Review- VINCENT PRICE PRESENTS VOL. 6 TP

VINCENT PRICE PRESENTS VOL. 6 (Bluewater, 2013; Softcover)

Collects Vincent Price Presents Nos. 2, 6, 12, and “The Hampster”, which I cannot find (cover dates October, 2008- August, 2009)

Writers: Nick Lyons and Chad Helder

Artists: Bang Thai, R.H. Stewart, and Giovanni Timpano

Colorists: Alexander Tobler, Jesse Heagy, and Ryan S. Burt

This is readable Horror stuff, but the artwork is pretty bad. The stories themselves are okay, but the artwork and coloring are strictly amateur hour. I mean, the artwork stinks. The first two stories are about a gumshoe detective who stumbles onto macabre happenings. There is some potential to this tried and true scenario but it is squandered by the subpar artwork.

This is a print on demand book, available at www.comicfleamarket.com. I do not understand the whys and wherefores as to how Bluewater collects their issues. Why not just collect every issue? It's not like these issues in this book are their best foot forward or anything. I have read a few single issues of the title over the years and there are certainly higher quality ones than these to choose from. I am more disappointed that the potential of this title hasn't been realized as much as I am in the low quality of these stories.

Junk Food For Thought rating: 2 out of 5.

The OCD zone- The mapping of this book is pure clowntown. The pages are out of sequence in chapter one (Issue 6), making it seem like you are reading some Garth Ennis time displaced story...only you're not, it's just that someone made a huge mistake mapping this book out. A page in chapter 2 is repeated. Both sides of the same sheet of paper have the same page.

There is no indication where these issues were originally published. I had to waste a fair amount of time on various comic book database sites and still wasn't able to piece everything together. Terrible. There are also typos on the Table of Contents on the inside of the front cover.

The cover to issue 1 is used for chapter 4, even though it is not issue 1 which is reprinted. The covers of this series are some of the best things about it, and yet they are rarely collected in these books. Why? The only thing that I can guess are royalties.

DVD-style Extras included in this book: Extras? I'd have been happy with the basics, like listing which issues are collected in this particular book!

Paper rating: 4.25 out of 5. This has a surprisingly decent weight coated stock paper, which shocked me given the independent, small press print on demand thing. I like it.

Binding rating: 3 out of 5. While the glued binding is solid and doesn't creak, man is it tight. It takes a lot of effort to hold open and read. If the book were heavier it could be used as a pectoral workout machine. Having said that, I have zero concern about this book falling apart. I believe that I will fall apart before this binding will.

Cardstock cover coating rating: 4.5 out of 5. While the cover doesn't have a super thick lamination, it is decent and scuff resistant. I'm happy.

This book is not available at In Stock Trades, but you can still buy the vastly superior VINCENT PRICE PRESENTS VOL. 1 TP at InStockTrades!

Reviews: VINCENT PRICE PRESENTS VOL. 4 and STYX AND STONE

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.