Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Review- BLACK-EYED KIDS VOL. 1: THE CHILDREN


BLACK-EYED KIDS VOL. 1: THE CHILDREN (Aftershock, First Printing, 2016; Softcover)

Collects Black-Eyed Kids #1-5 (cover dates April- August, 2016)

Writer: Joe Pruett
Artist: Szymon Kudranski (with cover art by Francesco Francavilla)
Colorist: Guy Major


I read the first issue via the black and white Halloween ComicFest edition a couple of months ago and was blown away by it, so much so that I grabbed this book and bumped it to the top of the reading pile.

Black Eyed Kids, or Black Eyed Children as they are referred to online, are a modern day boogeyman of sorts. For the past 20 years they have popped up all over the Internet. This comic book series takes the myth and spins into something else. Are the BEKs an ancient evil older than man? An invading alien species? Beings from another dimension which possess the bodies of children? We shall see...

Modern day comics (meaning anything made in this century) are cinematic in layout and delivery. Old comics were something in between a novel and movie, but modern comics rely on “camera angles” and “edits” for impact. For my money this style worked for this material. Horror comics benefit from less explanations, as a fear of the unknown and a lack of understanding have a tendency to add some kick to the proceedings.

The writing and artwork are top notch. While I felt that the black and white version of #1 was moodier and somewhat more effective, this was very enjoyable in color as well. Black and white is a tougher sell for a mainstream comic book audience, and a series as slick as this stands a fair chance of reaching a wider audience than the standard Horror comic crowd.

I'm in for Volume 2 whenever it arrives. I liked this so much that I read it twice before reviewing it. I never read anything twice anymore.
Junk Food For Thought rating: 4.5 out of 5.

The OCD zone- Nothing unusual to report here.

Paper stock: Matte coated stock.

Binding: Perfect bound trade paperback.

Cardstock cover notes: Matte coating with spot varnish.

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