From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Alien 3 (1992)

Posted on April 2, 2026 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. For this update we are going to travel to the outreaches of space and where no one can hear you scream and the terrors of Xenomorphs are all around you! And for this “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update we will be talking about Alien 3 and the adaptation comic series done by Dark Horse Comics who did a great job of delivering great comics based around the Alien series as well as many other movies when they had the licenses. To be honest, I was really torn on what Alien film to choose to cover for this update as I could have gone with Heavy Metal’s graphic novel adaptation of the original 1979 film, or the Aliens adaptation done by a Turkish publisher or lastly Alien: Resurrection that of course Dark Horse Released…but I chose Alien 3 as this was the one series I had when I was younger so it holds a special place with me. So if you are ready, get into your space suit and let’s head out to see what terrors and chaos this Xenomorph has in store for us.

Let’s start by taking a look at the Xenomorph (also called Dragon) from this film and its way of dealing death to those who cross its path. This Xenomorph was born when a face hugger attached itself to a Rottweiler dog on a planet that is filled with prisoners who have turned religious, but some are truly still bad people. This alien takes on the characteristics of the dog host the birthed it and walks on all fours and moves very fast when charging at its prey. This Xenomorph is also very stealthy and can hide in the shadows as well as small places in order to sneak up on its prey. Let’s not forget about its strange and monstrous appearance that can frighten a person to death as its blackish, grey in color has a skeleton looking endoskin, long fingers and a small mouth that extends from his normal mouth that it can used to puncture the skin of a person putting a whole right through them. This Xenomorph also has sharp teeth that, if it chooses, could bite and rip flesh, and it will use them and its claws to shred a person like a wild animal. It also has a long tail that it can uses to impale a person as well as can whip it around causing injury. The Xenomorph can also spit acid and its blood is also made of acid and this will burn the flesh of humans straight through and will also burn through metal. The Xenomorph is also very strong and can lift a person up into the air very easily and it can also climb on walls and ceilings. It can also make weird hissing noises and when attacking sometimes will go into a frenzy slashing and biting its human prey. But while this dog Xenomorph is very dangerous and deadly, it is still a living thing and that means it can be hurt and killed with being shot being a big way to end its life, you can also drop boiling hot lead onto it and then cold water as this will cause it to explode. But while it can die, this Xenomorph is very dangerous as if it is able to breed and create more of its kind worlds could truly end and become overrun with its species.

So now that we looked at this canine infused Xenomorph, I think that it’s time we took a look at the film that spawned him and that of course is Alien 3 that was released in 1992 from Fox. Like always, I will be taking the film’s write up from our friends at IMDB and then I will write about the film’s production as well as my thoughts on the film. So if you are ready, let’s run around this isolated planet and see if we can stay one step ahead of this Alien.

Alien 3 (1992)

“Ellen Ripley is the only survivor when she crash lands on Fiorina 161, a bleak wasteland inhabited by former inmates of the planet’s maximum security prison. Once again, Ripley must face skepticism and the alien as it hunts down the prisoners and guards. Without weapons or modern technology of any kind, Ripley leads the men into battle against the terrifying creature.”

20^th Century Fox was very much behind making more sequels to the 1979 hit Alien and with the 1986 film Aliens being a big hit for them a third film in the series was put into motion, but that was after going through a ton of scripts and ideas as they could not find the right one they felt would take the story to a new place and not just repeat the actions of the previous two films. Some of the ideas pitched would have had the Xenomorphs being used as weapons to keep people in line by the Weyland Corporation with Ripley and Hicks having to fight them in a epic battle. Another idea would have the Aliens invading Earth with another being that it would take place on a prison world…the latter is what Fox ended up choosing. So with many rewrites and drama, the film’s screenplay would be written by many writers that include David Giler, Larry Ferguson and Walter Hill ,and after a big search and rehires the directors chair ended up going to David Fincher, who was a music video director. The casting would see Sigourney Weaver and Lance Henriksen return to play Ellen Ripley and Bishop and new names to the cast included Charles S. Dutton, Charles Dance, Pete Postlethwaite, Tom Woodruff Jr. and Holt McCallany to name a few. Fox would give the film a budget of $60 million and would be shot in England, and the film had a stressful shooting schedule and time, but once done Elliot Goldenthal would do the film’s score and it would be released in theaters on May 22, 1992 and would do well for Fox as the worldwide box office bringing in $159.8 million and would end up being #28 for the year out of 200 films. The film was meet with very mixed reviews from critics and movie goers and it would gain its following over the years, mostly thanks to home media releases. In 1992 Alien 3 was released alongside such other horror films as Army Of Darkness, Candyman, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Dr. Giggles, Demonic Toys, The Lawnmower Man, Hellraiser III, Dust Devil, Mindwarp, Tale Of A Vampire, RAAT, Critters 4, Waxwork II, Severed Ties, Stepfather III, Split Second, The Vagrant and Buffy The Vampire Slayer to name a few. Alien 3 is a film that still gets some hate over all these years but has found its fan base as well and is worth a watch if you enjoy the Alien film franchise.

I am going to start off by saying that I am a fan of Alien 3 and have never understood the hate that the film would get from critics and viewers who trashed the more dark tones and complained about the downbeat mood of the film. I do understand one complaint about the film and that’s the death of Hicks and Newt in such a lackluster off screen way from the start, as we all would have liked to seen them continue on, but instead we got to watch Ripley once more be the hero she is and help a group of prisoners try and survive as well as sacrifice herself in order to kill the baby alien that was growing inside her. The film also gives us one more scene with android Bishop played masterfully by Lance Henriksen who also appears briefly as Michael Bishop Weyland, a man who clams to have been the creator of the androids. But one thing that I noticed that stands out like a sore thumb in this film is many of the digital effects look bad, and I mean really bad now as sometimes the alien looks like clip art made into a gif and placed in the film. But while the digital effects are questionable, the practical effects look really good and the Xenomorph looks as scary as ever. Speaking of the Xenomorph, I really like that they hint that the alien takes on much of its hosts traits and in this case a dog as the alien behaves at times like a wild dog! One thing that kind of stinks is that the film’s own director David Fincher is said to hate this film as do many of the past cast who think Fox did the whole series dirty with this one mostly by killing off the characters from the second film early all with off screen deaths. I saw the film when released on home media and at this point had already played and beat the Sega Genesis game based around it, read the adaptation novel and had talked about the Alien films with family and friends all the time…and after seeing it the first time, I really enjoyed it, a feeling I still have about the film to this day. While I get that the film is not as scary as Alien nor as epic as Aliens, it was a nice follow up that pushed the story forward and try something new with Ripley and the universe this series was building. Don’t just follow the trends of hating on films before you even see them, and check this one out and make up your own mind as you might just find yourself enjoying it.

So now that we have taken a look at the Xenomorph as well as the film Alien 3, we should get to the adaptation comic of the film that was released by Dark Horse Comics who for many years made some very cool comics based on films and shows as besides Alien they had comics based on Predator, Godzilla, Starship Troopers, The Terminator, The Thing, Gamera, Pumpkinhead and Darkness Falls to name a few. I would like to thank Bell Book And Comic for having these issues in stock and making this update possible. I would also like to remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you are ready, let’s walk around the passage ways of the foundry located on Fiorina and see if we can stay out of the reach of the alien lurking around in the shadows.

Alien 3 # 1 **1/2
Released in 1992 Cover Price $2.50 Dark Horse # 1 of 3

A spaceship floating through space crash lands on the prison planet called Fiorina 161 with Ellen Ripley being the only survivor as Corporal Hick and Newt died, but an alien has also arrived on the planet via the crash. Mr. Andrews runs the prison planet and is not happy that a woman has arrived on the planet and order Doctor Clemens to keep her in the sick bay and not let he roam among the prisoners. A group of prisoners are sent out to retrieve the bodies and the wrecked ship, and their pet dog acts strange after making some noises. When Ripley wakes up, she finds out about the deaths of her friends and has Clemens take her to the ships wreckage and then learns that there are only 25 prisoners and one dog on the planet and they just work maintenance at the Weylend factory they all live in. Ripley asks Clemens to perform an autopsy on Newt as she tells him that it’s cause she wanted to make sure of the cause of death claiming it could have been from a sickness, but really she fears that the young girl could have an alien inside her as the wrecked ship had marks of acid blood being split. After the autopsy she finds that Newt really did pass away from the wreck and Andrews allows the Doctor to cremate the bodies and all the prisoners attend with one named Dillon saying the prayer. But while they all pay respects to the dead, the pet dog is sick and an alien is born from its torn apart body! Ripley shaves her head and finds that the prisoners really do not want her around as many of them in the past were killers and sexual predators of females, and she also has a bond with Clemens who is called out to look at a body of a prisoner that was knocked into a giant fan by the Xenomorph who spit acid in his face unknown to all of them. As Ripley goes to the scrapyard to find the body of android Bishop who would have the flight recorder of the crashed ship three prisoners on repair duty are attacked by the Xenomorph and only one is able to make a escape.

This adaptation comic from Dark Horse Comics starts pretty strong as it does a good job of staying true this far to the films plot and yet speeding up some of it in order to not only fit the film into three issues but also to keep it a little faster paced. The plot for the first issue to sum it up has Ellen Ripley waking up in a prison planet after the ship she was on wrecked and killed her friends, now she is stuck there with convicted killers and attackers who have now turned religious. But unknown to her the convicts are not the only threats that she has to worry about as a Xenomorph that was born inside a dog has also arrived and is looking to kill. While Ellen Ripley is tough, she is around some very dangerous men who nearly all have a history of violence towards women, so she really needs to be on her toes. Doctor Clemens is clearly a prisoner as well who seems to have changed his ways, but is not yet ready to share his dirty little secrets with Ellen who he has been treating. Clemens also seems to be respected by the fellow prisoners but also is on the annoyed side of Andrews who seems to not be filled in on all the goingson in the prison. And while Dillon is a dangerous man, it’s clear that he is trying to stay very loyal to his religious oath, and while he don’t like Ellen being there, he clearly has no want to hurt her. The Dog Xenomorph is very mean and quick and in this issue claims three lives that we see with one getting acid spit into his face! The issue does have some blood being spilt and violence making it a fun spooky read. The cover is really cool and eye-catching as it showcases a Xenomorph, and the interior art is done by artist Christopher Taylor and is good stuff and truly has that 90’s Dark Horse Comics look, and I have to praise his ability to draw the Xenomorph…and for those wondering the characters do not look like the actors who played them. A good issue for sure and is your average horror comic read based on a film, so if you are ready, let’s head to issue two and see what scares await us.

Alien 3 # 2 **1/2
Released in 1992 Cover Price $2.50 Dark Horse # 2 of 3

Ripley heads to the junk pile and finds the body of Bishop, but before she can get it back to the medical bay, she is attacked by some of the prisoners who are looking for a good time…but she is saved by Dillon, who beats up his fellow inmates with a crowbar and sends Ripley out of the area. Meanwhile Clemons is getting yelled at by Andrews for spending to much time with Ripley and not sharing any information with him as they have gotten a call that members of a very powerful corporation are on their way to get her. While at the medical bay Ripley learns from Bishop that a alien was on board the ship when they crashed and that all this information as been sent to the Weyland Corporation, he then has her terminate his life. The surviving prisoner of the Xenomorph attack is blamed for the murders of his fellow inmates and Ripley tries to warn Andrews and his assistant Aaron of the horrors that is roaming their prisoner factory, only for her to be mocked and ignored, as Andrews does not respect her at all and can not wait for the Weyland company to get her. Ripley goes back to Clemons and he comes clean to her that he was a drug addict doctor for years and that is what landed him there, but out of nowhere the Xenomorph attacks knocking Clemons’ head off and Ripley runs away to the mess hall where Andrews is holding a prisoner meeting and is his grabbed up into the ceiling by the Xenomorph. Ripley takes control and gets all the prisoners to set up a trap tat will seal the Xenomorph away from them all, and during this time she also learns that she has an Alien Queen in her chest! And also the crazed prisoner is free and thinks the Xenomorph is his friend.

The second issue has Ripley being attacked by some of the prisoners, being hated by the warden, finding out that a Xenomorph is in the prison factory, finds out that a company has interest in her, she is feeling sick and she watches as her only friend on the planet gets his head knocked off…so in other words she is having a very bad time on this planet! While Ripley is having a rough time, she is also a fighter as she does what she can to survive as well as try and warn the others of what kind of terror could be waiting for them around every dark corner. The one bad thing is that she also learns that the planet does not have any weapons as they do not want the prisoners to get ahold of them, leaving her pretty much defenseless against the alien. And when things get really bad Ripley also steps up and becomes the “leader” of the prisoners when they have to find a way to bring down the Xenomorph. Speaking of the Xenomorph, this alien is on a killing spree and is taking down the prisoners one by one and is doing so in such bloody ways, as that’s right this issue brings the blood and violence with the best kill being Clemons getting his head knocked off. The Prisoners seem very lost when their warden and boss Andrews is killed, and while some are for following Ripley others are not, but when Dillon puts his foot down that she is the one with leadership skills they all fall in line. The issue ends on a cliffhanger as Ripley discovers that she has an Alien Queen growing inside her, not to even mention that the Xenomorph is now on the attack causing panic with the prisoners. The cover for this issue is my favorite of the series as it really is a great cover that features the comic/movies monster. And like the last issue the interior art was done by Christopher Taylor, and again is good stuff if you like that Dark Horse Comics art style of the 90’s. And like before this, comic does a good job of staying close to the source material of the film and has some changes that makes it seem like a slightly new experience in that film’s universe. With that, let’s get to the third and final issue in this adaptation comic mini series.

Alien 3 # 3 **1/2
Released in 1992 Cover Price $2.50 Dark Horse # 3 of 3

Ripley discovers a message from the Weyland Company that alerts that they want the Xenomorph alive, and worse the Xenomorph has been captured but is set free by the crazed blamed prisoner who gets himself as well as another prisoner killed! The remaining prisoners all rush to the cell block and talk if they want to try and fight the Alien or just hide for the next 10 hours until the rescue ship arrives. Ripley meanwhile finds the Xenomorph and learns that it will not kill her cause of the Queen growing inside her, she makes a deal with Dillon that when they kill the alien he will in turn kill her to end this things bloodline…he agrees. After some harsh words with the fellow prisoners they come up with a idea that would have them trap the Xenomorph again and this time drop molten lead on it! The plan starts off smooth but soon goes into chaos as the Xenomorph starts catching and killing the prisoners until only Ripley, Dillon and one other are left alive…they are able to trap the alien and drop the lead on him, but during this time it is able to kill Dillon. The team from Weyland show up just in time to see Ripley drop water onto the melting Xenomorph and it explodes! And as the Weyland people try to convince Ripley to follow them to the ship so they can help her, she does not trust them and as the Queen in being born she leaps into the molten lead ending her life as well as the new Queens.

The saga of Ripley comes to an end…well at least until the next film and comic based on that film was released. In this issue’s plot Ripley and the remaining prisoners come up with an idea to kill the Xenomorph before the rescue team can arrive as they all know that the company wants to save the aliens life to use it as a weapon in wars. And while most of them all die they are able to kill the creature and Ripley is able to end her own life and destroy the Queen that was being born, ending the terror for now. Ripley really does want to die in this issue as she fears what will happen if any of the aliens are taken to Earth and knows that her death is the only thing that can stop it from happening as if they get their hands on the Queen growing inside her they could have an armor of them in no time. Dillon becomes a hero for sure as through this series he is the one who stops the other prisoners attack on Ripley, gives his life to try and bring down the Xenomorph and seems to truly be one of the prisoners who have found religion. The Weyland people are very much liars as they even send the creator of the android Bishop in order to try and get Ripley to follow them to their ship to “save” her and get ride of the alien baby…its clear they do not care about the people on the prison planet and really just want the power of the Xenomorph. And speaking of the Alien it really is a killing machine as it makes quick and bloody work out of many of the prisoners and while it is very dangerous it dies a painful death as hot lead and cold water don’t mix! The comic stays pretty close to the film and does change Dillon’s death as here he is dragged into the molten lead as in the film he is trapped with the alien and demands they drop the lead to try and kill the alien. The issue has lots of blood and kills and this helps add to the Horror of the comic, but to be honest lots of the scares comes from the dark mood and atmosphere. Like before artist Christopher Taylor does the interior art and its good stuff and the cover like before as well is really cool and eye-catching. Over all if you like the film Alien 3 or just the Alien films and comics in general, you should check this one out. Take a look at the artwork below to see the style used by Christopher Taylor in this comic mini series.

Alien 3 really is one of those films that you either love of hate, with much more being very negative about it…but if you like a more dark mood outing for the Aliens, then this is one I think you will enjoy. Plus once more I have to stress that I miss the days of Dark Horse Comics when they would make some amazing comics based on horror films, they seem to be lacking in that department lately. But with all that said our time with Alien 3 is coming to an end so I think that before we head our separate ways I would like to tell you that the next update of course will keep us in the world of horror films as we will be talking about the 1965 film Two On A Guillotine and the Dell Comic adaptation of the film. So until next time, read a horror comic of three, watch a horror film or two and as always support your local horror host. See you next time for a evil magic show in a haunted house!

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Nightbreed (1990)

Posted on March 23, 2026 by bloodlinematt

Welcome to Rotten Ink and to a “From Horror Movie To horror Comic” update. This time around we will be talking about a film made by Clive Barker based on one of his novels that has had a very strange history of being released and would end up becoming a big cult favorite for many horror fans. That film of course is Nightbreed! And what is really cool is that Marvel Comics via their Epic Comics line released not only an adaptation of the film but also turned it into a ongoing series that ran alongside their Hellraiser series as for a time Clive Barker was a big part of Marvel Comics as he would also end up doing his own superhero style comics for them. Really Nightbreed has been on my list for way too long, as this is a film that I love as well as a comic series I truly enjoyed as a youngster. So if you are ready, let’s head to Midian where the monsters are as this is going to be one Epic Comic update!

Let’s start by taking a look at The Nightbreed also called The Tribes Of The Moon a group of the monsters, freaks and killers of the world that live together in Midian and who follow the laws of their God called Baphomet who offers them protection and guidance. There are many different types of Nightbreed and each have their different ways of dealing death! Some have sharp claws and teeth that can rip through flesh! Others have strength and can rip a person in pieces or even punch through their bodies! Others have horns that can impale while others can turn into a smoke or mist and can choke out or even explode a person. Some others uses knives or sharp objects to end lives while some even have poisoned quills that enter your blood stream and induce death. Many of The Nightbreed also have very strange and monstrous appearances and this makes humans afraid of them and can chill their blood and bones. Boone is the leader of The Nightbreed and has been chosen to be Cabal and lead the Breed to a new home, when around blood and death he turns into a beast that is violent. Kinski has a half moon face and is very skilled with knives. Peloquin looks like a monster with dreadlocks that has sharp teeth and claws, and a very bad attitude. Shuna Sassi is a porcupine woman who is covered in poisonous quills. Leroy Gomm is a breed member that has tentacles that come from his belly and have claws and eyeballs on the end of them. Lude is a devil with blue skin and Lyesberg has cuts on his face and is the one who speaks the laws of their God. Narcisse has part of the skin on his head removed and is skilled with thumb blades. Ohnaka is a normal looking man with some tattoos and has a pet dog. Rachel and her young daughter Babette are shape shifters. Kushnir Day is a hog faced man who plays drums on the walls to warn others. Mexico is a creature with arms coming out of his long neck. Otis And Clay have two faces and share the same body. The Berserkers are uncontrollable monsters who love to kill. Those are just some of The Nightbreed that make up the Tribe and live in Midian. But while they are monsters and are “undead,” they do have weaknesses as many can be killed by sun light while others can die like any normal living thing as they can be shot, stabbed, burned, drowned, crushed and so on. They all also have a craving to eat human flesh, and this can cause them to make mistakes and lead to their own deaths. Many are also very peaceful and people’s fear and hatred make them targets for deadly attacks. They are also bound to the law of Baphomet and this at times does not allow them to fight back. While The Nightbreed are monsters and can be very dangerous, they are not the true killers of this film as they just want to be left alone and live in Midian.

The main killer is Dr. Decker, a psychiatrist who uses his status as well as own thoughts to kill and ruin people’s lives. When at work Dr. Decker is a kind acting man who seems to have his patients best wishes in heart, but really he is learning about your fears and darkest thoughts in order to use them against you and make you think you’re insane and his crimes are ones you did. He also makes his own hallucination drugs and passes them off as real medication to once more get into the minds of his patients. He also seems to be able to talk his way into making law enforcement believe his words that he spews in order to set people up for his crimes. But really Dr. Decker is a masked serial killer who kills whole families as he thinks that mankind is just filth creating filth and that bloodlines and procreation needs to end. His mask is very freaky in nature as it has buttons for eyes and a zipper for a mouth, and this alone is terrifying for his victims. His main tools of killing are his knives that he uses to slash, cut, stab and slit his victims skin until they are dead. He is very cold blooded and gets joy in killing the families as well as placing fear into his victims before they die. But Dr. Decker is just a man so that means he can be killed like any normal person so that means being stabbed, shot, burnt, crushed and all other manor of death will end his life. He is also a coward as when he is about to face death he begs for his life to be spared, and then will try and sneak attack you. He also is the type that will get others to do some of his dirty work. Dr. Decker is a true scumbag and is a killer that loves what he does to his victims and this makes him very deadly.

Now that we have talked about both The Nightbreed as well as Dr. Decker and all their ways of dealing death, we should now take a look at the film they are from! And like always I will be taking the film’s plot from our friends at IMDB and then I will write about the film’s production and then my thoughts. So if you are ready, let’s travel deeper into Midian and see what The Nightbreed are all about.

Nightbreed (1990)

“A troubled young man is drawn to a mythical place called Midian where a variety of friendly monsters are hiding from humanity. Meanwhile, a sadistic serial killer is looking for a patsy.”

Through the 1980’s writer Clive Barker was one of the biggest faces in horror as he had written many books that became major hits with fans and in films he had hits with Hellriaser (1987) (which he directed) as well as its sequel Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988) not to even mention Rawhead Rex from 1986. And after these films the next story on his list to get the film treatment was Cabal that in film world would be called Nightbreed. At first Barker had the idea that it would be three films before settling on just one, and originally Mark Frost would write the film’s first screenplay and then Clive Barker would step in and do it himself as well as he would direct. The film would get an $11 million budget with Morgan Creek Productions coming on board and being the ones who wanted Nightbreed as the film’s title. Clive Barker had big plans for this film and truly thought that it would be a mega hit and would spark a full franchise! So when it came to hiring such names as David Cronenberg, Craig Sheffer, Anne Bobby, Doug Bradley, Hugh Ross, Oliver Parker, Nicholas Vince, Christine McCorkindale, Catherine Chevalier and many more made up the large cast. The film would be a crazy one filmed on soundstages and on location with lots of effects being used for The Nightbreed themselves with even the film’s cinematographer having some issues with Cronenberg. Once done the film would have some test screenings that issued re-shoots and then the film’s cut was way to long and had to have lots of stuff cut and removed causing issues as Barker was upset by this as was the film’s original editor who quit in protest. Once set Danny Elfman would come in and score the film and after several release changes the film finally hit theaters on February 16, 1990, and the film had a terrible promotion behind it as they sold it more as a slasher film in trailers and TV ads and released a lackluster poster not to even mention that they would not allow critics to see the film before its release as they insulted horror film viewers saying they never read reviews. The film was meet with mixed reviews from critics and mostly positive from moviegoers and sadly the film would not do great at the box office as it would only make around $16 million worldwide. And over the years the fans would want to see the “Cabal” and “Directors” cuts of the film, and after bootleg versions floating around on the grey market it would be released by Scream Factory on Blu-Ray. The film has a big cult following and even spawned comic series and video games. In 1990 Nightbreed was released alongside such other horror films as Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, Child’s Play 2, Tremors, Arachnophobia, Tales From The Dark Side, Frankenhooker, Gremlins 2, Troll 2, The Willies, Predator 2, Demon Wind, Blood Salvage and Misery to name a few. And this was just a quick crash course of the making of this film as it is way deeper and weirder than I can explain!

My first memory of Nightbreed was seeing the film’s poster hanging in a video rental store and seeing all the different Breed on it and knowing I had to see this film and know more about them all! It would be a short while before I finally got to see the film. It was thanks to my brother who got it for me on VHS one year for my birthday that I was finally able to see it and I was a fan from the start as I loved the world of Midian. All the different characters captured my imagination, and I was a big fan of Peloquin as he was a Breed who seemed to be a rebel and not truly care about the law set for them and was just kind of an a-hole to everyone. I also really liked Shuna Sassi as she was both spooky and sexy and her powers of being like a porcupine and shooting poisonous quills at her victims was awesome. Not to mention that The Berserkers were awesome and killing machines that I wish they would have shown more of. The part that surprised me the most was that the film also very much had a slasher element to it as Dr. Decker under his button eyed mask truly was a cold blooded killer who would massacre whole families in his quest to stop the filth from populating. And while I know many fans enjoy the Cabel cut, I like the theatrical cut as it was the one I grew up watching and I find it to have a faster pace, and yes, the cuts in this version do make some parts confusing and I get that is why people dislike this cut of the film. And much like many of the horror films I had seen, I can remember drawing The Nightbreed in art class and getting good remarks not just from the teacher, but also my fellow classmates. During my youth and teen years Clive Baker was one of my favorite writers and creators as his films based on his writings like Hellraiser, Nightbreed, Lord Of Illusions and Rawhead Rex were always being watched by me and my friends when we would be hanging out. Over the years I have watched this film many times and I have always stayed a fan as I find even after all these years, this film just holds up both in the special effects as well as the story over all. If you have never seen this film, make sure to do so, as I am sure you will very much enjoy it.

Nightbreed is one of those films that might have suffered from the studio sticking their fingers into filming and production, but to be honest I really do like the theatrical version! We are now at the point of this update that we take a look at the comic series that was made by Epic Comics, and I would first like to thank Bell Book And Comic, Lone Star Comics and Game Swap Kettering for having these comics in stock and making this update possible. I would also like to thank Hal and The Bookie Parlor for introducing me to this comic series in my younger years. I would also like to remind you that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you are ready, let’s enter Midian and see what The Monsters are up to.

