The Cryptics
Imagine: a Steve Niles comic for the whole family. Imagine no more: THE CRYPTICS, a one-shot from Image.
Written by Niles and illustrated by Benjamin Roman, THE CRYPTICS are a friendly gang of kids who are monsters. So you have miniature versions of Dracula, a Black Lagoon-esque creature, a Jekyll-and-Hyde nerdy boy and a Frankensteinian werewolf. They mean well. They get into mischief. Their eight adventures – ranging from playing in a wading pool to battling scary snowmen – can be as brief as one page, like an old Mad gag.
And something like this is almost review-proof: It’s cute, inoffensive and well-done all around. However, $3.50 for something that can be read in five minutes flat is steep. Then again, it contains no ads. –Rod Lott
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THESE AUTHORS:
• BIGFOOT by Steve Niles, Rob Zombie and Richard Corben
• THE NAIL by Steve Niles and Rob Zombie
• 30 DAYS OF NIGHT: RUMORS OF THE UNDEAD by Steve Niles and Jeff Mariotte
[...] THURSDAY >> 8.24.06 Rod Lott likes what Steve Niles is cooking in his THE CRYPTICS one-shot, but $3.50? Come on. If you’re making a comic for kids, print it on cheap paper, stuff it with Twinkies ads and sell it for 60 cents. It’s the American way. [...]
[...] OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THESE AUTHORS: • BIGFOOT by Steve Niles, Rob Zombie and Richard Corben • THE CRYPTICS by Steve Niles and Benjamin Roman • THE NAIL by Steve Niles and Rob Zombie • 30 DAYS OF NIGHT: RUMORS OF THE UNDEAD by Steve Niles and Jeff Mariotte [...]
[...] I simply can’t get enough of Steve Niles’ comics. He takes well-worn conventions – and even characters – of the horror genre and completely turns them on their disembodied head. STEVE NILES’ CELLAR OF NASTINESS shows you how and why, collecting three of his celebrated one-shots, all from 2005. Its centerpiece is HYDE, his version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE, and it’s a modern reworking rather than a retelling. For one thing, the Jekyll of this tale is actually two brothers, both of whom are pharmaceutical researchers; Nick Stakal provides art that demands your attention. In line with his CRYPTICS one-shot, the kiddie-oriented A VERY BIG MONSTER SHOW is sly, satirical and even Bradburyian in bent, with a Butch Addams-esque protagonist. And finally, HORRORCIDE spins four E.C.-style terror tales to varying degrees of success (mostly high), with art from Ben Templesmith, Chee and Josh Medors. Essential for Niles fans. –Rod Lott [...]
[...] OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THESE AUTHORS: • BIG BOOK OF HORROR by Steve Niles, Scott Morse, Ted McKeever and Richard Sala • BIGFOOT by Steve Niles, Rob Zombie and Richard Corben • THE CRYPTICS by Steve Niles and Benjamin Roman • DAWN OF THE DEAD by Steve Niles and Chee • DEATHBRINGER by Bryan Smith • FUSED by Steve Niles • HOUSE OF BLOOD by Bryan Smith • THE NAIL by Steve Niles and Rob Zombie • REMAINS by Steve Niles and Kieron Dwyer • SECRET SKULL by Steve Niles and Chuck BB • STEVE NILES’ CELLAR OF NASTINESS by Steve Niles • 30 DAYS OF NIGHT: RUMORS OF THE UNDEAD by Steve Niles and Jeff Mariotte [...]
[...] Morse, Ted McKeever and Richard Sala • BIGFOOT by Steve Niles, Rob Zombie and Richard Corben • THE CRYPTICS by Steve Niles and Benjamin Roman • DAWN OF THE DEAD by Steve Niles and Chee • DC UNIVERSE: [...]