VINCENT
PRICE PRESENTS VOL. 4
Collects
Vincent Price Presents Nos. 13-16 (cover dates November, 2009-
March, 2010)
Writers:
Adriano, Clark Castillo, Mel Smith, Paul J. Salamoff, and others
Artists:
Adriano, Najda Smith, Manuel Moreira, Osmarco Vallado, and others
I
was lucky enough to get free digital copies of several Bluewater
titles to review, and this was the first one that I dived in to. I
bought the first trade paperback upon release and pre-ordered Vol. 2
every time that it was solicited, watching it be delayed, Diamond
cancelling it, etc. I believe that it was going to be called the
Vincent Price Presents Omnibus at one point. In any case,
Vols. 2-4 will see physical releases sooner than later thanks to
Bluewater entering into a new distribution deal with Comic Flea
Market.
I
am thankful for that, because VPP offers an interesting take
on the Horror anthology, which each issue being a complete story. The
creative team changes with every issue, so things are never the same.
The first story deals with Anton Phibes, a 1920s criminal who has
left a trail of victims across the pond. Inspector Trout from
Scotland Yard comes to New York in the final days of 1999 to help his
nephew, a police detective, unravel the mystery and nail Phibes.
The
second story deals with alternate realities and the schizophrenic
mind. The third chapter/issue are about a charlatan antique dealer
and a tale of revenge. In the final, and best story, a scientific
breakthrough in the quest for a cure for Alzheimer's turns out to be
the creator's undoing. This device, the Oscillator, “re-threads”
one's memories using a photograph as the impetus for reliving the
memory in every detail. When the creator relives his past, it proves
to be his undoing in the present and, ultimately, the future.
Junk
Food For Thought rating: 3.5 out of 5.
STYX
& STONE
Original
graphic novel by Stefano Cardoselli
Detective
Melvyn Stone and James Wyatt, whose spirits joined together when The
One spared Wyatt from death, are on a mission to try and balance out
good and evil. The premise is reminiscent of both Haunt and
Brother Voodoo. Styx is a demon that wants the soul of Wyatt. There
is also a serial killer afoot, and watching Detective Stone try to
solve the case while dealing with his “shadow” Wyatt was
interesting. I didn't see the ending coming at all.
The
writing in dense and there is a lot of story here. The artwork is not
my cup of tea but conveys the story clearly. This isn't the best
comic that I've read, but it is certainly worthwhile and provided me
with some solid entertainment.
Junk
Food For Thought rating: 3 out of 5.
The
OCD zone- This section is normally reserved for ultra-nitpicky
commentary on paper and binding. Since this was a PDF, I will instead
comment on the digital reading experience. I had never read more than
a few page sneak preview of any comic book on an electronic device
before this. I spend too much time staring at screens and prefer the
physical, escapist pleasure of reading comic books and their
collected edition counterparts. Still, with zoom one can read a page
in almost the same fashion as a regular comic book. It's not my cup
of tea, but there are certainly a several advantages to this format.
The clear advantage of digital is ease of storage and durability. No
paper to damage, no bags and boards. Digital is ultimately not for
me, though. I will gladly plunk down for a physical copy of this book
even though I have a digital copy. I hope that publishers will at
least offer print on demand books in the all-digital future.
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