‘Tis been a long wait for the second issue of DOOMED, IDW’s ’70-esque horror comics magazine in loving black-and-white, after last fall’s well-received – and sold-out – debut (our review here). But that wait has been worth it.
Once again, the fishnet-stockinged Ms. Doomed (think Cryptkeeper, but hot and ocularly challenged) introduces a quartet of illustrated scare tales adapted from works of modern horror masters: David J. Schow, Richard Matheson, Robert Bloch and F. Paul Wilson. These same creators provided the goods in the first issue, so the cohesion is appreciated. And given their output over the decades, future issues of DOOMED have a voluminous pool from which to draw.
First up is Schow’s “Bagged,” an oddly humorous look on vampire hunters held up from doing their job by court rulings. (You do remember Alcucard v. the State of California in 1995, right?) Initially, Schow forges a parallel between vampires and minorities, but the climax goes classic vampire, albeit with a voluptuous, bloody twist. Race also figures in to Bloch’s “Warm Farewell,” about a family’s standing up to the local branch of the KKK. If the issue has a weak spot, it’s this story, because the horror of racism is far too real for an otherwise all-escapist 76 pages. Still, the twist Bloch provides – and you knew he would – is one I didn’t foresee, and gives what comes before it a perverse aftertaste.
For more E.C.-style scares, Matheson’s “Crickets” is the ticket. In this simple yet utterly effective shocker, a young couple on vacation meets a man with a most unusual hobby. Artist Mike Hoffman deserves special commendation for his rather large art, which both breathes on and bleeds off the page. Lastly, Wilson adapts his own “Slasher,” a revenge piece centered around a father grieving for his daughter’s murder. With its intriguing turns of the proverbial table, Wilson once again delivers, reaffirming why he is one of my favorite writers.
And if you feel the same, you’ll appreciate the seven-page interview with Wilson that closes this outstanding issue. DOOMED is doing everything right, unlike others. I only wish we wouldn’t have to sit for six months for another bite. But quality takes time, and I’m willing to make that sacrifice. –Rod Lott
Related posts:
- Doomed
- Comic fans are DOOMED in October
- Moonstone Monsters: Volume One
- Cryptic Magazine #1
- The Best Horror from Fantasy Tales
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