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Hey there Boils and Ghouls. Welcome back to another installment of the Dark Delights. This week we dive into the dungeon of reviews and take a look at Gothology: The Eternal Sad Book #1, 28 Days Later #1, Kindergoth Special #1, The Fearless Zombie Hunters #1, Scattered Vol.1, Channel Evil #1, The Chair OGN and Of Evil and Darkness #1.
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Issue: Gothology: The Eternal Sad Book #1
Writers: Olivia Perez, Emy Bitner, Christina Boyce, Dr. Salt, Annelise Haynes, Karl Birkelbach, Halfdan Pisket, Anna Bowles, Valia Kapadai, Vera L., Megan Lawton, Brittney Scott, Colin Abel, Ariana Gonzalez, PERCA, Phill Canter, Eric Biddle, Ayer, Taylor Pendleton, Mark Penman, Eric Lamont, Aluisio Santos, Sarah Fowlie, Jared Lewis, Justin King, Sloane Leong, Tom Parkinson-Morgan, Jack Sullivan, Chris Gormley, Kristina Gehrmann
Artists: Olivia Perez, Emy Bitner, Christina Boyce, Dr. Salt, Ashley Witter, Karl Birkelbach, Halfdan Pisket, Anna Bowles, Valia Kapadai, Vera L., Megan Lawton, Brittney Scott, Colin Abel, Ariana Gonzalez, PERCA, Phill Canter, Eric Biddle, Ayer, Taylor Pendleton, Mark Penman, Eric Lamont, Aluisio Santos, Sarah Fowlie, Jared Lewis, Justin King, Sloane Leong, Tom Parkinson-Morgan, Jack Sullivan, Christine Larson, Kristina Gehrmann
Editors: Justin King, Jack Sullivan
Publisher: Dap Show Press
Release Date: July 2009
Pages: 254
Price: $18.99

“The Eternal Sad is the first volume of the Gothology comic anthology series. It is packed with 30 deep and depressing comics from sorrowful artists that inhabit 10 different countries. These tales deal with vampires, zombies, ghostly dolls, love, death, loneliness, resurrection, pain, animal sacrifice, and much MUCH more. An international collection of comics studying the cultural force known by laymen as Goth”

Artwork: 4.0 out of 5
With so many different styles in this book how can you not find one or two you like. Luckily I am a fan of everyone who takes the time to share what they can do. This collection has so many talented artists. Nothing is jumbled or hard to understand, and no one style is like another either. My favorite ones are Ashley Witter, Valia Kapadai, Megan Lawton, Phillip Chanter and Christine Larson.

Story: 4.0 out of 5
The stories are all so original. They have such range too. Some are just funny as hell while some are sad and depressing. Then you jump from reality to insanity. This collection is so diverse it just floored me. Where are all of these writers coming from and why are most not more mainstream!? My favorite 3 stories were The Belfry Twins, No Pain – No Chill and Mallancholy. These stories stood out to me but they were all just great pieces.

Dying Breath: 4.0 out of 5
This collection not only gives you more for your money than most trades but it also gives you range. If you don’t like this story then turn the page and read another. Having grown up in this “Goth” style, the book hit home to me. It just covers the whole idea of the culture and style. This is a perfect collection that you need to read!

If you would like to buy Gothology: The Eternal Sad or read more on what the book is all about please go to http://books.dapshow.com/gothology/
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For more on Boom Studios please check out http://www.boom-studios.com/

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Issue: Kindergoth Special #1
Writers: Len Wein, Lee Kohse
Artists: Lee Kohse, David Wong
Inks: Joel Adams
Letters: Dennis Greenhill
Publisher: Bloodfire Studios
Release Date: July 2009
Pages: 32
Price: $3.50

“Kindergoth is the story of sarcastic tattooed and body pierced kindergartners saving the world from an alien invasion. All the while still having to deal with bullies, bad cafeteria food and the horrors of public school.”

Artwork: 4.0 out of 5
I highly enjoyed the look of the two stories in this issue. With two different artists I thought that there might be different styles but both were able to stay true to the characters, which was nice. Neither had a different look, matter of fact if I didn’t know in advance I would have said there was only one artist working on this. The art style is straight out of the Sunday funnies but it is what is expected for this kind of story. Great work.