Nightbreed # 1 ***
Released in 1990 Cover Price $1.95 Epic Comics # 1 of 25

Boone and Lori are in love, and for Boone she changed his life as at one point he wanted to commit suicide and almost did so. Now he has here a good job and only has to meet with his doctor one last time! That night a masked man enters a family of four’s house and kills them all with a big knife, the killer likes feeding off the victims fear and he feels like he is making a difference in his own twisted way. The cops are frustrated when these bodies are found and want to find who the killer is, while Boone calls Lori to say sorry for not coming to her concert that night as she is a singer. Boone goes to his last appointment with Dr. Decker and is told that he might be blacking out and committing these murders…he then decides to kill himself by jumping in front of a truck. Boone wakes up in the hospital and finds that the pills his Doctor gave him were illegal drugs, and he also meets Narcisse who speaks of Midian, the place that is said to be were the monsters go, where your sins are forgiven…a place that has haunted Boone’s thoughts for years! Narcisse to prove that he should be in Midian removes part of his face, and in the chaos Boone escapes the hospital as Decker and the cops now think Boone is the killer and Narcisse is questioned on his deathbed. Boone drives for a very long time and is drawn to a ghost town’s massive cemetery as this has to be Midian and while looking around he meets Peloquin and Kinski, and they alert him that he has not killed anyone and he is not welcomed there. Peloquin ends up attacking Boone as he wants to eat him! As Boone makes it out of the cemetery, he, the police and Decker are there and he is being arrested for the killings that he did not commit, and Decker gets the cops to shoot and kill Boone when he claims he has a gun…that he doesn’t.

This is such a great start for the Nightbreed comic series from Epic Comics as this of course is an adaptation of the film, well the first part of the adaptation that follows Boone, a man who had some mental issues who has gotten better all because of finding true love as well as getting help from his doctor, but soon he is blamed for a series of killings and now wants to die again and go to a place called Midian where the monsters go and all the sins of killers and criminals are forgiven…but soon Boone finds that his Doctor does not want to truly help him but is using him by giving him harmful mind altering drugs and even sets him up to be shot and killed by the cops! Aaron Boone is a good man who has clearly had a rough life growing up as he went into foster care, had mental issues, tried to take his own life and now is being set up for murders that he did not commit. And worse, it’s clear that his very own Doctor is the one setting him up with the cops and is trying to ruin his life and break his mind even more. Lori is his loving girlfriend who is a singer at clubs and tries her best to let Boone know that she is there for him. Dr. Decker is a very sneaky man as he is “caring” to law enforcement as well as his patients, but really he is a cold blooded killer who is playing a sick game to find the place called Midian, a city that is for monsters, killers and criminals. We get to meet two of the Nightbreed in this issue and that’s the half moon faced Kinski who carries a knife and tries to save Boone, and Peloquin, a monster with sharp teeth, claws who craves meat and wants to kill Boone who was foolish enough to stumble into their city. The issue ends with a big cliffhanger as Boone is shoot dead by the police and it was Decker who caused this event. The comic is really doing justice to the film it’s based on and even adds a little more story to the relationship between Boone and Lori. The comic has blood and violence and some of the kills will please fans of the red stuff in their comics. The cover art is really cool and eye catching as it shows Dr. Decker with his massive knife and behind him is flesh with a Nightbreed citizen looking at him via a hole. The interior art is good and done by Jim Baikie who has a creepy dark nature to his style. I also think he does a pretty good job of very loosely making the characters look like the actors who played them…I will say that his Peloquin is a little odd. Over all a great first issue and I enjoyed reading this again after all these years.

Nightbreed # 2 ***
Released in 1990 Cover Price $1.95 Epic Comics # 2 of 25

Boone’s body is taken to the morgue as Lori is called in and interviewed by the cops and Dr. Decker and she does not believe their story that he was a killer…and like that, Boone’s body is taken and now missing from the morgue to everyone’s horror. Lori heads to a local bar and meets Sheryl and the two quickly become friends with Lori telling her all about Boone and Midian, and Sheryl agrees to drive Lori there the next morning. As the two ladies arrive at Midian, they are both puzzled why Boone would have visited a ghost town like this and as Lori heads to the old cemetery, Sheryl stays by the car in the rundown town and that is when Dr. Decker appears. Meanwhile in the cemetery Lori finds a creature in pain from the sun and takes the creature to a woman who is inside a crypt and she watches as the creature turns into a little girl and that is when she meets Rachel and her daughter Babette as well as Lyesberg, the lawgiver of the Nightbreed and Ohnaka who all are grateful but also warn her that she must not share what she as seen as it would be very dangerous for The Nightbreed…and she tries to follow them back into their underground world but is chased off and once back at the car she finds the mutilated body of Sheryl and the masked killer is there now and wants to kill Lori as the masked killer is Dr. Decker and he wants to find Midian as well as Boone! Lori runs to the cemetery, and just as Decker is about to kill her, she is saved by both Boone and Narcisse as they are both Nightbreed now and both have issues with Decker who blames the mask for his killing ways. And worse they allow Decker to escape and he now knows the location of Midian, and Boone and Lori leeave but the Nightbreed in danger. Boone is banned from Midian on the words of Lyesberg, but he decides to speak to Baphomet, a demon who is the creator of this underground city and who is the most powerful of Nightbreed, and foolishly Lori tries to follow and meets many of the different “people” that make up the city…and with that Boone and Lori are kicked out of Midian and Decker sets them up at a near by hotel by killing people and then making the cops come and Boone is arrested by the police and Lori is able to escape.

The adaptation continues with issue two as we now follow Boone who comes back from the dead and ends up being accepted as a Nightbreed and into Midian, but when Lori comes to find him they put them all in danger as she was followed by Decker who has now got the law to come with him to kill attack the underground city. And because all of this Boone and Lori have been banned from Midian and are set up in a hotel by the crazed doctor for more murders, and Boone is now arrested and Lori has to be on the run. Boone comes back from the dead and is now something more as the smell and sight of blood turns him into a monster of sorts as he has a hunger for both blood and human meat! But while Boone is now a proud civilian of Midian, he puts them all in great danger over Lori and even allows Decker to escape the cemetery all because of once more Lori…she is kind of the key that brings down this safe city for the monsters of the world, plus she is the one who leads Decker to Midian as well as gets her new friend Sheryl killed. Dr. Decker is once more up to his killing ways as he slaughters those in his way and he is using their deaths as traps to get his true targets to do what he wants. Decker as well again uses his smooth nature to trick those in law into thinking he is good and then showing his true evil nature to those he wants to torment. The Nightbreed we meet this issue are Lyesberg, the strike law giver of Midian, shape shifter mother and daughter Rachel and Babette, tattooed nice guy Ohnaka, the removed faced Narcisse, the crazed monsters that have to be kept locked up The Berserkers and lastly Baphomet the demon and creator of Midian. The issue’s cliffhanger ending is Boone being arrested, Lori on the run and Decker getting police offers ready to attack Midian! The issue has some blood as well as violence and the cover is pretty cool and has the Berserkers trying to grab Lori. The interior art is done by Jim Baikie and is pretty good stuff as once more I like the way he draws the kills as well as The Nightbreed! Another great issue and let’s see what issue three has in store for us.

Nightbreed # 3 ***
Released in 1990 Cover Price $1.95 Epic Comics # 3 of 25

Boone is beaten up in jail and when a doctor checks on him, they are all puzzled as he should be dead as he has no pulse but is walking and talking. Officers are also on their way to look around the cemetery as Lori has a mind visit from Babette who warns her that she feels something very bad is about to happen. Meanwhile in the cemetery the cops find Ohnaka and drag him out into the sun where they beat him, but sadly the sun also makes him burn and explode killing him and giving the cops the message that there are monsters living under this cemetery, and when the cops return to their cars they find them on fire as Rachel and Narcisse are heading to the jail to save Boone. The cops in town have also got locals armed up with all types of guns, knives, flame throwers, holy water and even bring Reverend Ashberry with them just in case they need the word of God on their side and they head out to start a slaughter at Midian. Meanwhile Narcisse and Rachel find Lori, and they get to the jail and save Boone from his cell and they all head back to Midian to help their fellow Nightbreed. While at the cemetery Reverend Ashberry tries to stop the attack as he feels that the land is holy ground and that they might be angels after he sees a flying Nightbreed. The cops ignore him as they have gas and bombs set all around. Boone arrives in time and tells The Nightbreed that they must fight in order to survive and that they will also leave this place once this fight is over, as the women and children are being taken to safety they also start getting ready to move the massive, powerful demon Baphomet. The bombs are set off and many Nightbreed are injured and killed as their pain fills the air Reverend Ashberry is shocked with horror as he sees the chaos and pain all around him. Meanwhile Dr. Decker is getting his mask and knife ready for this slaughter.

The adaptation continues as this issue’s plot has Boone getting rescued from jail and having to return to Midian to try and get the Nightbreed ready to fight as they are under attack from cops as well as town people, and worse many of the Nightbreed are killed in the first attack that is bombs being set off all around the cemetery. In jail, Boone is a broken man as he feels terrible about eating some flesh at the hotel and its only the love of Lori is what drives to him to fight and lead The Nightbreed into a war with those humans that want to kill them all. And Lori herself learns to deal with the fact Boone is a monster now and even has a deeper bond with young Babette who she shares vision and thoughts with. Dr. Decker in this issue is stirring the pot as he wants Midian and all The Nightbreed to be killed off, we also find that he truly is crazy and that the mask talks to him and is the side of his personality that wants to spill lots of blood. We also meet Reverend Ashberry in this issue, a drunk man who once at Midian and knows what the law is doing is wrong, but is powerless to stop them as he is tossed around by the rude police chief. Rachel and Narcisse are heroes as they are the ones that risk their own lives to go into the city, attack police and save Boone for him jail cell as they know that they are going to need him in this fight with the humans. And poor old Ohnaka is killed by the cops as they drag him into the sunlight and watch him explode, and seem fine with what they did to a man who did nothing to them. We do know that The Nightbreed are going to fight back against the humans and many have been sent away to hide as this battle is going to get very bloody and many will die, they even are thinking about freeing the Berserkers to help even though they are uncontrollable. And in this issue I really found myself cheering for The Nightbreed as the 99% of the human characters are just such terrible people and all they want is to be left alone and not hated, hunted and be killed because they are different. The issue has some blood and kills with many of The Nightbreed being killed during the bomb explosions. One thing that is puzzling me is that many of the classic characters of Midian have been downplayed or are just missing all together with both Peloquin and Kinski being around just for a few panels in issue 1 and favorites like Shuna Sassi, Leroy Gomm, Lude, Kushnir Day, Otis & Clay, Annastasjia and so many other not even appearing yet making it puzzling why so many are missing from these comics as they could even at least appear in the background…maybe some of them are in the background and I just missed them, possible I guess. The cover is cool and has Narcisse attacking a cop and like before, Jim Baikie did the interior art and did a good job of bringing the feel and look of these characters to these comic pages. So with that, let’s see how issue four wraps up the adaptation part of this series.

Nightbreed # 4 ***
Released in 1990 Cover Price $1.95 Epic Comics # 4 of 25

As Narcisse gets the kids out of the city and to safety, Boone tries to get the others to fight back as Peloquin goes on the attack and brings down a whole police car filled with cops. Others are not doing so well as the are being gunned down by the cops and the redneck posse there to kill anyone from Midian! Lyesberg is hurt and has his leg broken, but makes his way to set free The Berserkers as Lori is being stalked and even stabbed by Dr. Decker who has put on his mask and wants to kill her so badly. In the underground city many of the Nightbreed are being killed including Lyesberg before he can free The Berserkers while above Boone drops the sheriff and Reverend Ashberry follows him as he see what is going on is wrong and just plain murder. Boone gets to the cell and sets The Berserkers free who end up killing the invaders in brutal ways, meanwhile Dr. Decker kills Narcisse by cutting his head off and is still chasing down Lori. Boone finds out where she is thanks to Babette, and he and Decker finally have a showdown to the death…and it’s Decker who dies by one of his own blades. Boone then is called by a dying Baphomet who tells him that he must make his wrongs right and that is to rebuild Midian and bring back together the remaining Nightbreed as he his no longer Boone but is now called Cabal. As the underground city of Midian crumbles it’s Nightbreed like Kinski and Mexico that are saving the parts of Baphomet so that they can reform him in their new home. Lori and Boone stand on a hill watching as Midian burns and when Boone alerts her she can not come with him and The Nightbreed, she uses one of Deckers knives to try and end her life, and Boone is forced to bite her and turn her into one of The Nightbreed and now they can be together forever. While a now burned and crazed Reverend Ashberry who became this way at the hands of Baphomet wants revenge of The Nightbreed and even chokes and kills the injured sheriff before laughing like a madman. While the moon is still in the sky Rachel, Babette, Kinski and the remaining Nightbreed hide out in a barn waiting for Boone who is Cabal to come to them and lead them to their next city.

This is the action packed final issue in the adaptation of Nightbreed, and it is one heck of a fun read as the plot of this issue is the war between The Law and their posse of redneck locals against Boone and The Nightbreed! And along this battle Boone becomes the chosen one and his named is changed to Cabal; he is also finally able to kill Decker and The Nightbreed get a new enemy in Reverend Ashberry who was burnt and disfigured by Baphomet who is having himself dismantled in order to come back to the next version of Midian. Boone in this issue truly embraces his inner Nightbreed as he goes full monster and even leads the fellow Nightbreed into fighting as well as saves the lives of many of the women and children. Boone is truly the hero of the story even if he is also the cause of all these deaths as well as the destruction of Midian because of Lori and allowing Decker to escape the cemetery. Lori tries to help The Nightbreed as she is the one who truly gets Boone fired up and to become the leader he needed to be, but she is also the drama queen who stabs herself in order to become a Nightbreed as well as takes a few minutes of Boone’s time in jail by having sex with him while The Nightbreed are in trouble. Dr. Decker truly is a crazed slasher serial killer who once he puts on the mask becomes hungry to spill human blood, but his ego and insane mind is also what does him in as Boone kills him with his own knife. Decker is also the scumbag who alerts the local law about the people of Midian and the monsters that live there and leads to many of their deaths. Speaking of The Nightbreed, we do see many of them fighting and trying to save others as well as many die with Narcisse losing his life fighting Decker while trying to protect Lori. Peloquin and Rachel also fight the attackers with The Berserkers being the game changer as they massacre many and scare off the remaining. And in this issue the other Nightbreed we see are Baphomet, Mexico, Lyesberg and Kinski among a few others that are in the background. I will say that while much of this comic adaptation is different from the film version, I found myself being a fan of it as it feels the same and yet also like a new “what if” version of events. I still very much am disappointed in the lack of many of the classic Nightbreed characters, as they seem to have been cut out of the comic totally in order to make more room for the love story of Boone and Lori. The comic does have blood and violence with heads being cut off and lots of people being shot. The cover for the issue is cool as it showcases one of The Berserkers so fans of monsters will dig it. Jim Baikie did the comic’s interior artwork, and again I really did like his style, while some of the characters don’t look like they should his art does capture some of the dark tones and mood of this subject. Well the adaptation aspect of this series is over and now it will start original stories with The Nightbreed characters, so if you are ready, let’s see what Boone and the others have in store for us.

Nightbreed # 5 ***
Released in 1990 Cover Price $2.25 Epic Comics # 5 of 25

Mulciber is leading a band of Nightbreed (Dagon, Piglet, Oral and Aello) around a small town robbing gas stations and stealing money as well as people’s IDs. But at one gas station the old man who is making chili for the hotdogs tomorrow is able to get the police after the band has robbed him, and the Sheriff and his deputy head out in to the woods after them…big mistake. The bird man creature Mulciber takes out the sheriff easily and begins to eat him while the beautiful Aello uses her charms to trick the deputy in to making love to her before she shows she has wings and lifts him into the sky and drops him to his death as the group eat him. They also head back to the police car and end up killing the old gas station worker. While at a farmhouse a female Nightbreed with purple hair lures the farmer into a barn where the head of Baphomet pours into his mind all the wrong doing that has happened to them in the Midian attacks, and after the farmer breaks, the two Nightbreed set off for a new location. Meanwhile Boone, Lori and Kinski give chase and bring down a group of drug sellers as one is wearing a necklace that was made by Nickneven, an old witch Nightbreed that Boone wants to talk to as she might have a location that could be the new Midian.

There is a lot going on in this fifth issue as we are now setting up what is to come as Boone and the Nightbreed with him are looking for a new home so that they can all live in peace, while Mulciber and his Nightbreed are running wild robbing and eating people as they are sick of having to hide. All the while it seems that Baphomet’s head is being carried around and he as well wants to find a new home for them all but is also teaching humans what they have done to his kind over the centuries is just not right. Boone in the issue seems to not like his new name of Cabal as he does not want to be called that and it appears that he has built a close friendship up with Kinski as the two work well together in order to bring down some drug pushers as well as get the information from them that they need to find the witch. Mulciber, the bird like humanoid is more about eating human flesh and no longer living in fear and it is clear that he and most of his followers do not have any respect for Boone as they are on a path of truly breaking the rules of Baphomet and doing what they want to do in the world. And this makes you wonder just how long will it be before we get a clash between Boone and his Nightbreed friends against Mulciber and his Nightbreed! The issue has some blood and violence and this will please fans of horror comics that like the red stuff. I like that the story of this issue really does keep the idea that a new Midian has to be found and Boone who is a hero is still very new to being one and wants to do right, but also seems a little annoyed about all the pressure he is under to do so. The cover for this issue is pretty dang cool as it shows Mulciber so for those of you wondering what he looks like just take a look at the cover. The art in this issue is really good and is done by two artists, Jackson Guice and Alfred Ramirez, and I really like how they draw Mulciber as he looks really cool. Over all another great issue in the series and really makes you look forward to seeing what happens in the next issue.

Nightbreed # 6 ***
Released in 1990 Cover Price $2.25 Epic Comics # 6 of 25

Frederick Oakaley is an escaped killer and sexual predator who meets his fate at the hands of young girl Tatar who is the niece of the witch Nickneven as she waits for Boone and Lori who finally show up and are taken to see the witch. As they make their way to her house, Boone has a flashback to the words that Baphomet told him about being the chosen one and being Cabal the one that will bring The Nightbreed into the world that they will no longer have to hide in. Boone and Nickneven have a heated chat as the old witch seems to be playing with the mood of Boone before telling him that she will work on getting him a lead on a new promised land for The Nightbreed, and with that Lori and Boone stay at a sleazy motel while they wait for the lead. Meanwhile Mulciber and his group arrive at a small diner and decide that it’s dinnertime and attack, kill and eat the men inside. And after this slaughter Mulciber decides that he needs to kill Boone to prevent the return of Baphomet as he is having too much fun running wild and slaughtering humans for their meat. And back at the hotel as Boone and Lori are in bed, they get visited by Kinski, Guido and Narcisse and this angers Boone who turns full monster on them and is looking for a fight!

The saga of Boone fighting the label of Cabal and trying to find a new home for The Nightbreed continues as he goes to talk to an old witch about a possible lead on a land that they can live, plus he also gets fired up and wants to fight Kinski over coming to his hotel room to warn him of trouble. While Boone is clearly the hero for The Nightbreed, at times he acts like a teenager who has an attitude and wants to be a smart ass to anyone who even remotely makes him frustrated. Plus it’s kind of odd as he has really stepped away from wanting to be a hero for The Nightbreed as before he is the one that lead many to safety and even fought to protect them during the massacre, and he also seems to forget that all of this is Lori’s and his fault. The old witch Nickneven and her granddaughter Tater seem very wise, but are also very much the type to purposely get under your skin, we will have to see if she comes up with a place for them to checkout. Meanwhile Mulciber and his crew are becoming more and more blood thirsty as they keep killing and eating people and his hatred for both Boone and Baphomet seems to keep growing. Kinski, the half moon faced Nightbreed member, is clearly trying to keep Boone focused, but by doing so it seems he is also making the “Cabal” mad. Narcisse has some how returned from the dead as the last time we had seen him is when Dr. Decker chopped off his head…how did he come back, no explanation is given. The issue is also a clear build to the showdown between Boone and Mulciber and also acts as a way to show the building tension between Boone and The Nightbreed over all. The one thing about this series so far that is puzzling is that almost every issue has a different creative team working on them so that means characters are drawn and colored different, their attitudes oddly change as does the pacing…and while a little distracting, I am still finding myself enjoy each issue this far. Plus while it makes zero sense, I am glad to see Narcisse return to the comics as he is a super weird character. The cover is good and shows Piglet, and the interior artwork is done by Brett Blevins this time around and is pretty good stuff. Over all another good issue that furthers the plot of Boone on his quest to find the promise land for The Nightbreed after his selfish actions caused their old cities downfall.

Nightbreed # 7 ***
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.25 Epic Comics # 7 of 25

After a quick fight between Boone and Kinski, cooler heads prevail when Lori steps in and Narcisse turns on the TV and they watch a news report about the massacre at the diner, and Boone is told this is the work of members of The Nightbreed and they must be stopped as they broke the law of Baphomet. Meanwhile Mulciber and his men have arrived at the motel and taken out the manager with the idea of asking Boone to join then and if he says no, then they will kill him. The bad Nightbreed break into Boone’s room and take Lori hostage, and once they all go outside Mulciber tries to get Boone to eat human meat and become one of them, but he refuses and fights Muliciber and this allows Kinski, Narcisse, Lori and Guido to as well fight back, and on the losing end Muliciber makes an escape but leaves his crew behind to get beat up for a bit before as well rescuing them for the retreat. All the while a man named Allen watches The Nightbreed fight and is drawn to them as he sees The Nightbreed as Gods. As Boone and his Nightbreed leave the motel, the police show up as does the Sheriff who lead the massacre at Midian, Eigerman, and with him is Reverend Ashberry as they are hunting down Boone for their revenge. While Mulciber and his crew hideout in an abandoned movie theater, they are visited by Allen who tells them if they make him a member of The Nightbreed he will help them kill Boone!

Boone is loosing control of himself as the Cabal side of him is lashing out and is filled with a beast like anger that causes him to lash out at even those Nightbreed that are on his side. And the plot of this issue is Boone finding out that Muliciber and his crew are going around killing and eating people and this brings lots of bad vibes for The Nightbreed as if they are discovered they will think they are all man eaters and this will cause so many of them to be killed once more just because of the way they look. Boone also in this issue is able to fight off the temptation of eating human meat and really puts a butt kicking on Muliciber who has to retreat during their big fight. But this fight also spells bad news for Boone and The Nightbreed as their fight not only creates a new enemy in Allen, a man who wants to become a monster, it also brings Reverend Ashberry & Sheriff Eigerman back on their trail as they truly both want revenge. And Lori at this point shows that she is more loyal to trying to help The Nightbreed than Boone as she fights alongside them, stops the inner fighting between them and is always along for the ride to try and find them the promised land. It also shows that Narcisse, Guido and Kinski are good fighters as well as they bring down Muliciber’s crew pretty easily. Guido is a Nightbreed that is created just for this comic series and has the weird power of removing his spine and using it as a weapon…strange stuff. I am not going to lie I am a little disappointed that characters like Shuna Sassi, Leroy Gomm, Lude and the others still have not appeared…it’s just weird as they are such cool characters from the film series that are all also very interesting looking and should be in these comics. In this issue as well Dagon is blinded as in the motel fight Lori rips out his eyes! The cover of this issue shows Dagon, who is a crab like monster and is pretty cool looking. The comic’s interior art is once more done by a team as it’s Bret Blevins and Mike Manley and they both do a pretty great job here. The story keeps growing as we add more and more baddies and things in Boone’s way of truly being Cabal and bringing a new world to The Nightbreed.

Nightbreed # 8 ***
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.25 Epic Comics # 8 of 25

In a small town church the Father kicks out Reverend Ashberry & Sheriff Eigerman, who have done some sort of weird ritual at the alter that they hope will help them track down The Nightbreed. Meanwhile Allen is buying lots of guns from a local gun smuggler and heads back to the old movie theater and breaks down each of Boone’s friends to Muliciber and his Breed…and he tells them that he has the weapons to kill their enemies as long as they promise to make him one of them. Muliciber and his crew slaughter Stanley the weapons dealer and talk over letting Allen be one of them as well as what killing Boone could cause for them all. Meanwhile Boone, Lori, Kinski, Narcisse and Guido all head to stay at the old cabin of Nickneven and Tater in order to avoid the law, and Narcisse and Guido head out for a food run at the local grocery, and after a good meal Boone finds out from his crew why they do not eat human meat and follow the law of Baphomet and learns that The Nightbreed are good people with morals. But as Narcisse and Nickneven go into the woods to drink some moonshine they are attacked by Allen and the rogue Nightbreed who are armed with lots of guns and are wanting to kill Boone and his Breed followers.

In this issue Muliciber and his crew are truly torn as their taste for meat has gotten out of control and they are wanting to stop the promised land being found as they do not want Baphomet to be rebuilt so that he can judge them for their sins. It also seems like just maybe they hate Boone for being the chosen one. Allen is truly a crazed man as his goal is to become a monster like Muliciber and his followers and is willing to kill Boone and all his Breed in order to achieve it. Boone in this issue seems to be taking his role a little more serious and is even getting to know some of his fellow Nightbreed a little better as they sit and talk over a meal in the woods. We also truly see that Nickneven is loyal to Baphomet and opens her home to hide Boone and the others after the big fight at the motel, and in turn puts herself and her granddaughter in danger as Muliciber and his men come hunting. At this point I really do want to see Allen get his ass kicked as this scumbag is just looking for his next big thrill and is will to kill and join with evil in order to gain what he wants. And out next issue will clearly be a showdown in the woods between the two feuding Nightbreed groups, and it’s clear that there will be some deaths on both sides. We also learn that Lori who is also a Nightbreed has not even shown her powers yet and this makes her unpredictable on all accounts. The mood of this issue is all over the place as we have chaos with Muliciber and his crew and with Boone and his crew it’s more like a family bonding. The cover for this issue is a more demonic looking version of Aello and is pretty eye catching as it has a 90’s indie horror comic look to it. The interior art for this issue is once more done by a team as it’s Mike Manley and Ricardo Villagran and they both do a good job as I like the styles in this issue. So with that, let’s see what is next in store for the war between Boone and Muliciber.

