confines of a closed up car, there is nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. And in a sealed car, with the windows rolled up ... no one can hear you scream. (Hint! Hint!)

"Forever Young,' also featured in the preview ashcan comic, gives readers a different take on the story of Peter Pan. A young girl misses her brother. So, when he suddenly appears with the ability to fly, promising they can be young and have fun forever, how can she say no? There's only one thing she has to do first - will her desire to be with her brother and stay young and carefree forever light a fire that can't be put out? As with all of the other stories in this comic, not everything is as it seems, and Jenny soon finds that out!

"Mindgames" is the first of two new stories not previously previewed. Entering the world of superheroes, where the Commander has just saved the day, stopping the villainous Medusa from yet another crime spree. But where is her partner in crime? And who violently attacks the police force escorting the criminal to prison, killing them all and taking off with Medusa? And just what is Commander hiding from his family down in the basement of his house? The answer will blow your mind - literally!  (And make sure to read the headlines running long the bottom of the TV screen in this story...)

"Just Right" reveals what really happened to Goldilocks when she helped herself to the porridge, chair, and bed of those three bears. Only - - what it if weren't bears? What if they were rabid werewolves instead? And what if another young girl stumbled upon the cottage, looking for help after Goldilocks? And what if she saw what they did to poor Goldilocks? In true horror flick fashion, it's a chase through the woods and an unexpected twist at the end that will leave the reader wanting to know - -

What's next?

Writer Joel Rodriguez clearly enjoys messing with these childhood favorites. While the names have been changed to protect the innocent (and to perhaps protect Rodriguez from copyright and trademark infringement!), the stories behind these stories are obviously clear. And the frightening manner in which he portrays them can be at moments humorous ("A Friend in Me"), sad ("Forever Young"), satisfying ("Mindgames"), and quite frankly downright horrifying ("Just Right"). While every story in Dusk County may fall under the horror umbrella, each one has its own distinct tone that sets them apart and makes them unique.  The art by Roman Gubsky is rough around the edges and while maybe not as refined as George Perez, Jerry Ordway, Phil Jimenez, or some of the other mainstream comic artists, his edginess works perfectly with the dark nature of these tales. The coloring for each story is distinctly different as well, which takes the reader on a roller coaster of emotions and fear as you read panel to panel, page to page, story to story.

Overall, the comic was a great reading experience - I, for one, will be contributing to the kickstarter campaign next month, and I look forward to more Dusk County takes in the future!

RATING:  10 channel DC-34 newscasters out of 10 for a frighteningly good comic that was well worth the read!

The Dusk County Chronicles - Ashcan Preview Comic

Okay, normally the only reviews I do on my blog are those of trade paperbacks, or graphic novels, or complete mini-series (when I review comics). However, I recently picked up an ashcan edition preview comic for an upcoming comic from an indy imprint, Metal Ninja Studios, and I enjoyed the preview so much, I figured it deserved a review.

The Dusk County Chronicles will be an anthology comic (wish we had more of those today!), but the stories it will tell are not your average super hero or horror comic stories. Writer Joel Rodriguez, instead of giving comic readers the standard fare chose to take a different route - instead, Rodriguez takes a unique spin on some childhood (and maybe even adult) favorites.  In this ashcan preview comic, readers get a taste of just two of the four upcoming stories to be featured in the full series to debut next year.

STORY ONE: "A Friend in Me" - as you might guess by the title, this first tale of terror spins a twist on the Toy Story franchise. In just six pages, Rodriguez turns the cowboy, space man, doll, teddy bear, and slinky dog toys into a nightmare of murder and mayhem. And, in a cute twist (if "cute" can be applied to a horror tale), readers will see why the story is actually titled what it is (and no, it's not in any sexual sense, so get your mind out of the gutter!).

STORY TWO: "Forever Young" - what if Peter Pan's world was real? what if a boy could fly? and what if that boy could take others to that never-never land where you can stay a child forever? BUT - what if none of that was exactly what it seemed? What if there is only one true way you can be forever young? In this preview story, Jenny is about to find out that floating and staying young may very well be more terrifying than anything she could have ever imagined!

And to whet your appetite even further, there's a one page "news report" at the end of the preview comic that gives readers a hint at "Mindgames" and "Just Right," the other two stories that will appear in the upcoming anthology. A super-villain and werewolves. Hmmmm.....

What if there was a place that would take all of your childhood dreams and turn them into nightmares? That is the question Rodriguez asks his readers, and that is the answer that The Dusk County Chronicles will provide.

Roman Gubsky provides the art for both stories, as well as the cover. The art has just the right amount of roughness to fit the dark tone of the stories - the characters are not flashy with smooth lines, nor are they all beautiful, strong, and endowed. They are normal, the lines aren't perfect or straight, and the coloring provides the right ambiance to except the totally unexpected from the story you're reading. If the final product is of the same quality as this preview issue, then I'd say Rodriguez has a hit on his hands.

RATING:  99 red balloons (okay, I couldn't resist that one....) - 9 floating red balloons out of 10 for creative re-imaginings in two genres I love - horror and comics!