Story: 4.0 out of 5
There are two shorts in this issue and both are solid reads. Sure you’re not going to get anything that is in depth, but you get some pretty good humor here. The first story was my favorite, especially the girl who is a liar saying her dad made elephants. That had me cracking up. If you like the upbeat fun comic style books this is one to check out. Very nicely done.

Dying Breath: 4.0 out of 5
Overall this issue contains all the elements it needs to make itself entertaining. You get a fun comical story on top of nice artwork. Fans of the DC Kids and Archie books should give this one a read. Plus if you want your kids to check something out that isn’t the norm it’s worth the money. I sure wasn’t let down and I want to read more, because I love humorous comics.

If you would like to buy Kindergoth or check out check out the other great books that Bloodfire Studios are producing go to http://bloodfire.com/

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Issue: The Fearless Zombie Hunters #1
Writer/Creator: Manuel Rios Sarabia
Artist: Gared Campos
Breakdowns/Letters/Editing: Manuel Rios Sarabia
Publisher: Sadhaka Studio
Release Date: July 2009
Pages: 28
Price: $3.99

“With his dying breath, El Angel Exterminador thrusts his legacy upon his hopeless son, Angel. Angel decides he is not really cut for the job of being the new Angel but fate puts him in front of a horde of zombies that might just make him change his mind. The appearance of Abronsius, Zombie Hunter, will help Angel to make his final decision.“

Artwork: 3.8 out of 5
I really loved the look of the main characters and zombies here. Just an amazing job on them. My only drawback was some over shading in certain panels. I would estimate maybe 5% of them were kinda jumbled, but you get a great looking issue. The artwork also plays well with the not so serious tone of the story. It works, plain and simple.

Story: 3.8 out of 5
The story is very funny. Kind of a Lucha Libre meets Return of the Living Dead. For only 28 pages it seems like a much longer read. The story did have moments where it seemed to drift a bit off track, but overall I highly enjoyed where it went. I just love comics that can carry a story well and make me laugh.

Dying Breath: 3.8 out of 5
This is a fun zombie comic. It has a good plotline running and throws some good jokes into the mix to not make it stale. The artwork is very cool and consistant throughout. Like I mentioned, it’s a good B-Movie storyline that works and has room to grow. I know I will be looking forward to issue #2.

If you would like to buy The Fearless Zombie Hunters or check out check out what else Sadhaka Studio is working on go to http://www.sadhakastudio.com/

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Issue: Scattered Vol.1
Writer/Artist/Creator: Jason Dube
Publisher: Scattered Comics
Release Date: 2000
Pages: 297
Price: $24.00

“SCATTERED is a story about the supernatural world and the journey of 4 young teens who are brought together to deal with it. It is through this world that they encounter Angels, Demons, Gods, and Mages. There are ghosts and spirits, and if that wasn’t enough they have to struggle with their own real world dramas. Love triangles, stockers, death, and coping with the stress of what they know lies under the surface of the real. All this together binds the storylines together that would otherwise be SCATTERED.“

Artwork: 3.8 out of 5
The whole of this collection is great looking. To say though that it was perfect for 297 pages however, would be a lie. Some panels here and there are kinda difficult to decipher. Also Jason used two different styles in the book. He mentions why in the beginning and it wasn’t distracting at all. I kinda liked it, because it showed his reach on the “Manga like” style. Overall a very nice looking trade.

Story: 3.7 out of 5
The story to was kind of off in some spots but overall it came together beautifully. To say the idea was 100% fresh would be kind of a stretch, but playing with all “God-Like” characters from all different time periods was very cool. I highly enjoyed the descriptions given to allow the characters more depth. Even the way the story ended was nice because you know more is to come.

Dying Breath: 3.8 out of 5
I really enjoyed this collection. I thought that the story was solid and came together nicely. The artwork was nice and I liked that it showed some range, even if it was maintained in the same genre. I will gladly be looking forward to seeing where these characters go from here and can’t wait to dive into volume 2.

