Not since the movie PINOCCHIO’S REVENGE has Carlo Collodi’s wooden puppet been put to such good use as in Van Jensen and Dusty Higgins’ graphic novel, PINOCCHIO, VAMPIRE SLAYER.
The brief, black-and-white book plays like a direct sequel to the original story … only, y’know, with vampires. One night, they descended upon the puppet’s little town, and killed his father, Geppetto. Ever since then, he’s vowed to take them all down, which is easier when your penchant for lying immediately produces wooden stakes via his ever-growing nose. Snap ‘em off, shove ‘em in, and the monsters crumble to dust.
Pinocchio gains valuable help from carpenter Master Cherry, the Blue Fairy, the ghost of Cricket, and even the Rabbits of Ill Portent. The same cannot be said for the townspeople, who don’t believe a damn word he says. Nevertheless, a hero shall rise.
With a healthy budget for Zip-a-Tone, Higgins’ art resembles that of Mike Mignola, with a slight manga edge in the action scenes and a woodcut style for flashbacks. Jensen’s script infuses the comedic horror/adventure with a Sam Raimi sensibility, making for a punchy, pleasurable reading experience … and that’s no lie. —Rod Lott
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