Ragemoor #2
Publisher: Dark Horse
Writer: Jan Strnad
Artist: Richard Corben
This book is definitely one that has some interesting things about it. A living castle that can seemingly do whatever it wants to whomever it wants. This doesn’t bode well for the occupants or anyone else roaming around nearby. This, along with a bunch of killer baboons patrolling, makes this book absolutely insane! The old caretaker, Broderick, tries to warn the young man who’s inherited the place to stay away from the baboons. He doesn’t listen, though, and goes out to hunt them down. This makes Ragemoor furious, so it opens up a cavernous hole in the ground that swallows up the young man. What he sees below almost drives him mad, but he somehow makes his way back to the surface, and his servant. Once there, he thinks things are over, but when he turns around, he and his servant are surrounded by dozens of baboons!
OK, first off, this book is all kinds of weird. Mostly in a good way, but not in a way that is going to appeal to a large audience. That being said, if you enjoy horror books with wild and crazy action, some plot, and a feeling that you have no idea what will happen next, then Ragemoor is the book for you. Strnad seems to write this book as if he’s just doing it as he goes along rather than having everything fleshed out already. It just seems slightly unorganized at times, but again, that’s actually part of the good points about the book, too.With this only being a four issue limited series, it will undoubtedly leave readers with a strange feeling of not being satisfied. The story almost belongs in an anthology book or something. Like House of Mystery or Chamber of Chills.
As stated last time, Corben just isn’t my cup of tea. His style is unique for sure, but not for everybody. The black and white format does add some degree of creepiness to the book. Hardcore fans of Corben and those above mentioned books will take to this book, for sure. It could wind up being a good series, but it will have to impress a lot more in the last two issues to do so. If you just take it at face value, it isn’t a failure, but certainly not something to gather a huge following or win any awards. Rating 2.5/5
Billy Dunleavy
billy@comicattack.net
I’m not sure if I’ll be back for #3. Its still sort of interesting, but I’m just not that into it.
Yeah, I’m done now. Just not my thing.
If I could afford to keep up with comics nowadays, I would have no trouble keeping up with this one, this team never disappoints.
Oh, and some of you might now know that Strnad and Corben have been working together for about 40 years, starting way back when Corben started doing fanzine and underground comic book work.