Nightbreed # 9 ***
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.25 Epic Comics # 9 of 25

Nickneven and Narcisse escape the trap as the old witch tosses a firebomb she makes from the moonshine at them in order for them to be able to make a run for it. The sound of the explosion alerts Boone, Lori, Kinski, Tater and Guido that something is wrong and they are all warned of the attack by the returning Nickneven and Narcisse about the incoming Nightbreed with guns. As the bad guys approach its clear that Muliciber has no plans of turning Allen into a Nightbreed and is only using him in order to bring down Boone. And worse, Boone and the others are having to run as the bullets are flying all around the cabin as their lives are in danger. At one moment Boone and Muliciber comes face to face and he almost reaches him to welcome him back to The Nightbreed, but Allen breaks up the talking and this has Boone and all his friends having to hide out in a chicken coop as their enemies surrounding them with their guns in hand. As Muliciber and his friends eat, Allen remembers back to being a kid and killing his father after he found the body of his mother buried in the backyard, where his father put her after he murdered her…this is why he wants to be Nightbreed. While in the chicken coop Nickneven with the help of Tater they crack strange looking eggs and this gives Kinski, Narcisse, Guido and Lori a look back to their past, all with their sad endings while Boone’s shows him his future…but things get bad as Muliciber and his crew charge the coop. But Lori finds her power and that’s music that she can raise the dead with and Guido makes a run for Nickneven broken down truck to get it up and running so that they can truly escape this attack.

In this issue Boone and his friends are pinned down and force to hide in a chicken coop that house strange eggs that shows people their sad pasts, and this is suppose to help them in their future as they need to come up with some ideas in order to escape this trap…and it works as Lori learns her own Nightbreed powers that involve music and Guido uses his mechanics knowledge to try and fix an old broken down truck. Meanwhile Allen is pushing his limits with Muliciber and the others as he has become way too pushy and is barking orders at them, feeling like he has to be in control in order to get his wish of becoming a Nightbreed to come true. We learn a little about the pasts of many characters from Kinski being an odd looking man who drank a serum that deformed him to Narcisse being a actor who was dumped by his agent who was once his best friend…and each of these sad moments is what lead them to be Nightbreed in some way. I am not sure if Boone, who is Cabal, the savior of the Nightbreed, is very wise for hiding in a chicken coop and not standing his ground and finding a way to save his friends as well as bring down his enemies or at least try and make them see the errors in their ways as the are as well Nightbreed. The issue is a little slower paced than the others as it’s clear that this was a way to bring out a little more backstory for the characters as well as build to the final battle that is coming up in the next issue. I should also say that the baddies in the issue have also taken the body of Nickneven so she is now just a talking witches head! The issue is also pretty bloodless, but does have some violence in the flashbacks. One thing that I should also talk about is the members of Muliciber’s gang as I have told you that Dagon is a giant crab, Aello has wings and can fly but the others like Pigglet is a small pig looking creature who loves to kill and eat, Fachan is a small one eyed creature who is being the eye for Dagon now and Oral is a older man who has no teeth and can open his mouth very wide and uses things likes knives, sharp stones and other objects as his teeth he is also the cover star for this issue with his weird big knifey grin. Oral also is clearly in love with Aello, who is kind of dimwitted. The interior art is done by the team of Brett Blevins and Ricardo Villagran, and both artists do a good job as once more like many artist that have worked on the book before them they understood the mood and style needed to bring these characters and stories to comics. Over all this is another good issue, and again while slower, it did its job of building to this final showdown between The Nightbreed.

Nightbreed # 10 ***
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.25 Epic Comics # 10 of 25

Lori keeps playing as the dead are coming from the Earth and are attacking Allen and the others giving Boone and his crew time to get to the truck and try and getting it running…even using the spine of Guido as a fan belt to do some of the repairs. But when Lori’s guitar strings break, she finds her army of the dead not moving and surrounded by the enemy who all have guns aimed at her. But Boone rushes to her aid and with some well placed fists he brings down Allen and the others and gets Lori and himself back to the truck, and Boone and the others drive to the near by mall and try and find a place for quick shelter around a bunch of normal people, and they do what they can to try and just blend in. But when Muliciber and his crew show up, the mall turns into a battleground as they go on the attack and cause panic and fear from the normal people who make a run for it as their lives are in danger. But when Lori finds a electric guitar and a amp she plugs in and starts playing and from the ground comes a massive skeleton of a dinosaur and this knocks Muliciber’s group through a loop…but also its clear that Muliciber and his people were starting to have a change of heart as their lust for meat was dying and they started to see it was Allen who was pushing them into this Nightbreed war. As Boone and Muliciber fight, one of the special eggs comes into play as its smashed in the bird mans face and he remembers back to the days of being young and fighting with his mom, and sneaking out to see a late night horror movie at the theater and being turned into a Nightbreed by the new girl at his school who was also at the theater…he remembers that night turning into the monster and leaving his home never to return as he was a Nightbreed now…not by his choice. Muliciber returns to the side of Cabal as does his crew, but Allen is angry and kills Aello with a knife to try and drink her blood to become one of them, this angers Muliciber who goes after Allen while still on the dinosaur bones and like that Allen turns into a hulking monster but is life is cut short when the dinosaur chomps down on him! As the bones are out of control due to feedback from the amp they sadly crush Muliciber as everyone else is able to escape the mall. A short times passes and at the old cabin of Nickneven there is a gathering as Boone, Lori, Tater, Guido, Kinski and Narcisse are joined by the reformed meat eater Nightbreed Oral, Pigglet, Dagon and Fachan as all but Boone and Lori are going to stay with the witch who’s head is now on the body of Aello.

The fight between the two Nightbreed sides has came to an end in this issue with the ones that follow the laws of Baphomet being the ones who come out on top as Boone is even able to change the attitudes of the rogue Nightbreed and brings them back into the family. The final fight takes place inside of a mall and thanks to the power of music and dusty old dinosaur bones it ends with only a few deaths taking place. Boone has finally embraced that he is Cabal and the chosen one to find The Nightbreed a new and safe place to live and has learned that he can be a leader and still have a personal life with Lori. He also shows that he understands that he does not have to use violence in every situation as sometimes words as just as powerful as fists, claws and teeth. Lori finds that her Nightbreed power is music as if she plays a guitar she can make the dead rise to attack those who wish to do her and her friends harm. Allen who has a terrible childhood who seen the body of his dead mother and took the life of his father who was responsible really was a crazed man who wanted to become Nightbreed in order to be more powerful to prove his father wrong and to always show that bigger is better, he however gets his new powers and quickly is killed before he can ever use them. Muliciber was shown to be a young kid who was into monster movies, toys and such who was turned into a Nightbreed against his will…and this is why he acted out like he did. It’s a shame that he as well as Aello had to die in this fight as both had found their way back to the law of Baphomet as they were both being welcomed back and forgiven for their sins of eating human meat. The issue also leaves us with Boone and Lori setting off into the world to try and find this promise land for The Nightbreed, and with Boone’s crew telling him that they will be their whenever he needs them. The cover for this issue shows Muliciber all geared up with his guns and once more Brett Blevins and Ricardo Villagran team up to do the interior artwork. So far I am ten issues into the series and it really has held up for me as I enjoyed them this time around just as much as I did in the 90’s when I first read them.

Nightbreed # 11 ***
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.25 Epic Comics # 11 of 25

Lady Izpapolotl and Lord Tezcatlipoca are Nightbreed and they live in the jungles and are brought the hearts of dead animals from the jungles by their servant insect in order to please them…but Tezcatlipoca misses the day the humans worshipped them and wants to reclaim that before Boone calls them all back home when Midian is reformed. Meanwhile Boone and Lori have to kill a crazed transient that tries to rob them and take shelter in a train car in order to get out of the rays of the sun. While in the jungle a boat full of tourist and some shady people are going down the river when Tezcatlipoca smells them and wants them to bow to him when they get near, Izpapolotl begs him not to…but he feels he must as he misses that worship. But the tourist boat is soon attacked by a local heavily armed raider group and after a fight the tourist are forced off the boat and into the jungle after the boat crashes in order to survive. The Tourist and the crew make camp for the night and are attacked by Tezcatlipoca who rips one of the tourist apart in front of the others sending them a message that he is to be feared, and after killing one more from the camp he leaves them scared and sharing stories of what they think they saw.

This issue is not so much about Boone and Lori as it is about one time Gods that are Nightbreed who live together in the jungle in a long forgotten temple with Izpapolotl being a grub like in appearance and who is fine with the fact that she is no longer being worshiped. While Tezcatlipoca looks like a sabretooth tiger with fins on his back who wants to once more be feared by mankind and worshipped, he also wants to kill again and possibly even taste human flesh and blood once more. Izpapolotl is tying her best to warn him not to do this as it goes against the law of Baphomet, but he seems to not care and while they are all not called to this new promise land he wants to do what he wants. The poor tourist are in deep trouble as not only have they angered a bunch of raiders who could possibly be hunting them but they also have Tezcatlipoca hot on their tails who has already killed two of them to show his power as well as to bring them fear. This issue really feels different from the past issues and yet still very much has the Nightbreed feel that Epic Comics was creating around this world of Clive Barker. The cover for this issue showcases Tezcatlipoca in all his glory and is pretty eye catching while the interior art is done by Mark Nelson and his style is pretty good and I like the way he drew Tezcatlipoca as well as the violence. I really like the set up for this story arch as I really and wondering if Boone is going to be the one who has to stop Tezcatlipoca and his reign of terror or if this will be worked out without Boone and the rest of the Nightbreed, and with that let’s checkout the next issue.

Nightbreed # 12 ***
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.25 Epic Comics # 12 of 25

It starts to rain in the jungle and the tourist and crew are terrified as Tezcatlipoca disappears into the storm, leaving behind two dead bodies. As Tezcatlipoca returns to the temple he is questioned by Izpapolotl about what he has done, and he tells her that he has started their return and she is not happy and the two exchange heated words and Tezcatlipoca storms out after threating that he will taste human meat this day. Meanwhile the group moves through the jungle to try and find safety, but one of the members leads them to the temples and they have to camp near them that night right were Tezcatlipoca lives. As night falls one of the tourist finds Tezcatlipoca who speaks with her and shares his knowledge and once out of the temple she kills her husband and other members of the group turn on others as they want to worship and follow Tezcatlipoca and his teaching. They take the youngest of the tourist to the top of the temple and his own mother is going to sacrifice him to Tezcatlipoca, but Izpapolotl with the help of one of the tourist is able to be bathed in one of the murdered tourists blood and it turns her into a massive dragon fly and goes to the top of the temple before the child can be killed. Izpapolotl grabs Tezcatlipoca and flies up into the sky as the sun comes out and burns them both up killing them both in a ball of flames. And in the end only three humans from the group make it out of the jungle alive as many are also killed in the fight between the two Gods.

The story of Tezcatlipoca and Izpapolotl comes to an end in this issue as they clash as each have their own vision of what they want to do with their lives as Izpapolotl wants to wait for Boone to find the promised land so that she can live under the law and rules of Baphomet while Tezcatlipoca wants to live in the promise land but also before he is called home wants to once more be feared and worshiped by humans and this means killing some of them. And even at one point Tezcatlipoca even hints that he wants to once more eat human flesh and even makes love to one of the female tourist and makes her even want to kill her husband and child to please him. And Izpapolotl goes from being a grub to becoming a massive badass dragon fly in order to stop her one time lover once and for all as she flies them up to the sun to burn to a crisp in it’s rays. This comic shows two things really and that’s: one, how people can be turned into helping commit terrible crimes and kills by fear, control and false promises and two, that once Midian has fallen that many of The Nightbreed are out of control and Tezcatlipoca much like Muliciber has started to turn almost wild in his quest to regain his past glories as well as kill humans. I do like Tezcatlipoca as he is a very cool looking Nightbreed and I also like that he is very violent but also very wise and has lots of knowledge to share. The issue has blood, gore and violence and the best kill is to the Mom when Tezcatlipoca during his battle with Izpapolotl claws half of her face off and causes her to fall from a great height. The cover is pretty cool as well as shows Izpapolotl in her grub form with Mark Nelson once more returning to do the interior art. The last two issues were a very interesting story arch that was about Nightbreed and did not focus on Boone at all and was more about the chaos he and Lori have caused The Nightbreed and those who are now displaced cause of the fall of Midian.

Nightbreed # 13 ***
Released in 1992 Cover Price $2.25 Epic Comics # 13 of 25

Mr. Algernon Kinder is having Terry and Janey over for diner as he wants to bring him into The Temple Of The Risen King and claims with it will come lots of wealth, but his oddness and gross nature makes Terry cut the meeting short. Meanwhile Peloquin along with Kinski and Gallows are at the mall and Peloquin acts out and causes a big scene when he steals a tuxedo as well as a pink Cadillac car and the Breed escape into the night. Algernon Kinder is on his way to the Temple and after being questioned by some of his followers he kills them almost as a sacrifice as he causes them to fall to their death. The Nightbreed have a gathering and they are welcoming Bloodybones and Sathan’s child into their tribe, all the while we are treated to Leah Qlipoth having a vision of Rawhead Rex the massive “God” who eats human flesh and wants to bring down mankind and what happened to him in the past, and we learn that she is with Kinder who wants to have Rawhead be reborn and sends some of his goons after the baby of Sathan and attack her while she is in a store getting dippers and baby food as they want her child to help bring Rawhead Rex back to life!

The Nightbreed vs. Rawhead Rex starts with this issue and as I have said before this is the arch that had me hooked on The Nightbreed comic series by Epic Comics and I really again have to thank Hal from the Bookie Parlor for having selling these comics and introducing me to them. The plot of this issue has a weird cultist by the name of Algernon Kinder who along with his mate Leah Qlipoth wanting to bring back Rawhead Rex while many of The Nightbreed are gathering to welcome a child of two of the tribe, but the child has also been selected by Kinder to be used to help the rebirth of Rex! And it ends on a cliffhanger of Kinder’s people having taken the baby from the mother. The Nightbreed characters that are clearly the heroes are the half mooned face Kinski, the rebel and demonic looking Peloquin and Gallows a pale faced female Nightbreed who can use her powers to make things invisible. They are also clearly going to be the three Nightbreed who will stand in the way of the return of Rawhead Rex, and man will they have their hands full. Algernon Kinder is a cold blooded man who tricks rich people into given him money with the idea that they will be apart of some secret cult society when in reality he is using their money to live on as well as bring his “son” Rawhead Rex back to life. Kinder is also very gross as he is crude and even uses the restroom on peoples floor! And at this point we have only seen Rawhead Rex in the past alive and in the present his body…but we all know he is coming back soon! The cover is pretty cool and has Rawhead Rex showing off his razor sharp teeth. Mark Texeira is the interior artist, and he has kind of a painting look to his style. While it’s not what I like in comic,s it is still very much good work. I do also have to say that I like that at least Texeira made Peloquin look like he does in the film so that’s a big thumbs up, and I do wish they could have made Rawhead Rex look like the movie version as that would have been epic. With that, let’s see what the next issue has in store for us as The Nightbreed clashing with Rawhead Rex.

Nightbreed # 14 ***
Released in 1992 Cover Price $2.25 Epic Comics # 14 of 25

The two followers of Kinder end up cutting out the tongue of Sathan as she tries to protect her infant son Max…but they are able to get the baby away from her. Bloodybones sees his wife dying as she falls on the stores window and he along with Gallows and Kinski the rush to her aid. While at The Nightbreed gathering Peloquin smells the spilt blood of Sathan and rushes to the scene to help. As the followers are able to get past Kinski and Gallows, it’s Peloquin that stops them and is able to save Max. But things turn around fast when Kinder and Leah show up and cause a big distraction and grab Max and make a get away with him…this does not set well with Peloquin who is now raged filled. While Kinder and his followers use Max as well as the blood of a cat to bring back Rawhead Rex, but Kinder was not truly ready for the sight of Rawhead and panics and this leads to him shooting Leah as the bullets pass through Rawhead who is un-phased. While at the convenient store the worker is killed after telling his story to Sheriff Eigerman who has Reverend Ashberry waiting in the car as they are getting closer to finding The Nightbreed and getting their revenge, and worse Ashberry holds the idol that can be used to bring down Rawhead Rex.

In this issue The Nightbreed try and save the child Max from being taken by Kinder and his cult followers, but sadly they fail and Max is taken and is used to bring Rawhead Rex back to life and this foul creature is looking to bring mankind down to their knees, and worse for everyone Reverend Ashberry & Sheriff Eigerman have also entered town and are looking to kill The Nightbreed and also are holding the one thing that can stop Rawhead Rex as well! The Nightbreed truly try and watch out for one another and Peloquin, Kinski, Gallows and Bloodybones all do what they can to save Max and all take the death of Sathan to heart…and clearly Kinder has started a war with them as they will want to avenge the death and the kidnapping of the child. Speaking of Kinder, he and Leah soon learn that they may have made a big mistake when it comes to bringing back Rawhead Rex as the beast is clearly doing to try and rule once more…but is it too late for them to stop what they have caused…well Leah’s time is up as she takes leg full of bullets. The issue has some blood spilled as well as death as Sathan, a store worker and a cat all die in the comic, and its sad that Sathan dies as she does not get to see her child grow up. And for me I really like the build for the Rawhead Rex and Nightbreed showdown as we all know that it’s coming and we all know that its going to be a bloodbath. The cover for this issue showcases Peloquin and is very cool and eye catching as he is one of the films most popular characters. The issue’s interior art is done by the artist team of Dan Lawlis and John Rheaume, and it’s really great stuff as I like the way they draw not only The Nightbreed but also Rawhead Rex. And I have to say that this series and this story arch are holding up for me, and it really is giving me flashbacks to being a youngster and reading these comics.

Nightbreed # 15 ***
Released in 1992 Cover Price $2.25 Epic Comics # 15 of 25

The Nightbreed have tracked down Kinder and his group as Rawhead Rex is now showing pain, Kinder kicks Leah out the bus after she alerts him that she has always been able to have kids and has just blocked him from having one of his own! The Nightbreed go on the attack as Kinksi attends to Leah, Gallows and Bloodybones attack the followers and Peloquin comes face to face with Kinder and Rawhead Rex! And before things get out of hand, Reverend Ashberry appears a praises Rawhead Rex as his true God and to honor him he destroys the idol and this allows Rawhead to be unleashed and as he rages out, Peloquin calls for backup as Kinski and Gallows comes to his side but they are quickly defeated with even Kinder setting Peloquin on fire. Kinder leads his followers and Rawhead Rex away as The Nightbreed also retreat as the bus is about to explode. Kinder and his followers break into a business and kill and eat the workers as Reverend Ashberry asks for Rawhead to accept him as a follower, and the creature agrees to by peeing on him. And with that Rawhead Rex is the God for Kinder and his followers and they will do whatever it takes to keep him safe. Meanwhile The Nightbreed find that Leah has passed away but she has a baby growing inside her as when Rawhead Rex was shot by Kinder it was in the testicles and some of his seamen has gotten into her!

This issue has Rawhead Rex growing to full power after the one thing that could stop him the idol is destroyed and this allows him to become fearless and as mean and evil as he wants to be! Rawhead also has Max still alive and living inside his stomach, he also has spawn being born inside a deceased woman, his followers are growing and he as proved that he can stand claw to claw with The Nightbreed…so as you can see, Rawhead Rex is one bad force of nature. Kinder is so confused as he goes back and fourth between hating and fearing Rawhead to wanting to follow and learn from him. Kinder’s major heart break comes from learning that he could have had a child all these years and that it was Leah, his Lady In Red, that has lied to him and hide the truth that she could have kids, and worse he cast her out of his life and now she is dead and is pregnant with the child of Rawhead. Reverend Ashberry seems to have forgotten his past religion as well as his hatred for The Nightbreed as he has found his new God and obsession with Rawhead, and he even knowingly destroyed the one thing that could be used to stop him. With The Nightbreed Kinski, Gallows and Bloodybones try and help in the fight with Kinder and Rawhead Rex, but they just cannot bring the creature down and even Peloquin fails to hurt Rawhead in their first fight! The issue has some blood and gore with workers being ripped apart and being eaten the most gruesome. The cover for this issue is cool and shows Max being placed into the mouth of Rawhead Rex and the interior art is done by an army of artist that include Dan Lawlis, Jennifer Lui, John Rheaume, T. Fine and James Hoston, with some of the art being really good and some being very sloppy and distracting as I am not sure why this many artists worked on this issue. Another great issue filled with Nightbreed action and the next issue brings an end to the Rawhead Rex story, so let’s see how it ends.

Nightbreed # 16 ***
Released in 1992 Cover Price $2.25 Epic Comics # 16 of 25

The Nightbreed trick an ambulance to come to the scene of Leah’s body and then they proceed to steal the vehicle and even take one of the paramedics with them leaving the other behind who is killed by Sheriff Eigerman when the crazed lawman stumbles on him walking home at the side of the road for not answering his questions. Meanwhile Kinder is flashing back to his youth and the day he killed his own father as well as sees visions of a time when Rawhead Rex was a race that would kill and eat humans as well as forcefully mate with human women. The Nightbreed arrive and leave a trap for Kinder and his group as they alert them that Rawhead Rex is soon to be a father, and The Nightbreed themselves are waiting at a rundown alligator farm with the hope that Leah’s yet to be born child can be used against Rawhead Rex and let them save Max. As Kinder brings Rawhead and his followers to the location, Bloodybones tricks Rawhead into eating him and once in his stomach he starts looking for Max, while Gallows attacks the two followers getting nooses around their necks and the crazed Sheriff Eigerman arrives and kills the two followers with his shotgun. The kidnapped paramedic is given the cue to try and force a labor from the body of Leah as Peloquin goes out to fight with Rawhead Rex as during this fight Eigerman and Ashberry fall into the ponds and are attacked by alligators. Leah gives birth and the child is a female and it rushes to attack her father Rawhead who is forced to puke up everything he has eaten over the centuries, thanks to Bloodybones and Max who are puked up and grabbed and taken to safety by Kinski. The rotten bodies in the puke grab and pull Rawhead Rex in ending his reign of terror for good. And Kinder himself is also killed when alligators rip him apart. Leah has returned as a zombie and her creature daughter along with the female paramedic end up joining The Nightbreed.

This was the final issue in The Nightbreed vs. Rawhead Rex story and it all comes to an end at a gator farm that leaves Kinder and all his followers dead as well as brings an end to Rawhead Rex as well as the Reverand and Sheriff that has been hunting them as they all have their lives snuffed out. The Nightbreed that are Kinski, Peloquin, Gallows, Bloodybones and Max truly all work together and they bring down Rawhead Rex by using his own spawn against him as well as the rotting corpses of those he had killed over the years. It was also very cool to see Leah return from the dead and help her creature daughter make the right choice of being good and fighting against her evil father. And it is crazy that Sheriff Eigerman and Reverend Ashberry both meet their end in this issue and neither get their revenge against The Nightbreed and instead end up in the belly of alligators. While I love this story arc I will say that for those wanting to see a big fight between Peloquin and Rawhead Rex will be disappointed and even as a youngster I always said that they should have gotten The Berserkers to fight Rawhead as that would have been a awesome fight! This issue does have some blood, guts and gross moments and that will very much please horror comic readers who like lots of gruesome moments in their comics. I should say that I wish that Rawhead Rex would have had a bigger fight in the end before being taken down, but I am fine with the idea of his daughter and his past victims being the ones that bring him down. The cover for this issue is awesome as it shows Peloquin showing down with Rawhead Rex and this time around the art team of Dan Lawlis and Ricardo Villagran did the interiors, and I really liked both of their styles even though their version of Peloquin was a little weird looking. And really this story arc is what made me a full reader of The Nightbreed series and after all these years I still love it and this was a great time revisiting. With that, let’s get to the next issue and see if it keeps up the three star ratings!

Nightbreed # 17 ***
Released in 1992 Cover Price $2.25 Epic Comics # 17 of 25

Ignatius is a very heavyset, blind man who is also Nightbreed as he comes from a family of shape shifters and he is living in the city in a rundown station. He fights the hunger of eating human flesh as he walks among them with many people being very kind to him. Ignatius eats lots of junk food and also eats very weird things that he finds in the trashcans and dumpsters and that’s clipped human hair and nails from both fingers and toes. But when Ignatius comes across the scene of a bad auto accident he drinks some of the blood that is on the street and also finds and takes home a finger for one of the crash victims…he makes the mistake of eating it and gets a taste for it, he even sneaks himself into the morgue and tries to eat the flesh of a dead person, but it just makes him sick. Ignatius heads out and finds a lone man and attacks him to eat him and does so by becoming a giant rat, but he is caught in the act by Boone who tries to save him by once more telling him the law, Ignatius knows that he has broken it and for him there is no going back so he jumps in front of a train and kills himself to stop the hunger.

This is such a strange and great issue in The Nightbreed series from Epic as we follow Ignatius a Nightbreed who lives among humans who tries to fight off the hunger of eating human flesh, but when he makes the mistake of tasting it he becomes a crazed killer who is looking for that meat to stop the hunger…and in the end when he is caught by Boone who is Cabal the chosen one, he chooses to die for his sins. Ignatius is a interesting character as he is blind, weighs well over 400 pounds and is a shape shifter who likes to eat junk food and being around humans as he likes their smells as well as fighting that temptation of eating them! And it’s clear that he also loved his family who are also Nightbreed and can change their appearances. It was also nice to see Boone return as he has been missing for many issues now and it’s clear he showed up to try and help Ignatius and bring him back to the laws of Baphomet. The issue does have some blood with it mostly coming from accident victims as well as the body of a dead woman at the morgue. The cover is cool and shows Ignatius on the train tracks eating human flesh. The interior art work is really well done and is very fitting for this story, and the two artist who worked on this issue was Andy Paquette and Ron McCain. A very cool stand-alone issue that brings Boone back into the story and briefly introduced us to Ignatius, a Nightbreed who could not control his hunger. I also want to point out we are seventeen issues into this series an we still have no Shuna Sassi, Leroy Gomm, Lude or any of the others that were missing since issue one.