If you would like to buy Scattered Vol.1 or check out check out what else Scattered Comics is working on go to http://www.scatteredcomics.com/and www.scatteredcomicsstudios.com

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Issue: Channel Evil #1
Writer: Alan Grant
Artist: Shane Oakley
Letters: Jamie Grant
Ink Assist: Suzanne O’Brien
Editor: Alexander Finbow
Publisher: Berserker Comics
Release Date: March 2009
Pages: 24
Price: $3.99

“A slick and sleazy chat show host gets more than he bargained for when he channels an ancient source of evil, unleashing terror and carnage upon the world.“

Artwork: 3.8 out of 5
At times I can be a big fan of Oakley’s style and then sometimes I can’t follow his work in the panels. For the most part, lets say 90% of this issue, his work shines! Just outstanding and gore-geous looking work. At times though it did seem to leave me scratching my head, but overall it works well.

Story: 4.0 out of 5
The story is very funny and you honestly want something to happen to the main character. Great build up on who he is and how he views others. Towards the beginning of the issue I was waiting for something to happen but soon enough it did. A cool cliffhanger ending made me want to continue on.

Dying Breath: 4.0 out of 5
I just like the concept presented here and I can’t wait to see where this story goes. Of course saying that, I hope issue #2 is on the way soon. You get some great artwork by Oakley and a cool story idea by Grant. So last I checked that is two winning combinations and you still don’t own it, why?

If you would like to buy Channel Evil or check out check out what else Berserker Comics is working on go to http://www.thedeadcomic.com/. You can also get the issue through Diamond.

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Issue: The Chair OGN
Creator/Writer/Grey Tones/Letters/Cover Colors: Peter Simeti
Penciler/Cover Pencils: Kevin Christensen
Editor: Erin Kohut
Publisher: Alterna Comics
Release Date: 2008
Pages: 136
Price: $13.95

“A dark character study about the choices that brings us down a path of good or evil, THE CHAIR focuses on Richard Sullivan, an inmate that has spent the past 10 years awaiting execution. Standing by his innocence, Sullivan witnesses the torture and murder of each inmate; brutal killings by the sadistic guards in the prison. Can he find a way to escape his fate or will the insane events in the prison finally consume him?”

Artwork: 4.0 out of 5
This might be a little tricky to explain here so lets just start with the pencils. I enjoyed the darker look of the first half a bit more than after the “reveal.” The two looks though work so well because they help show the shift in the story. What stood out to me the most was the wording that was laid on top of some panels; it just looked fantastic.

Story: 4.2 out of 5
The story really twists you around. Half way through you’re just thinking you want to kill the prison guards, but then it all gets turned upside down. The protagonist becomes the antagonist and the way you see everything flips. It’s just great on that level alone.

Dying Breath: 4.2 out of 5
The story alone is enough of a reason to buy this. It had me hooked by the time I got to the end of the first act, and then when you get to the twist you’re just so wrapped up in everything. Check this one out for sure.

If you would like to buy The Chair or check out check out what else Alterna Comics is working on go to http://www.alternacomics.com/. You can also get this book through Diamond and Haven.

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Issue: Of Evil and Darkness #1
Writer/Pencils/Digital Ink: Jay Carvajal
Publisher: Cinema Comics
Release Date: July 2009
Pages: 28
Price: $2.99

“A group of paranormal investigators with their own television show head to a remote island in the Pacific Northwest to film their season finale. Alone and on their own, they encounter something evil that was let loose upon the island, long ago.“

Artwork: 4.0 out of 5
This issue ranged from awesome to just kinda okay. The flashback and death scenes looked so beautiful. But then there were some in the present day where there was just too much white and texture to where it kinda became blurry. But have no fear; the great outweighs the bad here. This book looks fantastic and I love the style.

Story: 4.2 out of 5
The story in this issue is really good. It does what a first issue should; character introduction, back story and a nice ending to make you want more. SOLD! I really enjoyed reading this one. I like the idea too of taking one of the Ghost Hunter-like shows and giving it a twist like this. Very cool!

Dying Breath: 4.1 out of 5
This book has the winning combination. Great story, fantastic artwork and it’s all done by the same person! I look forward to what this series brings to the table with only 3 issues and I am really looking forward to what other great stuff Jay Carvajal will do in the future.

If you would like to buy Of Evil and Darkness #1 or check out check out what else Cinema Comics is working on go to http://cinemacomics.com/. You can also get this book through Drive-Thru Comics.

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Decapitated Dan
decapitateddan@comicattack.net