Halloween
Man Gets Superdeformed
The result? A cool-looking book...
I'll
admit it. Years ago, Drew Edwards contacted us with his
independent book Halloween Man. The idea was great -- a
character stuck between life and death in a town where every
bad 50's sci fi and horror movie was essentially true. But
the xeroxed pamphlet we got didn't impress me nearly as
much as the concept did, so I felt like I really couldn't
give it the push Edwards was looking for.
In
the intervening years, he turned it into a webcomic that
gained steadily in popularity. What Edwards also gained
was storytelling ability. With the release of the Silent
Devil collection, Superdeformed, it's clear that the weaknesses
I saw before have been erased. Already the "expanded,
retold" origin of Halloween Man seems more coherent
than the rushed story I read years ago. And I really, really
want to give this book another shot.
He's
also got more assured artists. How is it that Nicola Scott
has not immediately vaulted into superstar status? This
woman has chops, and I absolutely mean the drawing kind.
That she's practically a supermodel makes her the kind of
spokesperson the industry needs.
Sorry,
Joe Quesada and Dan DiDio, but it's true.
From
Silent Devil Productions:
Imagine a world filled where every piece of pulp fiction
is true. Where superheroes fly through the sunlit sky and
terrifying creatures go bump in the night. Where flying
cars, robots and time travel are commonplace, and ancient
evils plot to rise again. This is Solar City, Texas - home
to a heroic monster and the brilliant woman by his side.
Halloween Man is a 21st Century Beauty and the Beast story
that brings together the most amazing aspects of horror,
superheroes, and science fiction. Come along for the ride,
and meet our outlandish cast: There's Dr. Lucy Chaplin,
a sex kitten of a mad scientist, Man-Goat, a superhero with
the power of a Man-Sized Goat, and Morlack, an aged wizard
turned beatnik.
All of whom pale in comparison to Solomon Hitch, the Halloween
Man himself. A misunderstood monster with the power of the
horror movie sequel, this hero has a heart of gold, and
a taste for living flesh. Still, with his friends at his
side he might just beat back the bad guys - and everyone
else in his way.
Halloween Man - Superdeformed includes brand new stories
and some of the best loved tales from the popular webcomic.
Written by Drew Edwards, featuring art by Nicola (Birds
of Prey) Scott, Benjamin (Dead@17: Protectorate) Hall and
David (Blue Beetle) Baldeón. Covers by 666 Photography
(featuring Jami Deadly as Lucy Chaplin) and Nicola Scott.
The Diamond order code is AUG07 3961, and it retails for
the horrorifically low price of $9.99.
So, why should you buy this book? A better question would
be why wouldn't you buy it? Let's ask Joe Fanboy what his
concerns are.
"I
don't know this comic!"
Not only is there a handy guide to the characters at the
start of the book, but the first story is a revised and
expanded retelling of Solomon's origin.
"I've
never heard of any of the people working on it!"
Well,
with a simple trip to your local comic book store you can
find other works by the artists involved… or, just
look at the pages shown here.
"I'm
not sure about buying a trade of a comic book that I've
never heard of – isn't it a bit expensive?"
Nope.
It's $9.99 for over 100 pages. That's a bargain by most
people's standards.
"Well,
I suppose you've thought of everything. But wait - what
if I don't like it?"
Do you
not like good comics? This is a good comic. If you like
good comics, you'll like this.
"I
guess you've convinced me. So, what do I need to do now?"
Go to
your local comic book store. Ask them to order you a copy
of Halloween Man – Superdeformed. The order code from
the current issue of Previews is AUG07 3961. Tell them to
get their order in quickly.
"Go
to my local comic book store? I'm the MANAGER!"
In which
case, you can order a copy yourself. And a couple for the
shelves. Maybe a couple for those slightly weird customers
of yours that you think might be interested in the book.
Praise
for Halloween Man:
Some of them are monsters and some of them are dead, but
Drew Edwards never loses sight of his characters' essential
humanity. HALLOWEEN MAN is old school Gothic romance with
a post-Kirby twist. A cauldron of cool - Drew Melbourne
(Writer, Archenemies)
Quite
possibly one of the coolest concepts in comics. Good bad
fun for bad readers with good taste, Halloween Man is highly
recommended! – Gail Simone (Writer, Birds of Prey,
Wonder Woman, Simpsons Comics, Justice League Unlimited)
This
stuff is so weird it's almost as weird as certain Japanese
webcomics I've come across. Edwards has distinct goals in
mind. He wants the stories to FLY, and he wants the look
- he employs several different artists - to all hearken
back to old EC comics, which they do marvellously - Jason
Henderson (Writer, Sword of Dracula, Psy-Comm)
'Halloween
Man' remains one of the best of the web comic evolution.
It's savvy, self aware, and bends genres at a whim, resulting
in the coolest "Silver Age Superhero meets 80's Horror
Sci-Fi Hooha Comic co -starring a Man Goat" that you
will ever find - Tim Seeley (Writer Hack/Slash, Loaded Bible)
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