Nightbreed # 18 ***
Released in 1992 Cover Price $2.25 Epic Comics # 18 of 25

A werewolf is roaming the snow-covered woods and is killing off locals and this has caused them to want to fight back! Meanwhile Boone as sent Peloquin, Narcisse, Nickneven, Oral, Mae, Mexico and Ghost to track it down as it is causing issues for The Nightbreed as the werewolf is breaking the laws of Baphomet. And during the tracking Mae is killed by the werewolf who rips her apart, and Peloquin is too late to save her as she was his lover and now he wants to track and kill this werewolf. Meanwhile in town is hunter Benjamin Sweeney who tells them that he will flush out their werewolf and kill it, and later that night he finds one of the local females is a werewolf and stabs her and then chases her into the woods as she is bleeding badly, and is able to kill her. Aas the female werewolf is dying, Benjamin cuts off her foot for a trophy as well as starts eating part of her…he also finds some strange looking bones and knows that it means Nightbreed are around! We join The Nightbreed who are in a cave and around a fire when another werewolf comes into the cave and warns them that trouble is coming for them.

In this issue some of The Nightbreed lead by Peloquin are sent to a small town during the cold winter to find a rogue werewolf that has been killing people, and worse while they are looking for this monster Mae is killed and this sets Peloquin off as she was his lover and he wants to get revenge for her. But unknown to The Nightbreed the town is the home of three werewolves and one has been killed by a crazed hunter named Benjamin Sweeney who kills for sport and fun and gets off slaughtering man, beast and monsters as he is just truly a cold blooded cruel killer. Benjamin even likes to use a knife to kill his prey as he likes to make things die slowly and even more weird he likes to eat parts of his victims. And all of us readers know that we are going to see a showdown between Benjamin Sweeney and Peloquin ,and it will be bloody! We also learn that The Nightbreed are looking for someone named McDougal, and we are not sure why just yet. The poor female werewolf is brutally killed and her mate can do nothing to save her and must listen to her screams of pain, and you know that he as well is going to want to kill Benjamin. The issue has some good kills and has lots of blood spilt from both humans and monsters. The cover is awesome and shows a werewolf and is very eye catching for fans of werewolves, and the interior art is well done and artist Tony Harris is the one who did it. Over all another good issue that this time around introduces werewolves into the world of The Nightbreed. Oh it was also nice seeing Mexico in this issue even if he does look very different from how he appears in the film.

Nightbreed # 19 ***
Released in 1992 Cover Price $2.25 Epic Comics # 19 of 25

Peloquin goes on the attack and tries to kill the werewolf (Jonathan) who fights back and tries to tell the angered Nightbreed that it was not him who killed his lady Mae, and after fighting back and forth it’s Oral who gets everyone to calm down and talk. He tells them that McDougal who was a werewolf that turned them all into one was killed by a werewolf named Erik who has gone crazy as he craves the meat of humans as well as fellow Nightbreed, and Erik is also the one who killed Mae. Back in town another person is killed and Benjamin Sweeney returns to town and tells some of the locals about the werewolf as well as about The Nightbreed being near and how they need to die as well as they are monsters and freaks. The locals do not believe him and head to the cave to see the dead werewolf just to find her turned back into her human form, and worse her husband is one of them that find her…they think Benjamin killed her and is mocking them all. The Nightbreed sneak into town and Narcisse goes into the local bar looking for Erik as he is the only one who can pass as a normal human as he explains his half missing face as skin cancer. But things go wrong when the locals spot Peloquin and Jonathan who is still a werewolf and start shooting at them, causing Peloquin to have to steal a car and get them all to a safe spot. Meanwhile Erik who is in his human form leads Benjamin into the woods as he tells him he knows were The Nightbreed are, and as they are deep in the woods Erik turns into the werewolf to have a showdown with Benjamin as Oral, Mexico, Ghost and Nickneven hear the howl they know that the odds are against them to survive.

In this issue we learn that only one of the werewolves is a killer who enjoys the flesh of man and beast and he is tricking the crazed hunter Benjamin Sweeney into going into the woods with him to hunt down The Nightbreed, and Erik is a true crazed werewolf who enjoys killing and it’s clear that he as well is looking forward to having a fight to the death with both Benjamin Sweeney as well as The Nightbreed. While Benjamin Sweeney is just as scummy as he was in the last issue as he truly likes taking lives, but now he might find himself on the other side of a slaughter. We also see that Jonathan who is another of the werewolves in that town is a follower of the law of Baphomet and is trying to help The Nightbreed get out of town as well as get revenge on Erik for killing one of their own. Peloquin is pissed off at the world over the death of Mae and will not leave the town until he stops Erik for good, and that means even leaving some of his fellow Nightbreed into some dangerous areas. Meanwhile it also seems that Narcisse is helping feeding the crazed nature of Peloquin as he even enters the town with him to find out information and is ready to kill if he has to. Mexico is around hanging back at the fire with the other Nightbreed, and while he is not doing much it still is very cool seeing him on these pages. I am a big fan of werewolves in films, comics, novels and games so this story arch is another that I have been a fan of since I was a kid…and in fact, I think that it’s a better read now that I am older! The cover is cool and has Peloquin jumping through a car window, and once more Tony Harris does a great job on the issues interior art. Over all like all before it this issue is a fun and great read and the werewolf story comes to an end with the next issue.

Nightbreed # 20 ***
Released in 1992 Cover Price $2.25 Epic Comics # 20 of 25

In the dark of night some of the locals armed with guns head into the night looking for Benjamin Sweeney as they think he is a serial killer and the one who has been killing the townspeople. Meanwhile Benjamin with his trusty knife is fight with the werewolf Erik as both are landing slashes the blood is starting to flow and each have a respect for one another’s bloodlust. Peloquin along with Jonathan and Narcisse get ride of some locals in a truck trying to follow them and head to the battle that is taking place in the woods. Jonathan runs ahead of his fellow Nightbreed and breaks up the fight and tries to warn Erik that they are coming to kill them, but instead Erik slashes Jonathan open leaving him to die in the snow as Benjamin heads off to kill The Nightbreed by the fire. As Peloquin and Narcisse arrive Jonathan tells them that he had to warn Erik of their attack as they are friends…but now he knows that Erik is a lost cause and as Narcisse stays with the dying werewolf it is Peloquin that heads off to stop and kill both Erik and Benjamin this night. Benjamin finds The Nightbreed camp and goes after them, but it’s Peloquin that stops him from killing any of them and roughs up the hunter and gives him a five-minute head start to run before he kills him. Meanwhile the locals find Jonathan as a werewolf as well as Narcisse and they are not afraid of them as they know that the werewolf is their friend and drinking pal when human…so they decide to help him and get him the medical help he needs to live. While in the woods it turns into a fight between Peloquin, Werewolf Erik and Benjamin and all three want to see the others die a horrible death. As the locals show up along with Jonathan and Narcisse they watch as Erik takes down Benjiman and then Peloquin goes after Erik as they all have reasons for wanting revenge against the other. And after a quick fight Peloquin kills Erik, and Benjamin who is dying starts to turn into a werewolf and gets shot and killed by the husband of the female werewolf he killed…and now everyone has gotten their revenge. The Nightbreed burn their dead and head home to meet with Boone and Jonathan has joined them.

In this issue the small town becomes more safe as the killer werewolf Erik as well as crazed killer hunter Benjamin Sweeney as they both are shown to be guilty of killing people in the town and both have a thrill on trying to kill each other as they find the other as a good hunt and a trophy for their kill count. Benjamin Sweeney is such a scumbag as he gloats about his kills and seems to truly get off on killing, and it great when he is turned into a werewolf and gets his head blown off by the human husband of the female werewolf he killed. Erik is just as crazy as he does kill and eat humans and fellow Nightbreed, but he is also after Benjamin who has killed town people and blamed the werewolves for his crimes. Jonathan tries to warn his friend that The Breed is coming for him only to be attacked and left for dead and for the Breed to be the ones who watch over him and help him heal…seems like he should have stayed on the side of the true good guys instead of helping his crazed werewolf buddy who would like to see him dead. Peloquin is in a rage and wants nothing but revenge for his mate that was murdered and is able to do just that as he kills the werewolf who took her life, he also helps a human who lost his wife during this madness by giving him words to try and heal by. The issue of course has lots of blood spilled and it really is a good werewolf story. While it was cool that we seen Mexico, I do wish he had a little more of a part and would have helped in the fight against the hunter and the werewolf. Also the issue ends with all The Nightbreed being called home as Boone as been acting strange lately and something is up. The cover for this issue is cool and shows Benjamin and Peloquin with the team of Tony Harris and Max Douglas doing the issues interior art, and I liked both but do have to say that their styles clash slightly. It is cool that the werewolf Jonathan is going back with The Nightbreed as it will be interesting to see if he comes back into play in any later issues.

Nightbreed # 21 ***
Released in 1992 Cover Price $2.50 Epic Comics # 21 of 25

Lori is having nightmares about one of the saviors of the Tribes Of The Moon named Ozymandias who wants her to be his and to rule over The Nightbreed! She is awaken from her night terror by Kinski, Peloquin and Narcisse who are looking for Boone as they inform her that she has been asleep for three days and that the area has now been a gathering place for The Nightbreed as hundreds of them have started to show up. They also tell her that Boone as been acting weird and speaking in different voices and that even Breed member Shuna Sassi has gone missing and they soon find her as Guido tells them that Baphomet has her in a cave…they go to find that he is attacking her as he is really Ozymandias who is trying to take over the body and soul of Cabal and can make the other Gods do what he wants as they are sharing the same mind and body that of Boone. Lori along with Kinski, Peloquin and Narcisse save Shuna Sassi from his evil grip and get away knowing that their God is in danger as is all The Nightbreed if he goes fully bad and Ozymandias takes over fully. The return to camp to find that a young human as been slaughtered and that Kushnir Day (a hog faced Nightbreed who appears in the film) is trying to get his fellow Breed to feed on the human meat, and this causes a fight between Kinski and Peloquin as the winner will lead The Nightbreed as their God has been compromised, as Peloquin wants to just eat meat and Kinski wants to rebuild Midian…the two work it out and Lori reminds them of the story of Baphomet and Ozymandias and how they helped lead The Nightbreed centuries back and are the ones who helped them all to continue to live, created Midian and made the law of not eating human meat. And that Ozymandias and Baphomet had a falling out that lead to them not having any respect for each other as each had their own vision of what The Nightbreed should be. As Lori is telling her story looking for a clue on how to defeat Ozymandias he appears and is having the moon eclipsed and threatens to kill all The Nightbreed if they do not give Lori to him!

The Nightbreed are all in trouble as their God Baphomet is being taken over by the evil Ozymandias, a one time friend of their God who has turned his back on his law and teachings as he wants to rule the world and allow The Nightbreed to once more take over by killing the normal humans, eating their meat as well as taking out any Nightbreed that stands in their way. And he is demanding that Lori be given to him and rule by his twisted side. And with Boone aka Cabal and Baphomet sharing the same body now that took place in the two issue mini series called “Jihad” that was a crossover of Nightbreed and Hellraiser. Ozymandias is a terrible creature as he clearly does not care about others and just wants his fellow Nightbreed to break their old laws and follow him blindly. We are treated to many of The Nightbreed in this issue as returning faces like Lori, Kinski, Peloquin, Narcisse, Gudio and Baphomet appear and we finally get to see Shuna Sassi and Kushnir Day! And it only took 21 issues before Shuna Sassi appeared and that’s a shame as she should have been one of the comic’s big stars. But it’s clear that in this issue many of The Nightbreed are confused as Kushnir Day seems to be following the rule of Ozymandias and is trying to get his fellow Breed members to eat human flesh. And it clear that we are heading to a showdown between Ozymandias and his followers and Baphomet and his. And here is hopping that we will also see more faces from the film appear and be involved in this inner fighting of The Nightbreed…it would also be nice to see returning original characters from this series like Oral, Jonathan and so on and see what side they choose. A very interesting concept here as it is clear that Lori and her friends in The Breed are going to have to be the heroes. The cover is very cool and eye catching as it shows many of The Nightbreed members and those being Kinski, Shuna Sassi, Peloquin and Gallows. The interior art is done by Colleen Doran and is good stuff as Doran captures the look and moods of The Nightbreed. With that said I am very happy to finally have Shuna Sassi in the comic series and am looking forward to reliving how this story plays out on these comic pages.

Nightbreed # 22 ***
Released in 1992 Cover Price $2.50 Epic Comics # 22 of 25

Lori is being hunted down by the followers of Ozymandias and when one captures her Kinski and Peloquin come to her aid as Narcisse creates a diversion by setting the tent homes of the Breed on fire! While inside his newly built temple Ozymandias eats on human meat and demands that his followers bring him Lori, even taking his anger out on Kushnir Day and we also see that he has taken Guido and Shuna Sassi prisoner. Meanwhile trapped inside his own mind is Boone alongside other failed saviors of The Nightbreed who tell him that Ozymandias has taken over the body and that Baphomet’s spirit is imprisoned so that he can not use his powers to take over, Boone hopes that Lori can remember in her dream how to defeat Ozymandias or he is doomed forever. Meanwhile Lori remembers back to her dream that involved the history of Ozymandias as Kinski, Peloquin and Narcisse listen trying to help find that one clue. She tells of the day Ozymandias became a God and Baphomet returned and created Sekhmet who went and killed all those of The Breed who followed Ozymandias and his laws, and with that they find the answer it’s the poison quills of Shuna Sassi that can kill Ozymandias…and they also know that it will kill Boone…but they must do it for the sake of The Nightbreed as well as the normal humans of the world. Ozymandias leads his followers to a small town and has the idea to kill everyone and for all of them to eat meat tonight, while Lori and her friends find Shuna Sassi and get her ready to kill this false God while Boone inside his own mind gets the failed saviors who are also all trapped there to join in his quest to free the spirit of Baphomet with the promise of forgiveness and a second chance. They are able to free Baphomet and with that Ozymandias is defeated as he is distracted by Shuna Sassi leaving him open for the attack and allowing Boone to be in control of his mind and body and he calls The Nightbreed back and tells them the New Midian is about to happen.

This battle between Ozymandias and Baphomet ends as Boone and Lori in two different places work together unknowingly to bring down this false God down and reunite The Nightbreed under the one true law of Baphomet. Lori is the key who keeps many of the Nightbreed sane as they stand by her side and want to try and save Boone as well as rid themselves of Ozymandias who cares about ruling and consume lots of human meat in order to gain control and rule with fear. This issue also really does show that Lori is a strong character as she might not be a powerful Nightbreed, she is a smart one who stands by her man as well as friends and will do what she thinks is right. And Boone aka Cabal is shown that while he is powerful he does have a weak side and is bullied in this issue as Ozymandias liked to enter their shared mind and shove him around and even almost kill him just for his own humor. Kinski, Peloquin and Narcisse are The Nightbreed who stay loyal to Boone and risk their own lives in order to help Lori in her quest to stop the false God who is trying to corrupt their fellow Breed family. And I am super happy that Shuna Sassi has finally arrived in this comic series and after being attacked and injured, she finds that her poisoned quills can kill Ozymandias and this makes her a threat to his quest to rule, and it also shows Shuna Sassi as being a strong member of The Breed who sticks by Boone and the others. Guido is around again in this issue but does not get to show off any of his power, nor does he even get to help in the final fight. The Nightbreed member Kushnir Day who in the film is the one that plays the drums on the side of the walls to warn the others, in this issue and last has turned on Boone and is following Ozymandias as he tries to help corrupt his fellow Breed into eating meat and also acts as the law giver for this false God. It’s a shame that Kushnir Day turned rogue and lets hope in the next issues he returns to redeem himself. The cover is really cool as it shows Boone along with the failed saviors fighting Ozymandias inside the head of Baphomet, and like the last issue Colleen Doran does the interior art and its great stuff. While this struggle between Ozymandias and Baphomet could have lasted a few more issues, the good Nightbreed showed that the true law is that of Baphomet.

Nightbreed # 23 ***
Released in 1993 Cover Price $2.50 Epic Comics # 23 of 25

Boone is at the table with Nickneven as well as Kinski, Narcisse, Lori and Oral as they discuss that Peloquin is missing and it seems to be tied into The Berserkers as she tells them a story of how when those uncontrollable beast first got to Midian they attacked Peloquin and his lady, and this attack left him injured and her dead and that lately he has been acting very weird. Narcisse has heard enough and wants to go out and find his missing friend, while out in the wild Peloquin has found dead bodies that have been eaten and is on the trail of The Berserker the same one that killed his lady all those years back so this is personal, and not just a hunt for a Breed that has broken the law of Baphomet. The Berserker is on a full rampage as he can only remember small parts of his past life before he became this mindless killing machine, when he was a normal Nightbreed who as experimented on during World War I and turned into this thing. Peloquin and The Berserker finally meet up and the two start fighting with The Berserker having the upper hand, but when Narcisse shows up and distracts the crazed monster, Peloquin is able to strike and beat The Berserker to death with a tree branch and then set the body on fire…end this quest for revenge. He and Narcisse then head out to a local bar be beat up on some cowboys and then make it with the ladies in order to get rid of all their stress.

This issue is all about Peloquin and his hunt for a Berserker that way back in the day killed his lady when these crazed beasts were brought to Midian, and how he bottled up his anger for years…but now he can get his revenge as The Berserker goes on a rampage of killing and eating people. The Berserker was once a normal Nightbreed who back in the time of World War I was turned into The Berserker by a madman, and only for small glimpses does he remember his past…but most of his life now he is driven by rage, the urge to kill and eat the flesh of mankind. Plus all his fellow Berserkers were killed off in the Jihad mini-series by Pinhead and the Cenobites, making him the last of his kind. Peloquin has been waiting years for this moment to get his revenge on this this Berserker for killing one of his lovers, when you think about it so many of Peloquin’s mates have died and he goes on lots of quests for revenge in this series. Some of the other Nightbreed that make appearances here are Boone, Kinski, Narcisse, Oral, Nickneven and Lori who are the ones who set up the story by talking around the table about the history between the two. The fight between the two is a little short but it does go back and fourth and Peloquin is able to squeak out the win and then brutally kills The Berserker and goes over board in the killing. The issue does have some blood and gore but is not over the top. The cover features Peloquin and is good with Max Douglas being the interior artist and his style is good in this issue. Over all a good issue with a fun story for fans of the character Peloquin, and with that lest see what the next issue has in store for us.

Nightbreed # 24 ***
Released in 1993 Cover Price $2.50 Epic Comics # 24 of 25

A man’s car has broken down in the woods and is scared when a van comes speeding by and Kinski, Peloquin and Leroy Gomm are in this van and this scares him to his core! And as the man turns he sees Babette and follows here into the woods and around a camp fire Boone, Lori, Narcisse, Shuna Sassi, Guido and Rachel stand and have to take him prisoner for seeing them, and after knocking him out they leave the area. During all this Lori lets Boone know that she does not like Shuna Sassi who is very sexual in nature. And the next day as Guido is driving them out of town Lori sits up front with him and tells him a story about the first time she meet Boone and how he saved her from a drug dealer at a carnival, and how they fell in love and his time with Doctor Decker and how she still loves him. Guido tells her of his past how he was born in Midian but felt he didn’t fit in and how he lived and worked among the normal people, and how he got good at fixing cars. And how Boone saved his life during the attack on Midian, but his boyfriend was killed. Lori then tells Guido that Boone still dreams about Shuna Sassi and this makes her so mad as she feels he does not love her anymore. Guido gives his worries that Boone as sent Kinski, Peloquin and Leroy Gomm away and on a different path to find the new Midian. Meanwhile a group of kids are messing with a Ouija board and it creeps them out, so they make the owner of the board run into the waters of a alligator farm and as he gets close to the water Ishmael The God Of The Lonely appears and this creature is a mix of Rawhead Rex, Kinder, Reverend Ashberry and Sheriff Eigerman! And then the young man who they knocked out and left behind is Steve a reporter who is now on the hunt to expose The Nightbreed to the world.

This issue is really playing up the drama among The Nightbreed and add more baddies for them to over come as Steve is a reporter who can cause the world to think that monsters live among them and this will cause fear and even attacks of Nightbreed, they kind of made the mistake of letting him live when he first stumbled on them. And the other major threat is the formation of their past enemies now in one body calling it’s self Ishmael The God Of The Lonely and we at this point have zero clue what it is capable of and what its true goal will be. The main story here is that Boone and Lori are having issues in their relationship as they are arguing and fighting, as Lori is very jealous of Shuna Sassi due to Boone dreaming about her at night. Shuna Sassi is very sexual and this also adds to Lori’s hatred for her. We also get to know Guido a little better, the Breed member who can remove his spine and find out that he had a boyfriend who died during the attacks on Midian and that Boone is the one who saved him. In the issue we also get to see the returning Breed of Kinski, Peloquin, Narcisse, Shuna Sassi, Rachel and Babette and we finally get appearances by Leroy Gomm and Lude! And with only one issue left it will be very interesting to see how this story arch as well as the series comes to an end. The issue is pretty bloodless and is more of a set up for the new enemy characters as well as the story of how Lori meet Boone. The cover once more showcases Peloquin as it’s clear they looked at him as the star of the comic series. The interior art is great and done by Derek Yaniger as he like many before him captures the mood of the subject matter. With that let’s see how this series ends and if Boone finds that New Midian that he has promised to find.

Nightbreed # 25 ***
Released in 1993 Cover Price $2.50 Epic Comics # 25 of 25

Steve has written and gotten his article printed in the newspaper all about The Nightbreed and this is a very bad thing for them. Boone wonders if The Nightbreed could like among the normal heroes and that is when Shuna Sassi tells her back story of having to kill a senator as well a officer of the law as she use to be a call girl and both were in love with her and this lead to the killing of her daughter, so she made them both pay. Boone decides that New York will become the New Midian and as called everyone home to help take the city over. And they all come as its Halloween night and the city is filled with people in costumes and this will make it a perfect time to strike! And in the city many of The Nightbreed come to do their part of the plan and this includes Shuna Sassi, Kinski, Peloquin, Narcisse, Nickneven among other causing panic in the city as The Nightbreed go into the subway system and even rebuild Baphomet, but Lori was not suppose to be in the subway but she comes anyway and watches as Ishmael The God Of The Lonely appears and attacks killing Boone in the process as Shuna Sassi has to use her poison quills in order to kill Ishmael and her quills as well is what helps seal the fate of Boone…as this has been his dream and he ordered Shuna Sassi to do her action during the fight. But Baphomet uses his powers to bring Boone back to life and the Nightbreed try and get their new underground home safe, and even Shuna Sassi uses her quills to kill the reporter Steve in order for him to not write anymore stories, and The Breed place drugs in the water to make the towns people think that the monster they seen were just apart of the hallucinations. It ends with Shuna Sassi dancing in the moonlight.

The Nightbreed comic series from Epic Comics comes to an end and The New Midian is in New York City in the subways underground and they must find a way to bring peace and safety to all The Nightbreed as the normal people of the world are still very much a threat. This issue does a very good job of trying to cram so much story into the pages as its clear that the series was suppose to last longer than it did, so they did the newspaper part to fill in some of the storyline and while it is a letdown it at least works to help wrap up the story. Boone is once more the hero of The Nightbreed as he himself leads them to their new home, he is willing to sacrifice his own self in order to protect them all and even tries his best to spare Lori the heartbreak…but in the end of course Baphomet restores his life. Lori learns that Boone loves her and that his dreams about Shuna Sassi are just about the events that will take place to bring down Ishmael, and not dreams of love and passion. And we see that Boone and Lori have found a new place for The Nightbreed to live and for Baphomet to be rebuilt. Shuna Sassi is shown to be a powerful member of The Nightbreed as her poisoned quills in this series is what brings down powerful enemies like Ishmael The God Of The Lonely and Ozymandias, and to me it is so odd that she did not show up in the series until towards the end of its run. Besides Boone the comics main Nightbreed stars are clearly Kinski, Narcisse and Peloquin as they are featured in almost every issue and are the ones who seem the most loyal to Boone and Baphomet. I do have to say that I wish throughout this series we had gotten more from characters like Lude, Leroy Gomm and Kushnir Day and that at times we would not have such harsh changes in the art as it seemed almost every issue was done by a different person and sometimes one issue would have multiple artist, as at times it was very distracting as some of their styles were very much different and that would mean characters would look very different from issue to issue. The series as well had its fare share of blood, guts, gore and nudity and over all the comic really did feel like it could be apart of the film it was based on and that is what is important, but while the feel was there some of the changing creative team issues does cause moments of being disjointed. I also hate that Epic Comics ended the series with a quick wrap up issues as I wish they had allowed them to fully let the story play out. The cover for this issue has Shuna Sassi with the interior art done this time by Phil Hester and his style is pretty good and he draws the characters well. Over all I really like the Nightbreed comic series from Epic and it is one that has held up for me over all these years, and it was great revisiting it after all these years. Check out the artwork below to see the styles used in this series.

Nightbreed is such a great film that features amazing looking characters and shows that mankind can be so cruel to those who are different even those who just want to be left alone. I also think that the film is often overlooked when people talk about the horror films of the early 1990’s, and it deserves a lot more praise than it gets. I also think that the comic series for me is the best thing that Epic Comics released, and that’s saying something as they had many great releases! But I think that it’s time for us to step away from Midian and the Nightbreed as our next update will take us to space and to a planet filled with prisoners and one pissed off Xenomorph that acts like a dog…and I am of course talking about Alien 3 and the Dark Horse Comics adaptation series of the film. So until next time read a horror comic of three, watch a horror film or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next update as I hear that they can’t hear you scream in space.

