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‘Hack/Slash #18: The Case of the Killer and the Questing King’ – Advance Comic Book Review

 

Hack Slash 18To those unfamiliar with author James Lowder and his work, you have my sympathies. Lowder has carved out a respectable name for himself in the fantasy genre, he has had a strong presence as a writer in the world of Dungeons & Dragons, and he has worked as both an editor and writer for numerous comic book titles. Lowder’s geek cred is solid gold and, in person, he’s an enthusiastic, intelligent, and warm individual. (Check out my interview with James Lowder at SDCC 2012 by clicking here!) He has also been the editor of the popular horror comic Hack/Slash for some time now, even having followed the book when it moved from Devil’s Due to Image. This week, Lowder finally tries his hand as Hack/Slash scribe, and the result is an entertaining, creepy, and fanboy-friendly edition of the beloved slasher comic.

Hack/Slash is, at its essence, “Buffy vs. Jason.” Cassie Hack and her kind-hearted and hulking slasher compadre, Vlad, take on various evil “slashers” from issue to issue, halting their killing sprees in the bloodiest ways possible. While Buffy takes on vampires, werewolves, and other beasties, Hack/Slash focuses on the supernatural serial killer types present in films like A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, and Halloween. And, as violence and sexuality are exaggerated and glorified in an unrepentant B-movie style in these types of films, Hack/Slash fully embraces these motifs, dressing Cassie in the shortest clubbing skirts possible and having her measure out brutal, deadly justice with a baseball bat.

While I’m familiar with Hack/Slash, I don’t currently read the book month-to-month. Still, I wasn’t about to miss my opportunity to see James Lowder at the reigns! Lowder’s script for Hack/Slash #18 focuses on Cat Curio, a character I was not yet familiar with, but this seemed to be an easy jumping on point for new or lapsed readers. While learning Curio’s backstory took a little “Wikapediaing,” Lowder’s writing is alive with enough geek references and exciting revelations that even the uninitiated will be eager to follow Curio’s adventure. Lowder also doesn’t skimp on the bloody action that Hack/Slash is known for, employing the slasher skills of The Catalog Killer and giving us one scene that makes Daniel Day-Lewis’ broken leg desert crawl in There Will Be Blood look like a Sunday jog. All-in-all, Lowder delivers a great issue for the series and hints, at the end, that something wicked does this way come.

In short, if you’re a fan of James Lowder, Lovecraft-esque canines (We love you, Pooch!), short skirts, and buckets o’ gore, then spend a few nights with Hack/Slash. Look for Hack/Slash at your local comic book shop. You can also find out more about Hack/Slash at the official Facebook page or at the Image Comics website.

’Till the end of the world,
-Bryant the Comic Book Slayer

 

 

Bryant Dillon, Fanbase Press President

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Favorite Comic BookPreacher by Garth Ennis and Steve DillonFavorite TV ShowBuffy the Vampire Slayer Favorite BookThe Beach by Alex Garland

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