Dark Horse Comics has made a bunch of comics free to read during the pandemic lockdowns (it's still the spring/summer 2020 lockdown as I write). As with most mixed sets, it's a mixed bag. And since it's now late in the lockdown, fewer titles are available.
1930s pulp hero Lobster Johnson investigates a graveyard (the titular garden of bones) with his assistant Harry, hunting down a cop-killer who has an M.O. very similar to mob enforcer Big Benny Jeunot. The only problem is Benny is supposed to be six feet under and voodoo magic doesn't work on consecrated ground. They do have a run-in with Benny, leading to a small cult of Fimbakonu, which is not voodoo. The cult follows all the voodoo rules, leading Harry to save the day at the end. It's a fun story but pretty short. It's no longer available for free--sorry for the delay!
The Witcher started out in written form but exploded in popularity thanks to the video games and last year's Netflix television series. This collection of stories has Geralt of Rivia meeting various people. One man is all alone, except for his dead wife. The Witcher stays with him for a few days, developing a poignant connection that might save the man from more than supernatural problems. The second story is frustratingly incomplete (perhaps a marketing tool) where Geralt winds up on a ship bound for a mysterious rescue. The story ends as they board the ship. The final section has excerpts from "The World of the Witcher," a sort of encyclopedia of Witcher facts and figures.
I enjoyed the humor and action, though not enough to seek out the comics. Maybe if the library has them...
EC Comics specialized in horror and the macabre. The TV show Tales from the Crypt was based on the EC comic of the same name. These stories include the tale of a former concentration camp commander who fled to America but whose past finally catches up with him (and rightly so). The next tale is of a butcher during World War II who started selling the good meat on the black market and, at first, sold horse meat to the regular customers. He rather quickly worked his way down the quality scale in order to make a buck. His substitutions finally catch up with him (and rightly so). The third story is about a WWII colonel whose son is a lieutenant under his command. Worse, the son is a coward. The colonel sends his son on a mission with some horrible results. The final tale is a blatant commentary on the stupidity and injustice of racism set in the far future on a planet where gold robots and blue robots live in different parts of town. The story was surprisingly relevant to today.
I found this interesting but not enough to make me search out other EC Comics.
Lobster Johnson: Garden of Bones story by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi, art by Stephen Green, and Geof Shaw, and colors by Dave Stewart
1930s pulp hero Lobster Johnson investigates a graveyard (the titular garden of bones) with his assistant Harry, hunting down a cop-killer who has an M.O. very similar to mob enforcer Big Benny Jeunot. The only problem is Benny is supposed to be six feet under and voodoo magic doesn't work on consecrated ground. They do have a run-in with Benny, leading to a small cult of Fimbakonu, which is not voodoo. The cult follows all the voodoo rules, leading Harry to save the day at the end. It's a fun story but pretty short. It's no longer available for free--sorry for the delay!
The Witcher Sampler by a large variety of artists
The Witcher started out in written form but exploded in popularity thanks to the video games and last year's Netflix television series. This collection of stories has Geralt of Rivia meeting various people. One man is all alone, except for his dead wife. The Witcher stays with him for a few days, developing a poignant connection that might save the man from more than supernatural problems. The second story is frustratingly incomplete (perhaps a marketing tool) where Geralt winds up on a ship bound for a mysterious rescue. The story ends as they board the ship. The final section has excerpts from "The World of the Witcher," a sort of encyclopedia of Witcher facts and figures.
I enjoyed the humor and action, though not enough to seek out the comics. Maybe if the library has them...
Choke Gasp! A Selection of Handpicked EC Comics Stories by many artists
EC Comics specialized in horror and the macabre. The TV show Tales from the Crypt was based on the EC comic of the same name. These stories include the tale of a former concentration camp commander who fled to America but whose past finally catches up with him (and rightly so). The next tale is of a butcher during World War II who started selling the good meat on the black market and, at first, sold horse meat to the regular customers. He rather quickly worked his way down the quality scale in order to make a buck. His substitutions finally catch up with him (and rightly so). The third story is about a WWII colonel whose son is a lieutenant under his command. Worse, the son is a coward. The colonel sends his son on a mission with some horrible results. The final tale is a blatant commentary on the stupidity and injustice of racism set in the far future on a planet where gold robots and blue robots live in different parts of town. The story was surprisingly relevant to today.
I found this interesting but not enough to make me search out other EC Comics.
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