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Final Destination (2000)

Posted on March 12, 2026 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. For this update I will be talking about the 2000 horror film Final Destination as well as the comic book series released about the series in 2006. This comic series was brought to the world by Zenescope, but it’s shocking that after all these years that DC Comics whose parent company also owns New Line Cinema has never did comics base on these films for their DC Horror series that sadly seems to have fizzled and has had a lack of horror comics based on films. And again, I have to say I truly think DC Comics has wasted so much opportunity on not doing comics based on many of their popular horror films. But with that, let’s get ready to be scared as we step into another “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update this time all about Death and the film he is from, Final Destination.

Before we get too far into this update, let’s talk about Death, the main dealer of well…death in the Final Destination series who could be the most dangerous “killer” we have ever covered as he is the final call for all. Death has all manners of taking lives as he can make things happen as well as allow things to happen in order to get your soul. Death is something that almost everyone fears and some live their lives worried that his cold grip will one day call on them. Death can also take your life away when a person is shot, stabbed, burned, crushed, electrocuted, drowned, smashed, crushed and bashed as well of course of natural causes. Death has a master plan for prey and that is everyone as he has a design to take your life and doesn’t like to be cheated out of what he thinks is owed. And if you do escape his grip by luck and your time was supposed to be up, he will make sure that you die as he will create great scenarios with elaborate set ups to make sure your life comes to an end. Death has no weakness and there is no way to fully stop him, while you can sometimes dodge his icy grip, you can never fully beat him as Death truly comes for everyone.

As you can see, Death truly is the most deadly horror villain we have covered here at Rotten Ink as there is no escaping his grip! But now we should take a few moments to talk about the movie he is from, and that’s Final Destination! I will be taking the film’s plot from IMDB and then after that I will write about the film’s production as well as my thoughts on the film. So if you are ready, let’s listen to that little inner voice and see what Death had planned for the people on flight 180.

Final Destination (2000)

“Alex is boarding a plane to France on a school trip, when he suddenly gets a premonition that the plane will explode. Shortly after Alex, a group of students, and his teacher are thrown off the plane, to their horror, the plane does in fact explode. Alex must now work out Death’s plan, as each of the survivors falls victim. Whilst trying to prevent the next death, Alex must also dodge the FBI, who believe that he caused the explosion”

New Line Cinema use to be the biggest production company for horror films in the 80’s and 90’s as it was called The House That Freddy Built for a reason; A Nightmare On Elm Street was their biggest film series and helped pull them out of debt. And in the 2000’s they had another series that helped them stay as powerhouse of horror and that of course was the Final Destination franchise! And for those wondering New Line is still doing well in horror as they are behind The Conjuring universe films as well as just brought The Evil Dead back with sequels to the big screen. In 2025, they even did a new installment in the Final Destination series that was celebrated by horror fans. Final Destination was the brainchild of Jeffrey Reddick, who got the story from a story he read about a daughter calling her mom to not take a flight due to a bad feeling, and so the mom switched flights and the one she was supposed to have been on crashed! He at first wanted to write it as a X-Files episode, but instead decided to try and turn it into a feature film. New Line Cinema bought the script and then added James Wong and Glen Morgan to help freshen up and make the story tighter. The film was given a budget of $23 million, and James Wong was hired to also direct as he was not stranger to horror films as he had already directed an episode of The X-Files and had written many of them. When casting the film names like Devon Sawa, Ali Larter, Seann William Scott, Kristen Cloke, Kerr Smith, Daniel Roebuck, Amanda Detmer and Tony Todd would make up some of the main leads. When filming the movie it went smoothly for the most part with the main issues being having to work around the younger cast who were filming other projects at the same time, and this caused some scheduling nightmares. Once done the film would be scored by Shirley Walker and it would be released in theaters on March 17, 2000 and would be a big hit for New Line Cinema at the box office bringing in over $112 million! The film was # 49 for the year and was able to beat out such other horror films as Pitch Black, Dracula 2000, Bless The Child, Book Of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, Urban Legends: Final Cut, The Ninth Gate, Lost Souls, American Psycho, The Little Vampire, The Gift, Godzilla 2000 and Shadow Of The Vampire, but did lose out to What Lies Beneath, Scream 3, Hollow Man and The Cell. The film was meet with poor reviews from critics but viewers really enjoyed it and is why the film would end up being a big franchise for New Line spawning many sequels. Final Destination was joined in 2000 not only from all of the above mentioned horror films but also Mulva: Zombie Ass Kicker!, Ginger Snaps, Leprechaun In The Hood, Hellraiser: Inferno, Killjoy, Blood Murder, Witchcraft XI, Island Of The Dead and Toxic Avenger 4 to name a few.

When Final Destination was released, it was clearly the new horror film hit from New Line Cinema and the buzz around it was very big from not only the horror magazines like Fangoria but also among my friends. I sadly did not get to see the film in the theater and had to wait for it to be released on home media and was a fan of it as I enjoyed the spooky supernatural elements of Death being mad that someone escapes his plans of taking their lives, and I also liked that it also had a almost slasher element to it like Death was a killer stalking his prey. The film also had many creative ways for the characters to be killed off and this would continue throughout the film series as viewers all wondered just how Death was going to get what was owed to him. Plus for me it was great seeing Tony Todd as he was one of my favorite modern iconic horror actors and his role was the wise and creepy mortician who knows that Death will not be cheated. I am also shocked on how bloody and gruesome some of the deaths in the film were, and really I wish New Line Cinema would get back to making lots of horror films for all us viewers to enjoy. I also think that many of horror fans my age ended up getting a crush on Ali Larter because of this film as well as her roles in the remake of House On Haunted Hill, Final Destination 2 and many of the Resident Evil films. The film is one that I ended up buying on home media and is one I watch pretty often. If you have not seen Final Destination or any of its sequels, make sure to check them out as they are one hell of a great time.

So now that we have chatted about the film Final Destination and its killer the one and only Death, we should now take a look at the comic book mini series that was published by Zenescope in 2006 (these comics were released around the same time Final Destination 3 was hitting theaters). I would like to thank Bookery Fantasy and Lone Star Comics for having these comics in stock and making this update possible. I would also like to remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and i’s art and story. So if you are ready, let’s go on Spring Break with Death and see what he is up too.

Final Destination # 1 ***
Released in 2006 Cover Price $3.99 Zenescope # 1 of 5

Carly and her friends Bryan, Jake, Matt, Amanda, Kris and Katie are heading to Cancun for Spring Break, but during the flight their Carly feels very odd like something is wrong. As she checks into her room and even hangs with her friends at the hotels ball room she feels off and her friends are even noticing, and then a birthday cake is brought out and the candle fire acts with gas leaking out and a explosion of fire rips through the ballroom and killing Carly, her friends and everyone around. But then Carly wakes up and she is on the plane and none of the stuff has happened yet…and as it all plays out like her dream she is able to have everyone agree to her birthday wish and that is follow her outside right before the hotel explodes! As they stand in shock as the dead are being pulled out, the friends meet U.S. Embassy worker Sue Flanders and Detective Garcia-Garcia who listen to the story of Carly and detain them for s short while, and as time passes Carly’s friends all thank her for saving their lives, but she is still shaken like something is wrong.

The first issue in this series sets up the group of friends that have angered Death and have cheated him out of taking their lives and now he will find ways to get what is owed to him. We are following Carly and her friends who are on Spring Break and survive a massive explosion that destroys the hotel that they were staying in killing many people and leaving them grateful for life. Carly is a college woman who has good friends and is all set to go on Spring Break to relax, but finds herself stressed out and worried after having a bad nightmare that shows her the fate of her and her friends. And while she is a hero and saved the lives of her friends, she is surrounded by a dreadful feeling that she cannot shake. Her friends Jake, Bryan, Amanda, Kirs and Matt all seem like good people who were looking to have a good time together, and when saved are thankful to their friend. I am going to guess that both Sue Flanders and Detective Garcia-Garcia will be around in further issues and will question Carly on how she knew the hotel was going to explode. Death is lurking around and while he claimed many lives, seven have escaped him and you know he is working on ways to claim them back, as he is not to be robbed of what he is owed. The story is a little slow right now, but that is to be expected as they had to build our characters as well as set up the disaster that our group of friends will avoid that they were suppose to have died in. And while people do die, the comic is pretty bloodless and does not show any major gore, but I am sure this will change. The cover is ok and is eye catching, but I do not think it captures the mood of the Final Destination series. The interior artwork is done by Lan Medina and it’s good stuff and reminds me of classic DC Movie Adaptation Comics stuff. So let’s see what Death has in store for Carly and her friends in issue two and who will die first and how.

Final Destination # 2 ***
Released in 2006 Cover Price $3.99 Zenescope # 2 of 5

Carly and her friends must stay in Mexico as the explosion is being investigated, and worse for Carly they find a drawing she did while in the trance nightmare she had about the explosion showing its path of destruction and making her kind of a suspect in a possible terrorism act. Later that day Carly and her friends take a boat out when once more she has a vision and tries to warn them, but they have a boat accident that leaves Kris dead when the boats motor chops him up like meat on a cheese steak. And like before, Carly finds that she has drawn the motors logo before the accident and this once more makes Garcia-Garcia and Sue a little puzzled as Carly is once more linked to a deadly accident, and now Carly herself is scared and is worried about what is wrong with her and why she is drawing things connected to these accidents and wonders if Death is after them. Carly then finds out that they might have to stay in Mexico longer as a hurricane is approaching and that three other Americans overheard her warnings and left the hotel and survived that blast and want to speak to her. While Katie is in the hospital for shock, she by accident swallows mercury from a broken thermometer and then trips over a skeleton and impales herself on its rib bones killing her instantly.

In the second issue the plot has Death come calling as Carly and her friends are stuck in Mexico and two of them have already lost their lives. Carly herself is starting to question her mental state as well as her own life. In this issue as the group of friends try and make the best of their time in Mexico and clear their minds off the accident and end up having to watch as one of their friends his chopped up by the blade of a motor and they are helpless to save him. Bbecause of this accident their other friend is ends up having an accident at the hospital and dies by the bones of a skeletons rib cage! So as you can see, Death is on his rampage and the group of seven has now dropped to five, but he might have three other lives to claim when they find out that other Americans left the hotel due to her warnings. Carly is losing her mind as she is filled with not only worry and dread but now fear and confusion as she don’t understand why she is having her visions that is overloading her with death. And her friends at this time are still grateful, but are also starting to get spooked by her when people start dying and she is unknowingly predicting them. Death is moving quick and both deaths are very brutal and that makes this issue have lots of blood and gory bits, so fans of horror comics that have the red stuff will be happy. The pacing is really good this far in the series as I feel the build was great, and this second issue picks up on the horror as well as deaths and delivered and enjoyable read thus far. The cover for this issue is really good, and I think does capture the feel of the movie series and like before the interior artwork by Lan Medina is solid stuff and I like the way he draws the bloody deaths. Over all another great issue, and I am really looking forward to reading the third issue and see who dies next!

Final Destination # 3 ***
Released in 2006 Cover Price $3.99 Zenescope # 3 of 5

Carly and the rest are shaken about the deaths of their friends and are even getting snippy with each other over the stress and sadness, that is until they all calm down and stick together. They then meet Dreena, Gino and Jeremy, the three others who left the hotel because they overheard Carly and got scared enough not to stay. Now they along with Carly and their friends head towards an old Aztec Temple and meet a Shaman who follows Carly around speaking of Death and this causes them to leave the temple and head to the waters as Gino decides to deep dive only for a eel to destroy is oxygen tank and cause him to rush up for air and crash through the looking glass of the boat and a shard of glass enters his mouth and deals him death. And later that day Sue is able to pull some string to get Carly and the rest on a plane back home before the hurricane hits, but an accident at the airport when one of the workers on a forklift has a heart attack causes a string of deaths as Sue is impaled by the forklift, Dreena slips and falls and breaks her neck as Jeremy is crushed as the plan takes some damage! And after this carnage, all Carly and her friends can do is look at the death and destruction around them.

The third issue is a entertaining one even though it slightly slips in that department as has Carly and the rest waiting for that evening to get on a plane to head back home, and while they are scared they decide to site see and enter a temple only to be harassed by an old shaman as well as decide to go diving that leads to another death as does them trying to board the plane as three more are killed by Death. At this point it is clear that they are stuck in Mexico, and that Death is truly coming for each and every one of them. Carly is still very confused by her visions and all the signs around her that are warning of the next death to take place and her friends seem to be more accepting on the fact something weird is going on and she might be their only tool to survive. I also like that the threat of this major storm coming is looming around bringing more dread to the characters. Death is not messing around now as he has taken four lives in this issue with the best death being that of Gino, who takes the glass to the mouth when coming up for air. The issue this time around is not that bloody with two of the deaths being more gruesome than the other two. And while this issue was not as spooky nor drew me in like the first two, I still found it to be a solid issue as the frightful story of Carly and her friends unfold. The cover for this issue is pretty cool and shows an Aztec Temple with the interior art once more done by Lan Medina being really solid work. Yet another good issue in this Final Destination mini series and shows that horror movies make great comics! Let’s see what happens next shall we?

Final Destination # 4 ***
Released in 2007 Cover Price $3.99 Zenescope # 4 of 5

After the accident at the airport that leaves three people dead, Carly and her friends return to the hotel shocked and scared as Detective Garcia-Garcia is visiting and understands now something very strange is happening and leaves with a promise that he will try and find a way home for them before the storm hits that is just hours away. After he leaves Carly and the group are very cautious of everything around that could lead to them dying and decide using the hotels pool and hot tub will be safe, but Death wants what is owed and makes the pools automatic covering turn on trapping Amanda under it and causing her to drown! The friends are helpless to save her and this causes Matt to snap as he says that Carly is cursed and Death is following her. He runs off only to be killed by getting hit by fireworks that are being set off before the storm so they are not wasted.

Poor Carly ;more and more of her friends are being killed by Death who seems to truly be picking up the pace of collecting what he is owed. With only Carly, Jake and Bryan left and not clear way to escape Mexico, it seems that their fate is creeping up on them. Carly is slowly starting to truly understand that what she is seeing in weird signs from ink blots to logos are hints to the tragic events that are about to happen, and while her friends are sticking beside her, they are also starting to fear being around her. It will be very interesting to see if Detective Garcia-Garcia who clearly now understands that something supernatural is happening will be able to get them out of Mexico…but we all know that will not stop Death. And with the storm coming, this just adds to the stress of what is on the horizon for our survivors as you know that this storm will have to be the undoing of one or all of them. This issue has two deaths with one being drowning and the other being hit by a massive firework, but shockingly the issue is lacking in blood. The cover for this issue is really cool and has a woman in the water with the top part above the water looking normal and in the water being skeleton. The interior art this time was done by Rodel Noora and is really good stuff and has that style of the 2000’s that was being used in indie horror comics. Another good issue in this series, and I am very much looking forward to seeing how this tale comes to an end, so with that let’s see what issue five has in store for us.

Final Destination # 5 ***
Released in 2007 Cover Price $3.99 Zenescope # 5 of 5

The hurricane has hit and Carly gets a phone call that Detective Garcia-Garcia has arranged for them to escape and tells them to be on the roof of the hotel in fifteen minutes and once up there they see a helicopter coming for them, but the high winds cause it to lose control, and the blades slice up Jake and the helicopter catches fire and explodes as Carly and Bryan have to retreat back into the hotel that is now on fire and the two barely escape and have to rush out into the storm dodging many natural threats that are trying to kill them and they find shelter in a funeral home, with each hiding inside a coffin to ride out the storm. But once its all over, Carly gets out of her coffin to find that Bryan got trapped in his when boards fell on it closing it fully and cutting off his air supply and making him die a very slow and painful death. Carly is heart broken as the Aztec Shaman appears in a broken mirror and says Death is satisfied and that the design is done…for now.

In the final issue of Final Destination the story of Carly and her friends comes to an end as Death goes into overdrive in order to finish his design and take the lives of those he is owed. In this issue the hurricane has hit and the area is being battered by the storm as Death helps uses the elements in order to take out both Jake and Bryan as well as many other lives that are just in the wrong place at the wrong time and who are near Carly and what was left of her friends. Carly ends up being spared by Death in the end as he is satisfied with the lives he has taken and it looks as if the old Aztec Shaman might have been the one that helped spare her. It’s great that Death finds a way to use the storm in order to take out her two remaining friends with Jake getting the more gruesome death and Bryan getting the more slow and painful one. I also like that Carly has to seek shelter from the storm at a funeral home very fitting for the Final Destination series. Over all I like the theme of this mini series taking place during Spring Break in Mexico as there are lots of creative ways to kill off the cast of characters, plus it sets the characters far from home which adds to the stress and despair of the characters as they cannot leave the country due to investigations of the deaths and a coming massive storm. In other words, they are cut off from their comfort zone and the safety of their own homes. Death in the series truly does not care who else has to die in order for him to get those who escape his grasp, and when he kills in these issues, he goes for keeps as there is no coming back or being saved. The issue has blood, gore and deaths that should please fans of the film series as well as those horror comic readers who like their pages blood soaked. The cover for this issue is pretty cool as it has Carly looking into a mirror only to see an undead shaman looking back! This issue’s interior art is again done by Rodel Noora and is good stuff. Over all this is a pretty solid read that does justice to the film series it’s based on, and if you are a fan of Final Destination, make sure to check it out. Check out the artwork below to see the style used by Lan Medina for the first three issues of the series.

Final Destination is a truly fun film series that was a great way to introduce Death as an almost slasher villain who would come up with over the top and interesting ways to kill his victims, and I truly think that it would also make for a good comic series like this one where each mini series follows a new batch of people that escaped Death only for him to come calling to collect what he is owed. And really I think that DC Comic as part of their DC Horror line should be making mini series based on Final Destination, and I feel that they are missing the boat big time with that. With this update coming to an end, I think that its time that I tell you that the next update will take us to Midian, the place that the monsters go and of course I am talking about the film Nightbreed that was directed by Clive Barker. So until next time, read a horror comic of three, watch a horror film or two and as always support your local horror host! See you next time for a creepy good time with the Nightbreed.

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Motel Hell (1980)

Posted on March 3, 2026 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and to another “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update. For this one we will be revisiting a series that I covered way back in 2013 as I feel that I could have done better and that it deserves this update formula treatment. The film and comic series I am talking about is the 1980 film Motel Hell and the IDW comics based around it! Farmer Vincent deserved better as he was an icon of my childhood when it came to horror just because of the image of him wearing a pig head holding a chainsaw that was on a cover of Fangoria Magazine…but that story will come later. And this will be only the first of many that I revisit as I also want to cover Strangeland, Pumpkinhead, Dr. Giggles, Jason Goes To Hell, Psycho and Terminator 2 better so look for them to get the “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” treatment over the coming years! So if you are ready, let’s pack our bags and head to the Motel Hello and stay for a bit as I hear they have fantastic smoked meats!

Let’s start by taking a look at Farmer Vincent Smith, the owner of a motel as well as the maker of fine smoked meats and his ways of dealing death to those travelers that end up on his ingredient list. Farmer Vincent Smith is a businessman who owns a motel as well as a smoked meat company alongside his sister Ida. Farmer Vincent Smith is sort of a local celebrity because of his smoked meat as it is considered some of the best in the world, and this makes people not look at the older man as a killer or a psycho and with his friendly good nature many people fall into his trap as he has a calming manner when around the public. But it is said that Vincent does suffer from syphilis of the brain and this makes him act very odd and violent at times and gives him an odd look on life. Vincent kills humans to use in his smoked meat, as it is one of his secret ingredients that make his meat taste better than anyone else’s, Vincent is very clever and sneaky as he lures his victims in by using traps alongside the road like shooting out tires, leaving fake road blocks and even spike strips to cause accidents. Farmer Vincent Smith, once he has a person, he will bury them up to their necks in his secret garden where he will cut their vocal cords and then feed them via a tube, and when it is their time to be turned into smoked meats, he uses hypnotizing lights to put them into a trance and then breaks their necks with nooses attached to his tractor. Vincent is also very skilled with many weapons that can help him deal death like knives, scalpels, rifle, shovel and even a chainsaw plus he uses knockout gas to sedate some of his victims out cold. And when it comes to killing these humans for his meat treats, he has no emotions and truly thinks he is doing great work, almost like gods work. He is also joined in his killing ways by his younger sister Ida who is just as crazy as he is and also seems to love killing, running the motel and helping him smoke meats! And once fully crazed Vincent loses all control and his brain turns wild as he wears a Pig Head as a mask and this sight is enough to scare a person half to death as he laughs like a madman while swinging a chainsaw. He is also a cannibal as he eats human meat and truly sees nothing wrong with doing so, nor feeding it to other people. And while Farmer Vincent Smith is very dangerous, he is still just a man and that means he can be killed by all methods like being shot, stabbed, crushed, burned, natural causes and all other ways a person can die. He also has other weaknesses that make him open for attack or heartbreak as he is a fool for a blonde as he falls in love with one of his would be victims, and this clouds his judgment. He is also very upset that he lies about his meats as he does use preservatives, and this weighs heavy on his twisted diseased mind. While Farmer Vincent Smith is a dangerous cannibal killer, when he fully mentally breaks he is also downright scary with his laughter and Pig Head Mask.

Now that we have chatted about Farmer Vincent and his madness and ways of dealing out death to those who are in his way, I think that its time we take a look at the film he is from and that Motel Hell! And like always, I will be getting the film’s plot from our friends at IMDB, and then I will write about the film’s production as well as my thoughts on the film. So if you are ready, let’s grab some beef jerky and head out to the motel and see what kind of terrors await us.

Motel Hell (1980)

“Farmer Vincent kidnaps unsuspecting travelers and buries them in his garden. Unfortunately for his victims, they are not dead. He feeds his victims to prepare them for his roadside stand. His motto is “It takes all kinds of critters to make Farmer Vincent Fritters”.”

The brothers Robert & Steven-Charles Jaffe decided to work on a horror film script together after being inspired by films like Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974). They wanted to mimic its dark family weirdness, but they added comedy to their story and they got it done in 1977…but it took many years for a studio to decide to take the film on as many of them hated the script and wanted nothing to do with it. At one point the film was going to be made by Universal Pictures with them even going to bring on Tobe Hooper to direct, but they backed out once more due to them having issues with the script. Things looked hopeless until United Artists decided to give it a go even after passing on it before as horror films were becoming big again at the box office and they wanted something cheaply made that could bring the gross scares that they could make money on. The film was given a budget of $3 million by United Artist and Frank Cotolo and Tim Tuchrello touched up the script. The Jaffe Brothers would also act as the producers, and they would hire Kevin Connor to direct the film as many of you readers will know him for directing such horror & sci-fi films as From Beyond The Grave (1974), The Land That Time Forgot (1974), At The Earth’s Core (1976), The People That Time Forgot (1977), Warlords Of Atlantis (1979) and The House Where Evil Dwells (1982). When it came to casting, Rory Calhoun was hired to play Farmer Vincent Smith with Nancy Parsons casted as Ida Smith his sister. Other names hired for the cast included Nina Axelrod, Paul Linke, Wolfman Jack, Rosanne Katon and Monique St. Pierre to name a few. Filming would take place in California and would last a little over two months and once done Lance Rubin would score the film before it was released in theaters on October 18, 1980 and would be a semi hit for United Artists bringing in $6.3 million dollars at the box office. The film at the time of its release was meet with mostly positive reviews from both critics and viewers as they all praised its use of dark humor and weird characters. The film would gain a cult following thanks to Fangoria Magazine as well as its home media release on VHS as it was a big rental for stores, and later would be a must own DVD and Blu-Ray for horror film collectors. The film would also spark much merchandise over the years like t-shirts, toys and yes the IDW Comic series. The film in 1980 was released alongside such other horror films as The Fog, The Shining, Humanoids From The Deep, Mother’s Day, Terror Train, Friday The 13^th, Fade To Black, Prom Night, Island Claws, Alien Dead, Alligator, Maniac, Inferno, City Of The Living Dead and Nightmare City to name a few showing that this was a great year for horror!

Motel Hell is a film that I first learned about thanks to Fangoria Magazine as they had Farmer Vincent wearing his pig head with a chainsaw in his hands as one of the covers for their issues, and it became a film that I was obsessed with as I had no clue what the film was about but new that the Pig Head Guy had a chainsaw and looked liked he knew how to use it. As I said way back in 2013 when I first covered Motel Hell, I had no idea what the film was about and in my mind it was a slasher film that had a mutated pig running wild killing beautiful scream queens who would try to escape the blade teeth of his chainsaw. And it would be thanks to Commander USA’s Groovie Movies and USA Saturday Nightmares that would let me see the film for the first time, and I can remember thinking this was nothing like I thought it was…but also loved the weird and strange plot of the film plus the ending of Farmer Vincent wear the big head swinging the chainsaw and laughing like a mad man was awesome stuff and was always in my memory after seeing it. Rory Calhoun was the perfect choice to play Farmer Vincent as he is truly able to play the two sides of the character that is the sweet old country gentleman and the other is a human meat jerky making psychopath! And it’s crazy as Rory was mostly known for his roles in Western films and shows and was a popular leading man in the 1940-1960’s cinema, and was over all a really great actor. It’s sad to say that he passed away on April 28, 1999 at the age of 76 from the combination of diabetes and emphysema. In fact sadly Nancy Parsons who played sister Ida Smith who was a great actress and who was known for her role in the Porky’s films as Beulah Balbricker was a great choice as well for the part sadly passed away on January 5, 2001 at the age of 58, making Paul Linke who played the sheriff brother Bruce Smith the only one still with us of the Smith family. And as a kid I geeked out when I seen Wolfman Jack in the film and funny enough he was playing a Reverend and he had such an iconic voice. One thing about this film as well as when I was a kid I always thought that it was way more bloody then it really is, as don’t get me wrong the film does have blood being split and some gruesome deaths but its not a bloodbath like I remembered it being. Over the years I have owned the film on VHS, DVD and Blu-Ray and it remains one of the films I watch at least once every year or so. I even have the Farmer Vincent action figure from Trick Or Treat Studios that is in my horror collection, as this truly is a film that I have enjoyed since I was a kid. And in these modern times I am shocked that Motel Hell never got a remake or sequel film as in my opinion it would be easy to do a sequel to this film as you could have more of the Smith family taking over the family business of the motel and jerky making. But if you have never seen Motel Hell, make sure to give it a watch if you like horror films with a dash of dark comedy that is a slasher film from the 80’s with a crazy farmer and his sister who harvests human meat and try and run a motel in the middle of nowhere.

With that, we have talked about Farmer Vincent and his way of killing people to use for his meats as well as the film he is from and that is of course Motel Hell, and now it’s time for us to re-visit the comic mini series that was released by IDW Comics in 2010 as part of there Midnite Movies line, that sadly was very short lived. If anyone from IDW is reading this please bring back this line of comics, as it was great for us horror comic readers who enjoy comics based on films. And I would like to start by thanking Mavericks Cards And Comics, Bell Book And Comic and Game Swap Kettering for making this update possible by having these issues in stock. I would like to also remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you are ready, let’s check into our room at Motel Hell and talk about comic books.

Motel Hell # 1 ***
Released in 2010 Cover Price $3.99 IDW # 1 of 3

Farmer Vincent Smith has now taken to making his own wine that sells for around $500 a bottle and he and his sister Ida Smith have just taken out a family to make into smoked meat, as Idea with a hatchet ends the husbands life and Vincent uses drugged wine to knock out the wife and the fate of the two young sisters is unknown. Meanwhile reporter Holly Bell has been chosen as a guest to stay at the Motel Hello along with the likes of shamed football player Freddie Stanford, oil man and sleaze ball Rupert Godrey, rich snob brat Desirae Childs, mortgage conman Joss Warburton and wannabe rockstar Gage Hardmiller and Holly is grossed out by all of the fellow guests. They are all ushered onto an old plane that is being piloted by Vincent and Idea as the guests are given lots of wine, smoked meats and drugs with Holly not consuming as she is working on her story about the experience for the paper she works for. Farmer Vincent leaves the cockpit and talks to his guests, with Gage rubbing him the wrong way when he uses the lords name in vein and snaps at him in front of everyone. Once they land and they are shown their rooms, Holly finds herself in the same room as Desirae and late at night they watch as the plane takes off, unknown to them the plane is filled with dead bodies as well as Gage who is strapped to a seat and Ida alerts him that he has to be the first to die as he annoyed her brother! And Ida uses a flamethrower to set the bodies on fire and then she puts on a pig head and parachutes out of the plane as it explodes killing Gage, and all the other guests look on in horror and Holly gets scared when she notices in the shadows Farmer Vincent in his pig head thinking he is a monster and freaking everyone out when she screams.

In this first issue of Motel Hell, the crazed Farmer Vincent and his sadistic sister Ida have added making wine to their businesses and have invited many rich and corrupt people to stay at the motel in order to get a look at the wine making, but also invited is Holly, a reporter for a newspaper who is looking at this gig as a fluff piece, but is clearly starting to see that this might be something more sinister, and when the plane that brought them in explodes in the air that night and she thinks she sees a monster in the dark…her suspensions could be true they are all in danger. Holly Bell is a reporter who is looking for a big story that will make her a bigger deal in her field, and while she is annoyed at first over this wine story she soon finds that it really could be the story of a lifetime. The rest of the guests are rich and weird people who have not been fully flushed out yet with one Gage already killed as he is blown up in a plane and crashes to earth on fire while strapped to his seat. It’s clear that the guests thought this was going to be a fun time of drinking wine and eating smoked meats, but are now a little scared as they watch the plane explode and cannot find Vincent nor Ida! Farmer Vincent has clearly decided to make some big changes to his business as while smoked meats are a big part of what he does, he has turned the motel into a spa retreat and his next big thing is making wine, and he is just as nice and yet crazy as ever. Ida is still around as well and doing what her brothers wants her to do, but for some reason now she wears a pig head a lot and even makes pig noises…just a strange change for the character from movie to comic made here. But what is nice is that the Smith siblings are just as weird and murderous as you would want them to be, and still think they are doing Gods work with all the killings. But one other puzzling thing about this comic is how did the Smiths live after the events of the film and who the heck are all the women that are working for them on the plane? The issue has two bloody deaths with one being a hatchet to the head and another being a man on fire falling to his death. And the horror of this comic of course comes from The Smith siblings as well as just the Motel Hello it’s self as it’s so far away from everyone and gives off a true spooky vibe. The cover for this issue is really awesome and showcases both Farmer Vincent and Ida looking all crazed and American Gothic styled. The interior art is done by artist Chris Moreno and is good stuff and while the characters don’t look like the actors that played them in the film, it’s close enough and you know who they are supposed to be. Over all I would say that I liked this issue a little more than I did back when I first reviewed it as I found it a great build to the story and a way to introduce our cast of characters, even if it does leave a lot of unanswered questions. With that, let’s see what issue two has in store for us once again.

Motel Hell # 2 ***
Released in 2010 Cover Price $3.99 IDW # 2 of 3

Farmer Vincent and his staff alert the guests that the plane was stolen and crashed by Gage Hardmiller who was high on drugs and that they are all stuck there for the time being. Over breakfast of smoked meats Farmer Vincent during the morning prayer insults each of his guest and this angers Freddie Stanford who is then tased by Vincent and then again by Ida and this leaves the rest of the guest confused and scared. As Vincent takes the others for a hike around the farm an vineyard to show them all that there is no escape, Ida puts on her pig head and goes to work on Freddie as in the corner in a cage is the two young sisters who are now captives. Vincent mocks his guests and will not allow them to have any water and Holly Bell calls him out for his cruel actions to zero effect. That night the guests are all locked in their rooms as Freddie wakes up in a caged ring as Ida lets loose a massive wild hog named Hogsquatch that ends up hurting the football star. In the end Vincent and Ida have to pull the massive hog off Freddie as they need him alive in order the planet and turn into smoked meat later on.

The terror for these guests goes into full effect as they watch as their only way to escape exploded in the air and now learn that Farmer Vincent and his sister Ida have tricked them all into coming with the idea of teaching them a lesson and not allowing them to leave alive! And reporter Holly Bell now has the story of a lifetime as she tries her best to figure out what is truly going on as well as standup to Farmer Vincent when he tries to bully her and the other guests with harsh words and threats. The other guest all seem to be trapped and confused besides poor Freddie who ends up getting shocked by a taser twice and then mauled by a giant hog for trying to stand up to these demented Farmers. Farmer Vincent is a delight as he is crazy as ever and uses his religion as well as his own warped morels to try and “teach” his guests a lesson of two, he even allows a small dog to die of dehydration and does not think that he was cruel as he was not the one to bring the dog even though he is the one with the water that he did not share during the hot hike. Ida is just as twisted as she has went full pervert as she likes to do sexual acts with many of the male victims before they murder them or even planet them for meat. And the brother and sister also have a massive pet hog named Hogsquatch that seems to enjoy trying to kill humans. The issue has blood as well as violence with the hog attack being the most gruesome. This is a very fun and bizarre issue, and while Farmer Vincent and Ida are around, it also kind of only some what feels like a comic based on Motel Hell as the characters are slightly off as is the plot of a vineyard and a massive pet hog…now it’s not a bad thing for the most part, I do have to say that mega fans of the film might be a little more annoyed by these changes in feel and mood. The cover for this issue is ok and showcases mostly our series villains, and like before the interior art is done by artist Chris Moreno and is good stuff, but again I have to stress the characters look nothing like the actors. With the cliffhangers being the remaining guests trapped in their rooms and poor Freddie being injured and ready to be planted in the earth to be harvested for meat later on, it makes me look forward to reading the third and final issue once again.

Motel Hell # 3 ***
Released in 2010 Cover Price $3.99 IDW # 3 of 3

With Farmer Vincent and Ida out in the fields burring Freddie up to his neck, the other guests take this time to escape their rooms with Joss and Rupert escaping via a broken window and Holly and Desirae using a credit card to unlock their door, but before the two ladies can escape they run into Farmer Vincent who they knock out of the way to get their freedom. The two old con men Rupert and Joss do not get far as they run into Ida and her sledgehammer, the ladies however end up finding the secret human crop and the hidden barn were they set the twin girls free but Desirae is killed by Ida who strangles her to death and even causes her eyeball to pop out! Farmer Vincent ends up killing two cops that come to the motel looking for answers about the plane crash and the he arrives just in time to save Ida who has been hit with a hammer by Holly. Vincent and Ida end up going out to the farm and removing the eyes of the humans they are harvesting as they use them for the wine as Ida stomps on them, and they send Hogsquatch free in order to track down the twin girls who have found the dead cops and taken the gun and free Holly to give it to her so she can save them all from the giant hog and the crazy farmers. Holly allows Hogsquatch to bring her back to the farmers and she then pulls out the gun and kills the hog, she then shoots Ida in the face and shoots Vincent who is now in his pig head and slinging a chainsaw! As Vincent is dying he tells Holly he used anti-freeze in his wine as well as he got the idea of doing all this from cult leader Charles Manson. Holly and the twins then set the farm and crop on fire just as a police helicopter is arriving to help save them.

Farmer Vincent and Ida have meet their end…again in this third and final issue of Motel Hell as they are killed by reporter Holly Bell, who escapes their motel and is able to use a gun to end their reign of terror…but not before all her fellow guests end up killed! But you have to give Holly credit as she is able to save the two young twin sisters, plus I am sure she will become a big star with her report on this motel of terror. The fact that Farmer Vincent uses human eyeball for his wine is great and gruesome stuff as we get to see Ida stomping on the eyes that are in a tub to make them into liquid. And while he is still very loyal to his motel and smoked meats, its clear he things that God wants him to also make wine from people. I am not sure why Farmer Vincent also acts as if he got some of his idea from cult leader Charles Manson, as he keeps talking about how the two wanted to slaughter the piggies of the world. The one puzzling thing about this comic is that they never explain a lot of things like how Vincent and Ida survived the events of the film and who all the pretty ladies that helped them throughout the comic are and were they went by the final events. And again I think many fans of the film would possibly enjoy this strange mini series, but they might also get very annoyed by the extreme changes in the Smith siblings who do act slightly different than they do in the film. But one thing that will make fans of the film happy is that Farmer Vincent wears his pig head and his sister Ida does as well! Missing from the comic is the killer’s police officer brother Bruce Smith as well as the films female survivor Terry, it would have been nice to have seen them involved in this weird plot. The issue has lots of blood and gore with Ida squashing the eyes being pretty gross and Ida’s death being shot in the face is the issues best kill. The cover is very eye-catching as it shows Vincent and Ida with a gun pointed at them, and like two times before the interior art is one by Chris Moreno an is pretty good stuff as I like the way he drew Famer Vincent with the pig head on. Over all I have to say that I really enjoy this comic series more now than I did when it was first released, as while it is a strange take on Motel Hell and the characters from the film it adds a new tale for them, and I am ok with that as maybe this is how The Smiths would be in 2010! If you like the film, I think you should check this comic mini series out and I also think that if you like Farmer Horror stories also give it a read. Check out the artwork below to see the style used by Moreno in this series.

Motel Hell is a truly cult classic and one strange horror film that I have been a fan of since I can remember and even before I seen it thanks to Fangoria Magazine. And when this comic was released by IDW, it once more helped spark my interest in comics as during that time I was reading a little less than normal as I was not getting into anything Marvel or DC was releasing. And I really do hope that IDW will return to making comics based on classic, cult and current horror films as for readers like me we miss them. So in other words, IDW, bring back the Midnite Movie Comics as MGM has lots of great films to choose from that should be getting the comic book treatment. Well our revisit to Motel Hell has come to an endm and I hope that I did it more justice with this one and I am looking forward to going back and covering a few more in the future. Our next update will of course keep us in the world of horror comics based on horror films as we will be talking about Final Destination and the comic mini series based on it. So until next time, read a horror comic or three, watch a horror movie or two and as always support your local horror host. See you next update as Death has lots of strange ways to deal it’s self out for us to read about on the pages of a Horror Comic.

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Protégé Moi (2023)

Posted on February 28, 2026 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and, as you can see, to yet another “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update that is also a SURPRISE bonus update. Yeah I know, we are having one pretty early this year, but this one is based around the 2023 fantasy horror film called Protégé Moi that was made by Robbie Lopez who also owns Crude Comics And Cinema. And what is really cool about this update is that both the film and the comic book were released by the same creator showing that Robbie knows how to use comics to help promote his film! I really wish more indie filmmakers would do this sort of thing as it gives fans of the films they make as well as horror comic readers something to collect and enjoy. So if you are ready, let’s start our journey into the world of Protégé Moi and see what terror awaits us.

Let’s start by taking a look at Ambrigio The Vampire King and his way of dealing death to the living that unfortunately cross his path. Ambrigio was cursed and turned into a vampire when he felt the wraith of the God Apollo when he fell in love with one of his ladies, and now he and his legion have set their sights on tormenting mankind. Ambrigio, who when human was kind, is now cruel as he lives in the dark shadows alongside his horde of female bloodsuckers preying on humans who they view as cattle. Ambrigio wears all black, has a crown, has sharp fangs, long fingernails and the look of evil in his eyes and all this is what makes people tremble with fear when they gaze upon him and that is not when he is in full Vampire King appearance that is demonic bat looking. He rules over his female vampires with an iron fist as they are his playthings, his protectors, his loves, his family, his objects and when disobeyed he will punish them by paddling their backsides. His main tools of dealing death to his victims are his fangs that he sinks into human necks to drain and drink their blood. Ambrigio can also fly through the air and is very sneaky this allows him to drop in on his targets that he has marked for death. His vampire ladies are (Soelene, Mercel, Lenora and Velka) and besides them he is also aided by bats, armed guards and a Oracle all who will do what they are asked by their Vampire King and that means kill and die for him. He also loves to cook people alive via the torture device known at the Brazen Bull. While Ambrigio is powerful, he can be hurt and destroyed, as like most vampires the light of the sun will burn him to a crisp, fire can also hurt him. Ambrigio can also feel the pain of his vampire ladies, meaning that if they are killed or hurt he feels it himself as they are truly connected. One way to truly kill him is if another vampire can remove his head as well as drink his blood. So while Ambrigio started out a regular person, he for decades has become a scary and deadly blood-drinking vampire.

So now that we have taken a look at The Vampire King and his cruel ways, we should now take a look at the film he is from and that is the 2023 indie fantasy horror film Protégé Moi. I will be getting the film’s plot from our friends at IMDB and then will write about the film’s production and my thoughts. So if you are ready, let’s dive into the world of Protégé Moi and its Vampire King.

Protégé Moi (2023)

“Medieval Vampire Horror on a Planet Ruled over by the Vampire King worlds oldest and most cruel vampire, his chained female servants terrorize as Soelene the outcast finds mortal love taking care of her sick human Mother.”

Protégé Moi is an indie fantasy horror film that is written and directed by Robbie Lopez who is best known for his work on such films as Texas Death Trippin’ (2019) and Nundead (2023) before making this one. The film’s production came via Crude Comics And Cinema with an estimated budget of around $80 thousand dollars. When it came to casting, such names as Dave Sheridan, Richie Ramone, Felissa Rose, Nadia White, Rick Daniels, Masuimi Max, Amber Dawn and Chris Wolfe to name a few would be hired for parts and filming took place in Kansas, and the film’s score was done by Marvin Maddicks Jr. who had also done some of the music for many indie horror films and also leant his voice in the film as an Island Spirit. The film uses lost green screen and animated effects to tell its story and this helped them add locations to make the budget look bigger. The film would be released on VHS and DVD in 2023 and would be meet with mix reviews bit would go on to gain a cult following. The film in 2023 would be released along side such other Horror Movies as Evil Dead Rise, Five Nights At Freddy’s, Malum, Winnie The Pooh Blood And Honey, When Evil Lurks, Scream VI, Suitable Flesh, The Black Demon, Thanksgiving, Slotherhouse, SAW X, Cobweb, Beau Is Afraid and Cocaine Bear, to name a few.

I saw Protégé Moi in 2024 when I bought the DVD from Crude Comics website as I had to see it when I found out that a comic book was made around it, plus director Robbie Lopez is a good dude and puts his heart into all of his projects. One thing also that made me want to see the film is that is starred Nadia White, who I think is a very underrated actress in the world of indie horror and who made her name in the world of adult films, many of you may know her from being in the fright films “Don’t F*ck In The Woods (2016)”, “Killer Campout (2017)”, “WrestleMassacre (2018)”, “Daisy Derkins And The Dinosaur Apocalypse (2021)” and “Curse Of The Weredeer (2023)” to name a few. The film reminded me of one part Danzig music video, one part Suicide Girls with a dash of 90’s indie vampire film…and it’s a good mix of those as it is filled with blood, beautiful women and lots of creepy vampires on the loose in a village. Most of the reviews online I have seen complain about this one come from the use of the green screen backgrounds, but while some do stand out, it also give the film a bigger feel as well as adds to the overall nature. What also wins Protégé Moi points with me is that all the cast and crew clearly made this film with heart and believed in the production. And fans of the iconic punk band The Ramones will want to check this one out to see Richie Ramone as The Vampire King and he as well does music for the films soundtrack including covering the song “Cry Little Sister” from The Lost Boys. If you enjoy indie vampire films, like any of the actors in this film or just want to support a cool indie filmmaker make sure to track this one down and give it a watch.

So now that we have taken a look at Protégé Moi as well as Ambrigio The Vampire King, the main villain from the fright film, I think we are now at the point of this review that we take a look at the comic based around them. And I would first like to thank Robbie Lopez for not only making this comic book but also getting me a copy of the comic and making this update possible. I would also like to remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. And with that, let’s take a look at this comic and see what spookiness awaits us all.

Protégé Moi # 1 **1/2
Released in 2023 Cover Price $5.00 Crude Comics # 1 of 1

This tells the tales of Ambrigio The Vampire King, who is a powerful and cruel vampire as well as talks about his ladies who are Velka a gypsy who was down on her luck before being turned into a deadly vamp, Lenora a short sadistic sexy vampire, Mercel a dancer and fire blower vampire and lastly Soelene a sweet vampire who sneaks away to always visit her dying mother who named her after a witch she made a deal with and whose best friend is a bat named Gideon that watches after her. We also learn a little about monster killer Johan who travels around looking for vampires to slay and townie Andrade, a goof who wants to find a lady and some adventure. We are also introduced to the Royal Vampire Guards who are Igor and Ivan and the weapons they use.

This comic based on the film Protégé Moi does not tell a story and is more of a short character bios companion to the film much like “Who’s Who Of The DC Universe” and “Official Handbook Of The Marvel Universe” just with far less written history for each character, but does allow you to sort of understand the basic traits of the characters that you will see in the film. We get a look at Ambrigio The Vampire King and his vampire ladies as well as a brief look at our heroes. The cover for this comic is interesting and could easily be the poster for the film and the interior art is really solid and is done by Sando Venditti and many of the pages feel like a classic spooky pinup page from a horror magazine or comic. Not much else to say besides if you are a fan of this film, this comic book is worth having as it has good art and shares a little about the characters. Check out the artwork below to see the style of Venditti used in this comic.

So as you can see, this comic based on the film Protégé Moi is a fun way to checkout the characters from the film, but those who are looking for a story based comic might be a little sad….while I myself wish it was more of a story comic, I still enjoyed this bio one. Well I think this surprise “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update has come to an end, but I hope that it as well helped build your excitement for this several year long look at these types of comics. Our next update will take us back to the planned update of Motel Hell as I know you Midnite Movie fans are looking forward to that one. So until next time, read a Horror Comic or three, watch a Horror Film or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next update as we see what kind of critters really are used by Farmer Vincent!

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: The Remaining (2014)

Posted on February 22, 2026 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and to another “From Horror Movie, To Horror Comic” update. This time around we will be taking a look at a religious horror flick that would end up getting the graphic novel treatment from Kingstone Comics! this is a sub genre of horror that I think is often over looked by fans as most just think that they will be preachy and lack the scares of your normal horror feature, but that’s not true. While yes, they all tend to have a very faith based message, some of them truly bring some scares as who doesn’t find the end of the world scary? And the fright flick we will be looking at today is The Remaining, a film about the end of days. So if you are ready, let’s dive into this film as well as the graphic novel based around it.

Before we get too deep into our look at The Remaining, let’s take a look at the Demons who are our killers and death bringers in this film. When the Rapture happens and the second trumpet echoes out into the air, The Fallen, who are winged demons, come upon the Earth and attack the remaining people left behind. The demonic Fallen fly around in the darkness and stormy sky and swoop down to attack their prey. The Fallen truly love to torture their victims as they feed on people’s fear and misery. Their appearance is very ghastly, and this puts fear into the hearts of those who see them. They are very strong and can lift a person into the sky to either kill them or injure them before dropping them back down to the ground. They also make horrible noises and at times you can hear them in the air above you before they come down to snatch you up. They hunt humans mostly during the night and are drawn to people who pray or find faith in God as they want to wipe his teaching and word from this world. Their main tool to deal death are their tails that are much like a scorpions as they can impale a person as well as sting them that inflicts as very nasty wound that has poison inside it and also gets infected very easily. The Fallen Demons will kill individually but also will kill in a horde, and they truly are very dangerous. The Fallen Demons do not have any known weakness, and once they are called to Earth, there is no way to defeat them. So as you can see, these demonic Fallen truly are very dangerous and could even be unstoppable.

Now that we have seen what the Demons can do to those humans that are left behind, we should take a look at the film they are from! Like always, I will be taking the film’s write up from our friends at IMDB and then I will write about the film’s production as well as my thoughts about it. So if you are ready, let’s see what would happen to those who would remain.

The Remaining (2014)

“A supernatural thriller that addresses questions of life, love and belief against an apocalyptic backdrop. A group of close friends gather for a wedding, but the celebration is shattered by a series of cataclysmic events and enemies foretold by biblical end-times prophecies. The survivors face a horrifying, uncertain future as they scramble for safety, but as their world collapses around them in chaos and terror will they choose real life through faith, or just try to survive?”

The Remaining was a film that was created by Casey La Scala, who was the producer behind such films as Donnie Darko and Amityville: The Awakening and was inspired to write and direct his own horror film after visiting the set of Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones. He wanted his film to be on a bigger scale for the scares and that’s when he decided to base it around The Book of Revelations and the rapture that is said to take place when believers all over the world will be called to Heaven and those left behind will face the end of days. The film was picked up by Triumph Films for release and then such names as Johnny Pacar, Shaun Sipos, Alexa Vega, Italia Ricci, Liz E, Morgan and Bryan Dechart was brought in for lead roles, and Nathan Whitehead was brought in to score the film. The film was released on September 5, 2014 in limited theaters and would end up grossing $1,169,603.00 on a unknown budget and come out alongside other horror films as Tusk, The Pyramid, The Quiet Ones, Devil’s Due, As Above So Below and Dracula Untold, to name a few. The film would also be shown around the world and was well reviewed by fans and critics to very mixed reviews with many praising the terror but hating the dialogue. While it’s not a popular nor cult film, it does have its fans and has left its mark on the horror genre and is one of the biggest film in the faith-based horror subgenre in the last few decades.

The Remaining is a film that I have overlooked for years and did not really pay attention to it until 2022 when I found that the film also had a comic book based around it. So I knew I had to see it and cover the graphic novel here, and it would be 2023 before I would both watch the film and read the graphic novel. On a lazy summer Sunday I put the DVD of The Remaining in the player and sat back and watched it, and I have to say that over all I enjoyed it as I feel that the film had some great visuals and used darkness and shadows really well in many of the scenes. The first picture in this update is one of my favorite shots in the film as it has a very dark and spooky mood that truly says horror. Those who are looking for The Fallen Demons to be a big part of the film as far as being seen will be a little disappointed as they are not seen hardly at all and when you do it’s seconds. I really do wish that we would have seen more of them as they are truly the main villains of the film as they stalk our heroes across the city. The film’s writer and director Casey La Scala was raised religious, and it was clear that he wanted to make a horror film that could be faith based but yet not be so forceful in pushing a message, and for the most part he pulls it off. But with that said, much of the meaning of put your trust and faith in God is very present and only slightly in the end truly pushes that message home. While I do also agree that some of the dialogue is a little bland, I did find that I liked the bond the actors seemed to have making this film as it showed up on screen. I also liked actress Italia Ricci who I think could have made a go at becoming a horror actress, she did play Silver Banshee in the TV Show Supergirl for five episodes and she is one of my favorite Superman villains next to Parasite and Doomsday. Also for those who are wondering actress Alexa Vega who plays Skylar is best known for playing Carmen Cortez in the Sky Kids movies and has been in other horror films like “Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)”, “Mother’s Day (2010)”, “The Devil’s Carnival (2012)” and “Machete Kills (2013)” to name a few. And let’s be honest, I feel that one sub genre that gets over looked is faith based horror and I would like to see Kingstone Comics along with artist Kyle Holtz to team up and make more comics like this based off these type of films. Over all this is not a groundbreaking film but was a creepy end of days film that brought some scares as well as makes you wonder what would happen to you if the end of days happened in your lifetime.

So as you can see, The Remaining have their hands full with The Demonic Fallen that want to bring them death and a part of the destruction of the world as we know it. But now we are at the part of this update that we take a look at the graphic novel adaptation of the film that was released by Kingstone Comics, you remember them the Christian comic publisher that we covered when we did an update on Samson that you can read here. I would like to thank Amazon for having this graphic novel in stock and making this update possible. I would also like to remind you that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you are ready, let’s take a look at The Remaining and see how well this graphic novel stays true to the film it’s based on.

The Remaining GN ***
Released in 2014 Cover Price $9.99 Kingstone # 1 of 1

It’s Dan and Skylar’s wedding day, and Tommy Covington is filming it walking around the venue and getting video of their friends and family wishing them good luck and this includes Jack, Ally and Lauren. The ceremony goes smooth but Dan needs to tell Skylar something but all the guests keep interrupting. The reception is filled with joy and prayer, but Ally seems to be down and Jack notices as they are dating, and they break up that very night as she does not think he truly loves her. And just like that the air gets cold and people at the wedding just drop over dead, and Tommy is able to find a few of the living that include Skylar, Dan and Jack, and they are scared and shocked as outside planes are falling from the sky and crashing to Earth and the earthquakes start happening as the group of friends flee the venue in order to try and find Ally, but to their horror they find a massive storm is in the air and the streets are littered with death and destruction and all the while Tommy keeps on filming. The group also find that others are still alive and people are trying to help one another, and what is on everyone’s mind is why this happened and why are they left alive. Skylar tells the others that she thinks this is the End Of The World as told in the Bible and that the dead are the good people called to heaven, and she wants them all to find shelter as what is coming next will be very bad. Just then the sky turns weird and massive hail falls from the sky and causes them to hide in a library where they meet a teenager name Sam who ends up joining them as they continue their quest to find Ally, and now there is loud noises coming from the sky and so do demonic creatures that try at attack them, but they once more find shelter this time in a church as Skylar is injured by the creatures and needs medical help. And at the church they also find Ally who is happy to see them but also upset about the death of her friends and Skylar being injured. The priest is still at the church and fills in the friends about the Rapture and Tommy shows them his video that shows the demons in the sky that hurt Skylar as Jack and Ally make up and confuse their love for one another. Skylar’s wounds are getting infected and Dan goes out to the parking lot to get more medicine from the nurses van to help her, and they are able to get it and escape the sky demons that are all around. Tommy gets talking to Sam and they two bond over food and Tommy telling her about his love for Ally, and then all the friends start telling each other their dirty secrets like Dan had an affair, Tommy tells Ally his feelings for her and Jack is filled with anger. The Demons break into the church and kill the priest and the nurse, leaving everyone afraid in the basement. In the morning Dan, Jack, Tommy, Ally, Sam and the injured Skylar make their way to the hospital to get treatment for her as she is dying and while Tommy and Jack search the hospital for medicine, Skylar dies in Dan’s arms as Ally and Sam are with them in this moment of grief. Dan goes outside and curses the name of God and is killed by a demon, as Tommy and Jack return to the body of Skylar they find Ally has been killed as well by a demon. Now its only Tommy, Jack and Sam left, and they make their way to the bridge were many people have gathered. And Tommy makes the connection that everyone of his friends that have just died got attacked once they found a link with God, and Jack right then is at the prayer tent and gets ripped apart by demons. In the end Tommy and Sam are running for their lives as the demons are all around and have to make a choice.

The Remaining is a creepy look at the end of days and follows a group of friends who are at a wedding when the rapture happens and they stick together looking for safety and to get answers and along their way they see lots of death of destruction, pick up a new friend name Sam and even encounter demons in the sky that want to make humans dead who try and find faith now. And in the end many of the friends do not make it and the ones that do have to make a choice find God and be ripped apart or stay neutral and watch as Earth turns into Hell. For a faith based horror comic based on a horror film, this is a pretty great read as all the spooky elements come from The Sky Demons (The Fallen) as well as just the atmosphere of the world coming to an end and the fear of those left behind. Our main focus of the film is Tommy Covington, a man who was hired to film his two friends’ wedding and who by the end of this graphic novel confesses his love for a woman dating his best friend, becomes friends with a young woman he meets that a fellow survivor and lastly tries to be the peacemaker in the high tension environment that his friends find themselves in. Jack and Ally are a couple that have been dating for seven years, and while she wants to get married, he seems to just be happy with the way things are, and right before The Rapture, the two break up and he spends his time trying to find her as he truly does love her. Sadly they both meet their end at the hands of The Demons as both end up finding faith and guidance in God. Sam is a younger lady who has found herself alone and hiding in the library before she ends up joining up with Tommy and his friends, and she truly becomes part of their group and goes along the quest to find and save others. The newly married couple are Dan and Skylar who are deeply in love and things get bad when she is attacked by The Demons that cause terrible wounds that get infected and as well filled with poison, and she dies of her wounds and Dan turns on God and faith all together and gets killed. And that is the thing, all of these friends have their own secrets and these could be what has kept them from being brought to Heaven during The Rapture as many are not close or have to faith. The Demons are truly evil as they attack anyone who mentions God as their goal is truly to bring on the end of times, and all those who are sinners or faithless will be the target for their deadly attacks. The graphic novel does have some blood and violence, but is by no means a bloodbath. The cover for this graphic novel is pretty cool ,and the interior artwork done by Kyle Hotz is top notch as Kyle’s style is perfect for this style of faith based horror comics…in fact I wish Kingstone Comics and Kyle Hotz would team up more often and make more comics and graphic novels based on faith-based horror films! While many readers might be turned away from the religious tones and messages in this graphic novel, I for one was not as I found it to be a entertaining read that was filled with some spooky moments and did its job of making a group of friends come together under extreme stress in order to try and watch after each other. And I want to also say that I feel that this graphic novel did a great job of staying true to the film its based on with the major change being they show The Fallen more and I am ok with that change! Checkout the artwork below to see the style of Kyle Hotz used in this graphic novel.

The Remaining is one of those horror films that is not known but has its share of fans, and I am sure this graphic novel helped bring attention to the film as that is what comic books based on the fright films of the cinema and home media are good for, and I really do wish that more filmmakers and studios would work with comic publishers to make these types of comics for readers. I really do give Kingstone Comics respect for doing this comic series as this is totally out of the norm for them, and I hope that they do more comics like this as I would like to see them do a comic based on the 2023 film Nefarious as I think it could have made a great spooky read, make this happen Kingstone and Kyle Hotz! But our time with The Remaining has come to an end, but our time with horror comics based on horror films has not as our next update will take us to the Motel Hello or I mean Motel Hell as I will be revisiting that film as well as the IDW Comic series based on it. So until next time, read a horror comic or three, watch a horror film or two and as always support your local horror host. I hope we get in time to the Motel to get some fresh Farmer Vincent jerky!

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: I Come In Peace (1990)

Posted on February 12, 2026 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and to another “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update as this one we will be taking a look at the 1990 hybrid genre film I Come In Peace, a film that for some reason kids I know and myself were obsessed with when it was released. We will also be taking a look at the indie comic adaptation of the film that most horror comic readers didn’t even know existed. And it’s very cool that this film got the comic book treatment as I feel that so many classic horror and sci-fi films over the years that should have never did so its nice when some of these cult b-films do. So if you are ready, let’s dive into I Come In Peace aka Dark Angel and see if the comics are as entertaining as the film.

Let’s start off by taking a look at Talec, a massive 6’5” alien who likes to kill and steal the endorphins of his victims to sell as a street drug on his planet only after he pumps them full of drugs to overdose them to make his task easier. Talec besides being very tall has long blonde hair, blue milky eyes, wears all black and has a straight forward intimidating face making his appearance alone scare the hell out of the humans he is tracking as he is not like any other person on Earth. Talec is super strong and can kill with his bare hands if he choose to and is skilled in hand-to-hand fighting. It takes a lot to hurt Talec as he is built for fighting and has a strong pain threshold. He is a fast runner as well and does not run out of energy making him a threat to any person he has set his sights on. He also can speak as he can say “I Come In Peace” with a raspy voice, he also growls and snarls when angry and this as well can scare your basic human. He also has many tools of dealing death at hand as he first has a rapid firing gun that when bullets hit things they explode and the gun itself has levels you can turn up for more impact, he has a arm gadget that fires off blades that are attracted to humans and will cut and kill very fast as it can jump from person to person in a room, he has a tube that fires from his wrist gadget that enters the chest of his victim and injects them with a drug to induce a overdose and lastly he has a knife like object that he rams into the skull of his victim to steal their bodies endorphins! He is very cold and does not care about the lives he takes and almost gets joy out of the killing. He as well is a drug dealer on his planet and a wanted criminal. While Talec is one mean mother from outer space, he can be injured and killed like any living thing as it seems being shot, blown up and impaled will truly stop Talec once and for all and make his white chunky blood flow. He also becomes very sloppy and fights with anger if you mess with his drug supply and this leaves him open for attacks and to make mistakes. Talec is a truly deadly alien and looks to get his drug supplies for his planet by taking the lives of people on Earth.

So as you can see, Talec is a very dangerous alien who truly knows how to deal death to any human that he chooses. And I am sure we all agree that if a massive 6’5” alien with white eyes and an arm blade was coming after us it would be a pretty scary and crappy day! But now I think that it’s time we take a look at the film he is from I Come In Peace! And like before I will be taking the film’s plot from our pals at IMDB and then I will write about the film’s production and then will write about my thoughts of the film. So if you are ready, let’s see why this alien truly didn’t visit Earth in peace.

I Come In Peace (1990)

“A Renegade Cop is forced to work with an FBI Agent in order to bring down a group of Drug Dealers with sinister plans.”

I Come In Peace, or Dark Angel as it is known outside of America, is a film that was written by David Koepp and Jonathan Tydor that was released by Triumph Releasing Corporation that was slated to be a big sci-i, horror and action film hit. It was directed by Craig R. Baxley who was just coming off filming Action Jackson and would go on to direct such other films as Stone Cold (1991), Storm Of The Century (1999), Rose Red (2002) and The Diary Of Ellen Rimbauer to name a few. When casting the film such actors as Dolph Lundgren, Matthias Hues, Betsy Brantley, Brian Benben, David Ackroyd and Sherman Howard who horror fans would know as Bub from Day Of The Dead. When filming it would go over two weeks beyond the filming schedule that took place in Texas with a $7 million budget and was supposed to be called Dark Angel but the production company for the American release didn’t like the name so it was changed. Jan Hammer was brought on to score the film and it would get a theatrical release on September 28, 1990 and would do very poorly only doing a little over $4 million. The film when first released was panned by the critics as well as fans and would not build its cult following until after it was released on home media and aired on cable. The film would be released in 1990 alongside such other horror films as Arachnophobia, Tremors, Nightbreed, The Exorcist III, Child’s Play 2, Predator 2, Blood Salvage, Maniac Cop 2 and Silent Night Deadly Night 4 to name a few.

I Come In Peace is one of those weird hybrid movies that does a entertaining job of blending sci-fi horror with action and every kid I knew who saw the film all quoted the lines “I Come In Peace” “And You Go In Pieces Asshole” as I can remember my cousin Norman saying it all the time after he saw the film…what a fun memory. And at the time of this release Dolph Lundgren was a big action film star and he had already done the films Rocky IV, Masters Of The Universe and The Punisher so of course the youth of the time wanted to see I Come In Peace! Really it was odd as when this film was released it kind of was like “A Nightmare On Elm Street” as kids on the playground would brag if they had seen it. Matthias Hues who plays the alien drug dealer Talec was prefect in the role as he was creepy looking and he as well already had many roles under his belt that made him a favorite of the youth at the time like No Retreat No Surrender 2, Big Top Pee-Wee and Cage. I first saw the film thanks to it airing on HBO or Cinemax as my parents had no interest in seeing it on the big screen and cause of its R rating they would not allow us to go on our own. Think about this, the main baddie in the film was a drug dealer from outer space who came to earth to sell his deadly goods…all the while a space cop is also on the case to try and bust him…weird and delightful. While the film is very cheesy and not for everyone, if you enjoy some action in your horror you should check this one out as you might find a new favorite cult classic for your collection. Oh and on a side note for several years a sequel had been spoke about by actor Matthias Hues, but it never was made.

So now that we have chatted about that intergalactic drug pusher Talec and the film he is from I Come In Peace (Dark Angel) I think that it is time that we take a look at the comic book based on them…and to be honest in 1991 when this comic was made I had zero clue about it and it would be many several years before I found out about it. I would like to thank both Lone Star Comics and an Ebay Seller for having these comics in stock and making this update possible. I would like to also remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you are ready, let’s see if this alien really does come in peace or if he is just one mean dark angel.

I Come In Peace # 1 **1/2
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.50 Greater Mercury # 1 of 2

Evil alien and drug dealer Talec arrives on Earth looking to harvest his raw materials for his drugs and wanders around the big city looking for it. Meanwhile members of a drug ring called White Boys ran by Victor Manning have gotten into a police station and stolen lots of drugs and even killed a few cops and even set off a bomb injuring many others. Detective Jack Caine and his partner later are trying to set up Manning by booking a meeting with him to try and buy, but as Caine is listening in via his partner’s wire he also has to stop a store robbery and is late to save his partner who is discovered to be a cop and is killed by Manning’s men who are in turned killed by Talec who uses a metal flying disc to slaughter most of them and then steals the drugs, and later he also attacks a shop owner and kills him in his own business. Caine is in trouble with his boss and is forced to take a vacation but is quickly back on active duty when he is paired with Agent Smith of the FBI in order to crack this case and find Manning as well as who killed many of his men. And after shaking down a criminal at a strip club he Caine finds out that Manning thinks that he is the one that killed his men and stole his drugs, and Caine and Smith even return to the scene of the crime and find the disc stuff in a stereo speaker. We also learn that Caine is dating the city coroner Diane Pallone and the two have a very rocky relationship due to Caine’s obsession with his job and busting criminals. Also arriving on Earth is Azeck, an alien police officer who is hunting down Talec to arrest him and bring him back home to face the punishment for his crimes. Talec continues his killing ways and ends up running into Caine at one of the scene of the crime and they two start fighting in a dark ally with Talec getting the upper hand.

This comic adaptation of I Come In Peace is awesome but also very much a big mess as the story is kind of all over the place and nothing links the change of “scenes” together as things almost seem to be randomly happening. The comic also starts off with a very weird fight on a alien planet where Azeck and his father have a small and quick chat, its weird and really is out of place. The plot has a drug dealing alien coming to Earth and killing people to get supplies for his drugs and is being hunted down by both a alien police officer as well as a tough as hell earthling and his FBI Agent partner. Detective Caine is a officer who truly wants to bring down crime and even breaks the rules to do so as he goes outside the box to crackdown on them and that even includes killing them. He is also very skilled not just with his gun but also in fighting as it’s clear he knows martial arts and that the crime world hates him. Agent Smith is a young agent for the FBI who is trying to do everything by the book, and seems to be taken back by the antics and ways of Caine. Diane Pallone the city coroner and lady of Caine is the one who has to be the one who is seeing the bodies of the victims of Talec and figures out that some one is stabbing into their brains as well as making them overdose on heroin. Drug lord Manning and his goons are a major annoyance and are causing issues for the city as well as the cops, but are also in the path of Talec and that means death could be coming their way. Talec is a very massive and dangerous alien who says “I Come In Peace” as he is murdering you, he does not care who he kills as long as he gets the supplies he needs for his drugs that he will sell on his home planet…and here is a spoiler, the supplies come from his human victims! He also does not care if the people he kills are good or bad and nor does he seemed bothered that he is being hunted down by the police of his home world as well as Earth. The fight between our hero Cain and drug pusher Talec thus far is very one sided as the cop is out powered by the massive alien, but you have to give him credit as he is still fighting back. The comic has some blood and the horror comes from Talec wandering around the city and massacring people as a massive alien with a sharp blade object on his arm is pretty scary! The cover is very cheesy and yet eye-catching and shows Detective Caine, Agent Smith and Talec letting you see the main cast of characters. The comics interior art is done by Darryl Cobbs and is very odd as it looks very much like a indie comic from the late 80’s and early 90’s and the characters look nothing like the actors who play them and I am sure his style will not be for everyone. Over all a entertaining first issue even though its confusing and sloppily put together, so let’s see what the second issue has in store for us and how Caine escapes the attack of Talec as they leave us on a true cliffhanger.

I Come In Peace # 2 **1/2
Released in 1991 Cover Price $2.50 Greater Mercury # 2 of 2

As Talec is choking the life out of Detective Caine, our hero seems powerless against this massive alien and his life is saved by Azeck who arrives and has a shoot out with his bounty and the two run off into the night just as Agent Smith shows up confused by everything as he notices a hand print around the neck of Caine. Once they are both safe Caine explains to Smith that he thinks that they are up against an alien drug dealer and that another alien is there to help stop his path of death and destruction, but when talking to the Chief about getting extra help Smith does not stand by his partner and Caine is told he has to take a long overdue vacation. That night Talec attacks again killing people inside a store and Azeck shows up once more and the pair have another exchange of gunfire, but Azeck is shot and injured badly. The crime scene is cut off from the police as Secret Agents are looking around and will not let Caine nor his girlfriend and city coroner Diane Pallone enter, and this causes Caine to embrace the vacation idea and he tells Pallone to go home quit her job and get ready for a long vacation…as she leaves Caine and Smith get into it over being bad partners and as they enter their car Azeck is in the back seat dying and passes his gun to Caine as well as tells him who Talec is and warns them that they must kill him before he leaves the planet, and with that Azeck dies and even explodes as he fades away. Smith ends up taking the gun and turning it over to his boss at the FBI who is corrupt as he is going to kill Smith and later Cain as they want to save the alien to learn from him! But Caine saves Smith when he shoots his boss and the pair then head off to do the right thing and that’s track down and take down Talec and when they track him down they are also joined by members of The White Boys we are taken out really fast by Talec, and in the end after a dangerous fight Caine uses the alien gun to blow up Talec with a single shot and then heads out to start his vacation with his lady.

In this final issue of the adaptation of I Come In Peace, the plot has Caine and Smith finally being on the same page and heading on a great manhunt to bring down the alien drug lord before he can return home and turn Earth into a bloody battlefield as his drug selling buddies would come here to harvest people to make their drugs. And they have to do so alone as the police force does not believe the story of aliens and the FBI are wanting to collect the alien in order to study and learn from it. Detective Cain is truly a hard ass who plays by his own rules in order to get things done and bring done the criminal filth that plagues his city, he is also while at times it does not seem it very loyal to his girlfriend and partners as his harsh demeanor causes those around him to think he is a total jerk. But when he push comes to shove, he is the kind of friend you would want on your side. Agent Smith is very loyal to his job and bosses at the FBI and at times clearly plays everything to by the book, but when he finds that sometimes you need to think outside the box in order to save lives and bring bad guys down. Poor Diane Pallone is around and is caught up in this alien invasion and it’s clear all she really wants to do is spend some time with Caine. Azeck does his best to save the earthlings from being killed and turned into street drugs on a alien planet, but his best was not good enough as he finds himself dying from a gunshot wound and has to trust two earthlings to save the planet. Talec is cold blooded and truly just wants to kill people to get their endorphins to sell on his home planet, and all he can say is “I Come In Peace” as he murders people very violently. But while he is a massive alien with raw power and lots of tools to deal death, he as well ends up meeting his maker by a well placed gunshot. The comic does a pretty good job of staying true to the film with some changes being in the pacing as well as the cut back panels of Azeck’s home planet and these changes do make the read seem like a new experience based around the story we the fans of this film all know. The comic’s horror elements come from Talec and his killing ways and the issues does have some blood being spilt, but noting to major. The cover is pretty cool as it shows Talec and Caine and the interior artwork done by artist Darryl Cobbs and is pretty good stuff, but keep in mind it is very indie in style and the characters look nothing like the actors who played them in the film. Over all this is a enjoyable adaptation that I would say is not for everyone but if you are a fan of the film I would say make sure to track it down and give it a read. Checkout the artwork below to see the style used by Cobb in this comic series.

I Come In Peace really is a cult classic film and many people never knew that it got the comic book adaptation treatment, and while the comic might not have been perfect, it was a fun read and if you’re a fan of the film, it might be something that you would want to checkout as it is very weird and does make some slight changes to the film’s plot. So with that our time with Talec has come to an end and it’s clear he did not come in peace as almost all those he said that to ended up in a body bag. But don’t worry, we will be staying in the world of horror and our next update will have us looking at The Fallen that come during the end of days as we will be talking about the 2014 faith based horror film The Remaining. So until next time, read a horror comic of three, watch a horror film of two and as always support your local horror host. See you next update for a scary good time!

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: The Black Demon (2023)

Posted on February 2, 2026 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and to another spooktacular “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update as this time around we will be heading to the waters of Mexico to talk about the massive shark that is called The Black Demon! This 2023 indie horror film had a limited theatrical release and. also had a comic mini series based around it thanks to indie comic publisher Scout Comics. And as I have said many times in the past, I wish these horror filmmakers would team more often with horror comic makers to do releases like this as horror comic readers eat them up and it’s a great way to promote your film. So with that said, let’s get in this tiny rotting boat and hope that we don’t get chewed up by the massive Black Demon Shark who is hunting these ink waters.

Lets start off by taking a look at The Black Demon and its ways of bringing death to foolish humans that enter its cursed waters. The Black Demon is a massive megalodon shark that is very supernatural in nature as it is a creature that is set free by an Aztec God to punish people who do the environment harm in the Baja Coast in Mexico. Black Demon is massive in size and is scarred up from all the years of roaming the waters and eating up humans on boats, and his appearance brings terror to those who see it…let alone just saying its name strikes fear. The Black Demon is a fast swimmer and can also make his prey hallucinate by seeing things that are horrific like body parts floating or even give them a false look as something that will give them safety like rescue boats, but these mind tricks are just a way to scare you and leave you open for death. It’s main way of killing humans comes from its massive razor sharp teeth and big mouth that can swallow up a boat and the people on it with ease. But The Black Demon, while a supernatural creature, can be hurt and or killed as being blown up with explosives seems to do it in for good, its size as well seems to work against it when it comes to being able to squeeze into spaces to get to its prey. The Black Demon is a true terror of the waters that strikes fear and spreads death in the waters of Baja and is a creepy killing machine.

So as you can see, The Black Demon is a massive shark that is truly looking to end some lives and make people live in fear! And now I think that it is time that we take a look at the 2023 film that it’s from and like always, we will be taking the films plot from our good pals at IMDB and after that I will write a little about the film’s production as well as my thoughts of the film. So with that, let’s head a little deeper into the water and see what The Black Demon is all about.

Black Demon (2023)

“Paul Sturges takes his family on a trip to Mexico to inspect an oil rig his company owns. Once they get out there, he finds the place almost abandoned with only a few terrified workers left who tell him that the rig has been repeatedly attacked by a monstrous shark that is part of a Mexican legend. With the rig sinking into the water and the shark hunting them, he must find a way to get his family to safety and stay alive.”

Film director Adrian Grunberg along with scriptwriters Carlos Cisco and Boise Esquerra came up with the idea to turn the Mexican legend of the giant shark known as The Black Demon into a film in order to bring its tale to horror fans outside of Mexico as well as to deliver a frightful watch much like Jaws, Orca The Killer Whale, Sharknado and Meg before it. The film would be set around a family stuck on a crumbling old oil rig in the ocean as the Black Demon attacks and waits for them to enter his water so he can make a snack out of them. The film cast such names as Josh Lucas, Fernanda Urrejola, Hector Jimenez, Venus Ariel, Julio Cesar Cedillo and Raul Mendez, to name a few. The film was shot in the Dominican Republic and shooting would be last for a few months, and the craziest part is that for the longest time the creators of this film kept the plot very quiet and all anyone knew was that it was a shark movie! The film once done would be scored by Ricardo Acasuso and would get a limited theatrical release on April 28, 2023. The film did not do great at the box office and was pretty much panned by both critics and viewers leaving it to have to try and truly build it’s following once released to home media. It would bring in $3,446,755.00 for its run in the theater worldwide. The film was released in 2023 alongside such other Horror films as Scream VI, Cocaine Bear, Fear, Infinity Pool, Evil Dead Rise, Winnie The Pooh Blood And Honey, Skinamarink and Grandma to name a few.

The Black Demon was one of those indie horror films that I saw the trailer for and wanted to see on the big screen as I thought you could not go wrong with a giant shark movie! And lucky for me one of the local theater chains ended up picking it up and showing it a handful of times and so on a lazy Sunday afternoon my lady and I checked it out, and while we had a good time at visiting the theater, the film was sadly a slight letdown as it had a surprisingly lack of The Black Demon and was more about what we as humans are doing to our bodies of water and how greed and fear will cause people to turn the other cheek even when they know something is causing major damage to the world as well as those workers in the unsafe environment. I also have to say that in the film the main character is a man named Paul Sturges who works for the oil company and is one of the most unlikable “heroes” that I have ever seen as he is just a jerk who is very self serving and endangers people and animals for his own greed, and even when he tries to right all his wrongs I still feel that he is a jerk. I do think that most of the acting in the film was good and it was great to see Hector Jimenez in the film as most viewers will know him from the 2006 film Nacho Libre where he played Esqueleto, and here in Black Demon, he plays a boat driver that works for the oil company. I also think that actress Fernanda Urrejola who plays the wife Ines does a good job in what little she was given, and viewers would know her from the 2021 film Cry Macho. But over all Black Demon is one of those horror films that could be an ok watch on a boring night, but for those looking forward to giant shark attacks, this will be very disappointing. And for those wondering, I did end up buying the film on DVD that was strangely released by Paramount Pictures.

So now that we have taken a look at The Black Demon, the supernatural megalodon shark and its ways of killing humans as well as the film it’s from, I think it is now time to take a look at the comic mini series based around the indie film. I would like to thank Game Swap Kettering for having the comics in stock and making this update possible. I would like to also remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So with that, let’s make some noise and see if we can draw The Black Demon out!

Black Demon Tales # 1 **1/2
Released in 2023 Cover Price $4.99 Scout Comics # 1 of 3

In 1984 a Mexican Navy boat is giving chase to a smaller boat that has protesters and researchers are going to leak to the press about the Black Demon, but unknown to these whistleblowers they are heading toward their deaths as the massive sharks appears and kills them all leaving wreckage and carnage behind. The Navy Captain is being yelled at by his crew member and daughter Bella Gonzalez who is upset that they knowingly lead these protectors to their death, but before things can be settled, their ship is also attacked by the Black Demon who destroys their boat, leaves all the crew dead besides Bella who makes it to shore with a seriously injured arm. Years pass and in 1986 Bella lost her arm and it is replaced with a metal prostatic and she now is building a weapon that she hopes will kill The Black Demon who not only took her arm but the life of her father. Bella heads to the Baja Coast with her new weapon in hand as a giant squid has washed ashore and inside it is the remains of a man, these deaths are the doing of The Black Demon! She then heads out on a boat to try and use her weapon on the shark and is able to do so but it does not stop the supernatural shark that destroys her boat and knocks her out cold. She wakes up on the beach and a fisherman is holding his hand out to help her up.

The first issue of Black Demon Tales is a cool start to the series as we learn that The Black Demon has been roaming the waters in the 80’s and has made an enemy out of Bella Gonzalez, a Navy researcher who was the victim of one of The Black Demon’s many attack that left her missing an arm and worse her fellow crew members with one being her father dead! Bella Gonzalez is clearly a woman who wants to do the right thing as she does not like that her father lead the protestors to their death, and she is all for revenge as she wants to kill the demon shark and is using her smarts and science to try and do so. Sadly at this point it appears that she has failed as even with her special bomb she finds herself once more injured and on the beach defeated. And as for the stranger who comes to her aid, I am sure we will get to know him in the next issue. The Black Demon is a killing machine as in just this issue he kills a boat full of protesters as well as a navy men as its quest to kill to right the wrongs of mankind against nature is truly what drives it. The story is a fast read and as of this first issue The Black Demon shark is pretty badass and I can not wait to see what more mayhem and terror it causes in the rest of this mini series. The comic is not bloody and the horror comes from the giant shark attacks themselves as well as its massive appearance. The cover is pretty cool and shows a lady about to be swallowed up by The Black Demon, and for fans of the film or even just shark attack entertainment it would be eye catching. The interior art is pretty good stuff and is done by Vincenzo Sansone who I think draws The Black Demon shark very well. Over all not a bad start for this mini series based on the film that is based on a legend in Mexico, so lets see what issue two has in store for us.

Black Demon Tales # 2 **
Released in 2023 Cover Price $4.99 Scout Comics # 2 of 3

Father Mateo sits near the ocean in Mexico and tells the tale of female warrior Erendira who would not allow her people to be taken over by the rule of Spain. Erendira has taught herself to ride a horse and has trained many other warriors in her group to do the same as they are ready for a fight, she also goes and visits an old wise woman who lives near the beach who tells her of a God that watches over the waters, fills it with many fish for eating and also has a very evil protector. Meanwhile a ship of Spanish soldiers are on their way to Mexico and come across some native fishermen and they decide to kill them as they think they are savages, and this pisses off Erendira and the old wise woman who ends up summoning The Black Demon to get revenge! The massive sharks kills so many of them and as the Spanish Soldiers get to the beach they attack the Aztec Warriors who end up fighting back and in the end the Soldiers are killed as is the old wise woman who puts the curse of being the watcher of The Black Demon on the Father that was with the Spanish fleets and that man was Mateo who has been alive now for over three hundred years keeping an eye out for wrong doings in the ocean so that he can free Black Demon to get revenge.

This second issue at this point has zero to do with the first issue and is kind of a boring tell of a female Aztec Warrior who watches as The Black Demon kills off most of there peoples enemies in the waters, and then she kills off the remaining once they touch land. And the “big” part of the story is the old Aztec wise woman who gets killed in this fight passing down the watcher label and curse to the Spanish Father that was washed ashore who is still doing that job to this very day. The main character is Erendira, an Aztec female warrior who learns how to ride a horse and gets a group of other warriors to help her fight against the Spanish who are trying to claim and take over their land, she is skilled fighter and while she does take out many soldiers she also fails to protect the wise old woman who gets killed right in front of her. Speaking of the old wise woman she loves the open water, but she also seems to hate unleashing The Black Demon as she understands that this massive shark is a protector…but it also seems a little evil. And poor Father Mateo was just in the wrong place at the wrong time as he is pleading with the Aztec’s for help, but his own people being blood thirsty and attacking the warriors makes him become cursed, and now he is force to please Aztec Gods and be the keeper of The Black Demon. Speaking of The Black Demon he does his job as he kills many Spanish soldiers and is doing what he does best and that is chomp down on ships and people. The issue has some blood and kills the Horror comes from The Black Demon’s attack on the boats, but sadly the story and pacing is just kind of bland and is not a great Horror Comic at all. The cover for the issue is pretty cool and shows Erendira with The Black Demon creeping up behind her. The interior artwork for this issue is done by artist Armando M. Zanker and I like it for the most part as it has a dash of cartoony look and the way he draws Black Demon is good. Over not a great issue but I do feel that if you like the movie you might enjoy this issue as it goes back in time to show kind of how the Aztecs used The Black Demon during a hostile time.

Black Demon Tales # 3 *
Released in 2023 Cover Price $4.99 Scout Comics # 3 of 3

Joseph Stalin is sick and sends one of his most trusted man to the South America waters to search for a cure, and along the way this hired Russian also crosses the path of Americans as well as locals who are caring on rituals to protect the waters from outsiders. And he finally finds the cure that can even cure dismemberment! But seeing the Russian ship in the waters one of the natives dives in and summons The Black Deamon that destroys the ship and kills the crew and makes it that Stalin never gets his cure.

I first have to say this comic series got worse with every issues as the stories became a mess and in the case of this third and final issue it was just boring and very lackluster and lacks any true Horror. The plot is very simple and as a man is sent to find a cure for a ill Russian leader only to find it and then be killed by The Black Demon. None of the characters in this issue are interesting as they are all just kind of around and barely move the plot along. The cure that can cure people even in death is never explained and the reason for The Black Demon being sent to kill a ship full of people is also very clumsy and kind of confusing. The Black Demon shows up at the very end of the issue and massacres the bot and it’s crew adding in some blood being spilt, and I guess the Horror as well. And that is one of the big issues with not only the film but also this comic series is that we want to see The Black Demon as this massive shark is the star and we don’t need every issue in the case of the comic to be tied into a person or a group that is summoning it by the end only for it to appear in a few panels. All three issues as well never connect besides for the waters and The Black Demon and really I just did not dig this series at all. The cover for this issue is kind of cool and shows The Black Demon in the water doing what he does, and the interior art in this issue is done by artist Jose Esteban Urabayen and his work is good and the highlight of this issue as I do like the way he draws Black Demon as well as all the death carnage. Over all not much too talk about here, as this series really was a letdown and one that I would not recommend unless you’re a mega fan of the film. Check out the artwork below to see the style used in this series. Oh and on a side note by the third issue they do not acknowledge the film at all, almost like the distanced itself from it.

Black Demon is one of those horror films that had lots of great potential, but it just never got going and spent way too much of its time on family drama and not enough on the giant shark who truly felt like an afterthought. And with this comic series from Scout Comics it was a great idea to showcase the shark during different time periods and use this comic to help promote the film, it’s just that many of the Tales are just kind of chugging along and don’t pack the terror they should. And with that I think that it’s time that we leave The Black Demon behind and I tell you that our next update will be about that sci-fi, horror and action films known as I Come In Peace and the indie comic series based around it. So until next time, read a horror comic or three, watch a horror movie or two and as always support your local Horror Host. Do you think that a drug-pushing alien with a blade on his arm that steals brain fluid really does come in peace?

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: The Island Of Dr. Moreau (1977)

Posted on January 13, 2026 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. Our “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update themed year is in full swing and for this one we will be taking a look at the 1977 film version of The Island Of Dr. Moreau that was released by American International Pictures and got the comic book adaptation treatment by Marvel Comics. I am sure many of you readers are fans of this story that was written by H.G. Wells in 1896, and most of you have also seen this film version of the story that use to play all the time on TBS in the 80s and 90s! Like so many others that we have done and are doing for this year’s overload of horror comics based on horror films, this update is long overdue, and I am very much looking forward to once more entering the Island Of Dr. Moreau, both the film and the comic! So with that, let’s get in our little boat and row ourselves to this island filled with animals that are also part man!

Let’s start first by taking a look at the Beast People who live on The Island Of Dr. Moreau and their way of dealing death and having order. The Beast People are animals that have had their DNA altered with that of a man causing them to be a mix between the two. While they talk and partly look like a human being, they battle their primal instincts of being an animal and have the lust to hunt and kill but also live by the law that is set for them by their creator Dr. Moreau. And when they no longer live in fear of Moreau’s law, they truly become wild and allow themselves to let their animal sides loose. The Beast People have many ways of dealing death to humans, as they are strong, fast moving and some have a true hunting nature. They come in all different species as you have such ones as Bullman, Lionman, Hyenaman, Boarman, Catwoman, Bearman, Chimpman among others and each have a wild look (with some being more fearsome than the others) and this easily chills the blood of their target and puts true fear in their hearts. The Beast People’s main attack is pure frenzy as they use their hands and teeth to rip apart flesh and do so with anger, hate and instinct. Once also in frenzy, their speaking is more primal and savage and they are only focused on bloodshed and murder. They are both pack and single killers as they don’t seem to mind killing alongside each other in their attacks. The Beast People can be killed like any normal man or animal as they can be shot, stabbed, burnt, crushed, blown up are mauled to death by a wild animal. They also do live in fear of their creator and this causes them issues as they obey his words out of pure terror, but on the other hand, when they are no longer under his law, they lose their smarts and act out in a mindless fury and this leaves them open to mistakes that will cause them their lives as they make very poor choices. While The Beast People might not be the most dangerous killers we have covered here, they are truly a killing breed when they are no longer living under man’s law.

So as you can see, The Beast People or the Humanimals are truly wild and pack killers that are clearly more beast than man. But now that we have chatted about them and their ways of killing, I think that its time to talk about the 1977 version of The Island Of Dr. Moreau that they are from. Like always, I will be taking the films’ plot from our good friends at IMDB and then after that I will write about the film’s production and then my thoughts on the film. So if you are ready, let’s avoid The House Of Pain and just cite the law and take a look at this classic 70’s film.

The Island Of Dr. Moreau (1977)

“A ship-wrecked man floats ashore on an island in the Pacific Ocean. The island is inhabited by a scientist, Dr. Moreau, who in an experiment has turned beasts into human beings.”

In the late 1970’s American International Pictures were making films based on the works of H.G. Wells as they wanted to find their next big book author to based films around as they had found big success with doing ones based on the works of Edgar Allen Poe. They had already done “The Food Of The Gods” in 1976, and their next one was slated to be “The Island Of Dr. Moreau.” The film was able to get a $6 million dollar budget on the script by Al Ramrus and John Herman Shaner that of course was based on the book by Wells. The film would cast such names as Michael York, Barbara Carrera, Nigel Davenport, Richard Basehart, Nick Cravat, Fumio Demura and Burt Lancaster as Dr. Moreau. The film was directed by Don Taylor who had directed such films as Escape From The Planet Of The Apes (1971) and Tom Sawyer (1973) to name a few, with filming taking place on the Virgin Islands. The film had a 12 makeup artists on call who had to work fast, hard and cheaply pulling off the looks of the Animal People and would have to spend roughly five hours on the makeup on the actors. The film was a stressful shoot, and once done, Laurence Rosenthal was brought in to do the films score as he was not stranger to doing music for horror and sci-fi films. American International Pictures truly thought that they would have a big hit of their hands with this film as it was released to theaters on July 13, 1977, and with this release date it would come right after the July 4^th weekend. It was said that the film did poorly at the box office and barely did over its budget, and was met with very mixed reviews from critics and viewers. The film would later gain a cult following thanks to showing on TV as well as being released on home media. The film was released in 1977 alongside such other horror and sci-fi films as Orca The Killer Whale, Day Of The Animals, Empire Of The Ants, Tentacles, Kingdom Of The Spiders, The Hills Have Eyes, The Incredible Melting Man, Exorcist II: The Heretic, Return To Boggy Creek, Shock Waves and Suspiria, to name a few. As you can see, 1977 was a good year for animal themed fright flicks.

Growing up I was always a big fan of The Island Of Dr. Moreau, both the book and the films based around it with the first film version I ever saw being the 1932 one called “The Island Of Lost Souls” that starred Charles Laughton as Dr. Moreau. The first time I saw this 1977 version was when Grampa Munster hosted it on his TBS show Super Scary Saturday, and I was a fan as I liked the look of the animal people and I thought the jungle island setting was super cool. The Beast People are always the highlight of any film version ,and while many would think the special effects for The Beast People in this film is dated, I still really like the look with the Lionman being my favorite in the film. I also liked Bullman as he looks truly like a monster man; plus he fights a tiger near a pond! The acting in the film is good as I do think that Burt Lancaster was the right casting as Dr. Moreau, Barbara Carrera is stunning as Maria the cat woman and while Michael York slightly over acts I still find his performance to be good for the most part. The film really also plays up “The House Of Pain” being the place that none of the animal people want to go and that makes sense as who wants to be tortured in order to follow the rules of one crazed man. As a kid I always thought that this film was bigger than it was and can remember talking to my fellow classmates about it as we all liked the idea of animal people, and I can remember one time drawing pictures of them for art class and getting a good grade! Over the years of course I owned the Marvel Comics adaptation but I have also owned the film on VHS and DVD, not to mention have the film’s score on CD. For some reason this classic film has always been a big part of my life from a youngster to adulthood. If you have never seen this version of Dr. Moreau and really enjoy 70’s sci-fi horror films, you should do yourself a favor and give it a watch as you might just find yourself being a fan of the film like I am. Before we move on there are also many rumors that this film had many different endings filmed as they had a happier ending, a downbeat one and even one that saw Maria give birth to a baby kitten…not sure if it’s true as this mostly comes from actress Barbara Carrera.

We are now at the point of this update where we take a look at the Marvel Comics adaptation of the film, and this is a comic that I had as a kid and is one that I have read many times over the years…but it has been a very long time since the last time I did so I am very much looking forward to seeing if it still holds up for me. I want to first thank Mavericks Cards And Comics for having this comic in stock and making this update possible. I would like to also say that I wish Marvel Comics would still do these cool adaptations of horror and sci-fi films as they were always a big part of my youth reading comics. And like always I would like to remind you that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you are ready, let’s head fully into this island and see what terrors await for us.

The Island Of Dr. Moreau # 1 ***
Released in 1977 Cover Price .50 Marvel Comics # 1 of 1

Andrew Braddock has wrecked at sea and has been in the ocean on his lifeboat the Lady Vain for a very long time, but he is filled with joy when he sees an island and quickly rows to get there. As his looks around the island for fresh water he is being followed and falls into a trap and is rescued by Dr. Moreau and his employee Mr. Montgomery who take him in and tend to his injuries. Braddock learns that Moreau has been on this island for eleven years and that he is very much happy here and that he does not get much visitors as boats do not pass by very often he also meets a little later Maria who was rescued as a child from being sold, meets M’Ling who is a weird looking servant, learns that Montgomery is a mercenary and heavy drinker who don’t like to answer questions and learns that the jungle is filled with wild animals and that he should not wonder around at dark and even during the day stick to one part of the compound that is not his temporary home. Late that night Braddock is scared when he sees a wagon appear and chained in the back is M’Ling who now looks more beast like and is acting crazy, and he soon sneaks into Moreau’s lab and finds people inside that look like animals and in shock again Moreau appears and tells him of his experiments that blend both animal and man together creating a new race of Humanimals and over the next nights Braddock both hates what is happing but also is very fascinated by it, he also finds himself falling in love with Maria and also witnesses how cruel Moreau can be to his created life as he whips a poor Bearman before Braddock’s eyes causing him to stop the attack, and during all this he is able to leave the compound with a rifle in hand to explore the near by mountain and what Braddock finds is a society of Humanimals that are not as happy to see him! He listens as The Law Giver says their laws, but the Lionman has heard enough and attacks Braddock who is saved by Moreau and Montgomery, and Lionman is taken away to The House Of Pain for breaking the law. Braddock watches as Moreau keeps his beast men in check and also learns that he might be stuck here forever, and with this he starts to think of a way to get himself and Maria off the island and away from this madness. But things go wrong when Bullman breaks the law and attacks and kills a tiger and is hunted down to be taken to The House Of Pain and during this he is injured and Braddock ends up shooting him to end his suffering…and this causes a major uproar with the Beast People. Moreau ends up being very upset and uses Braddock as an experiment to learn more about his drug that turns animals into man by turning a man into an animal, and this causes Moreau also to fight with Montgomery who ends up being shot and killed and the Beast People witness this murder, causing them to question the law! The Beast People end up killing Moreau and attack the compound to destroy it and the lab and only by luck is Braddock and Maria able to escape as M’Ling is not as lucky as he is killed by a tiger that got loose from the lab, while the rest of The Beast People are killed by the freed wild animals or the fire they started by accident. At the small Lady Vain lifeboat Braddock and Maria are confronted and have to kill Hyenaman before they can make their escape. Days pass and on the ocean Braddock returns back human and as they are about to be rescued by a approaching ship he turns to see that Maria is turning into a cat person.

This comic version of the 1977 film version of The Island Of Dr. Moreau is a really fun and creepy read, and Marvel Comics did a great job of bringing the film to comic pages and doing it right as the comic makes just enough changes to make it feel different but yet the same. The plot is about a shipwrecked man finding safety from the ocean he was lost on in a island that is ran by a scientist who has turned animals into people, and now he must survive this twisted new land and get himself and a young woman he meets off the island before they are torn to pieces by the Beast People who are revolting against the laws laid out for them. The main changes from the film to this comic is the ending as in the film Maria only has cat eyes and in the comic she turns full feline, another change is that at the start of the film Braddock has a fellow survivor who is attacked by the Beast People before he can find help and in the comic he just not shown. Also The Bullman trying to run to escape being punished in the House Of Pain, only to be shot and killed after a short time by Braddock is truly trimmed down to a few panels. But even with these changes I would truly say that Marvel Comics did this film justice with the adaptation that has held up for me after all these years as I was a fan of it when I was a kid and now as an adult I still find it to be a great read. The comic captures the uneasy horror of The Beast People turning savage after learning that they are not fully man and that the law they lived by was all a lie, plus the comic has some cool deaths that are not bloody but done effectively. My favorite kill is when Hyenaman is killed with a spike through his body by Braddock in order for him to truly get away from the island. The cover for this comic is really cool and eye catching as it shows the Beast People, Dr. Moreau and Braddock with Maria running away from them all. The interior art is done by Larry Hama is great stuff, and I really love the way he drew the Humanimals with once more the standouts being Lionman and Bullman! If you love the classic art style of 70’s Marvel Comics then truly Hama’s art will draw you into this story. Over all if you like this 70’s film classic and enjoyed the old comic adaptations of films make sure to give this one a read and add it to your collection.

The 1977 version of The Island Of Dr. Moreau is a great film that had some great creepy moments that featured Humanimals learning how to once more embrace their animal sides and fight against the laws and the man who created them and caused them so much pain and fear. But I think that it is time that we ourselves leave this island as it seems the Humanimals are not pleased that we have stayed so long. So as we make our way back to the boat, I should let you know that our next update will take us to The Black Hills Forest as we going looking for The Blair Witch! And as I said last update, 2026 is truly going to be the year of “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” updates, so strap in for a very spooky year! So until next time, read a horror comic or three, watch a horror movie or two and as always support your local horror host. See you next update as we take a hike in some very haunted woods, I just hope the witch doesn’t make us stand in the corner!

From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead (2014)

Posted on December 14, 2025 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and to another “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update. For this one we will be talking about Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead and the promo comic that came with the DVD release. For those who don’t know what Dead Snow 2 is all about, it’s a indie dark comedy zombie horror film that features group of humans trying to stop a group of Nazi zombies who are trying to complete their orders from decades back. This film is in cult status and is a well loved modern zombie film and now it’s going to get the Rotten Ink treatment, so grab your winter gear and let’s head out into the bitter cold snow as from what I hear there are zombies out there!

So before we get to deep into this update, let’s take a few moments to chat about Standartenfuhrer Herzog and his Nazi zombie army. Herzog and his Undead Army have many ways to deal death and first their rotting appearance can strike fear into the hearts of their victims and cause them to die of fright as well as become hysterical and make mistakes on trying to survive. They can also use their bare hands to rip and tear flesh and are shockingly skilled in hand to hand combat. Plus they will bite and use their teeth in order to cause damage, death as well as infect you with their undead disease and cause you to become one of them. The can also use weapons of war to deal death that includes guns, knives and tanks to slaughter their targets and they are very skilled with these weapons and that makes them even more dangerous than your standard zombies. They are also horde killers but are also very dangerous on their own. Herzog himself is very strong and can use his brute strength to take a humans life; he also has the ability to resurrect the newly killed to become new soldiers in his army that all do what they are told to do making him the most dangerous as he has a massive army willing to act on his commands. They also have no fear nor conscience and do not hesitate to kill humans making them killing machines as they also do not tire and can take some damage from those who attempt to fight back. But while Herzog and his Nazi Zombie Army are very deadly that can be dealt with as they can be hacked up, blown up, shot up, burnt up and smashed up and by destroying their heads is the full way to stop them. So while they can be stopped, they still are very dangerous and Herzog can always just bring back or create new members for his growing army.

So as you can see Herzog and his Nazi Zombie Army are very dangerous and are different than most other zombies we have covered here as again I have to stress they can use weapons of war. But now that we have talked about these zombies, we should take a look at the film it’s based on Dead Snow 2 and like always I will be taking the film’s write up from our friends at IMDB and after that I will write about the film’s production as well as my thoughts. So if you are ready, let’s chat about this indie fright flick.

Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead (2014)

“If the worst day of your life consisted of accidentally killing your girlfriend with an axe, chain-sawing your own arm off, and watching in horror as your closest friends were devoured by a zombified Nazi battalion, you’d have to assume that things couldn’t get much worse. In Martin’s case, that was only the beginning.”

Dead Snow was a 2008 film that was a big indie horror hit in both America and its origin nation Norway and with this success the writer and director Tommy Wirkola decided to do a sequel! The sequel would bring back actor Vegar Hoel as Martin Hykkerud and would bring in other actors like Martin Starr, Jocelyn DeBoer and Ingrid Hass and Orjan Gamst would return as Standartenfuhrer Herzog the lead Nazi Zombie. Filming would take place in Iceland and would be filmed in English as well as Norwegian and would be filmed in very snowy weather with most of the zombie cast being made up of MMA fighters as well as stuntmen. The film would be scored by Christian Wide and would get a limited theatrical release in America in late 2014 and would only bring in around $37,473.00 for Well Go USA Entertainment, and by 2015 it would get a DVD release. The film did better at the international box office bringing in over $1 million dollars. The film that year would be released alongside such other horror films as The Babadook, It Follows, Tusk, Dracula Untold, A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night and What We Do In The Shadows to name a few. The film would go on to become a cult classic and was meet with pretty good reviews from fans and critics. As of this update, no new film is planned for the series.

As you longtime readers know, I have been a horror film fan since I was a very young kid and grew up watching them, so it is even shocking to me that it took me until 2022 for me to watch both Dead Snow and Dead Snow 2! Both films have always been on my radar but for some reason I just never got around to watching them, but when I finally got the DVD’s of the film from Game Swap Kettering and found that the second film came with a promo comic I knew I needed to watch them and make a From Horror Movie To Horror Comic update about them. And before I watched them, my brother told me that he enjoyed the second film over the first, and after watching them both I tend to agree as while I think some of the gore in the first film is good some of the humor fell flat with me while I liked the story and characters better from the second film. The one odd thing in the second film for me is all the Star Wars quotes from one of the Zombie Hunter characters, as it was used as humor and at times felt out of place. The film’s Nazi and Russian Zombies look very cool and at the end of the film both zombie sides clash and it’s lots of fun to watch as they hack and smash each other back to death. The series main villain is Standartenfuhrer Herzog who is very violent and pretty scary as he deals death and destruction all because he is following long over orders. One other very cool element in this film is that main character Martin Hykkerud loses part of his arm as does Standartenfuhrer Herzog and by mistake both have the others arm attached to them and because of this Martin can touch a dead body and bring them back to life as a follower of his cause. This is a very fun and bloody good zombie dark comedy that you should check out if you have waited way to long to watch like myself. Before we end this, I think they should make a part 3 and make it even more bloody and over the top than the first two in the series, but at this point in time it looks like a third film will not be made.

So now that we have talked about Standartenfuhrer Herzog and his Nazi Zombie army as well as the film they are from Dead Snow 2, it’s time for us to take a look at the promo comic that came free inside the DVD release. I would like to first thank Game Swap Kettering for having this promo comic and DVD in stock and making this update possible. And I would like to also remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you are ready, let’s head out into the snow and try our best to avoid the zombie that are on a mission for gold and small down invasion.

Dead Snow # 1 ***
Released in 2015 Cover Price FREE Well Go USA # 1 of 1

The year is 1943 and a small cabin in the mountains is under attack by the Nazis and as one man is begging them not to take his families rations as winter is here and they are already starving, Standartenfuhrer Herzog listens to the man’s pleas and then murders him with a fish hook in front of his family. The Nazis move onto the next village and have to dodge deer that are all over the roads, and once at the village the Nazis steal all of the peoples gold and jewelry as well as use a tank to blow up a herd of deer, plus the kill one of the townspeople in front of the others and as the box of riches makes it into the hands of Herzog one of the townspeople rushes over and slits his own wrist and bleeds all over the gold as well as Herzog’s hand and places a curse on him that will forever link him to this treasure and will cause him and his men to become zombies who over time will beg for death! The town people then armed with basic weapons try and attack the Nazis but are all mowed down by machine gun fire. In the end Herzog notices that one of the blown up deer is now a zombie and he also sees that mountain area that will become their base as this origin tale ends.

This is a pretty cool little promo comic as its story follows Herzog and his men as they torment, rob and kill villagers all for the quest of gold and power, and they make the mistake of messing with the wrong villager who before he dies is able to place a curse on them all that will forever make them zombies and linked to the gold they have stolen from his people. Herzog is very evil and uncaring as he seems to be uncaring by killing both animals and humans, and even takes pleasure in killing a man in front of his family as he robs them of all their food leaving them to starve to death in the harsh winter months. And even when the cursed is placed on him and his men and he sees that the deer he killed are coming back to life he is unbothered…this dude is a coldblooded killer! His men are also very cold as they steal and take human life on orders and are un-phased by anything they are asked to do. The poor villagers are bullied, scared and most of all pissed off about their treatment but sadly everyone of them who try to fight back end up dead with several of them in this issue being shot and one his hooked, but you have to give them all credit for trying to stand up for themselves and each other. The comic is pretty bloody as we get a close up of a gunshot wound to the head as well as a hook to the jaw making it very gory. The promo comic also does a great job of capturing the horror mood of the film as well as the sinister attitude of Herzog making for a good movie tie in comic. The cover is pretty cool and showcases the head wound panel and could be very eye catching for horror comic readers. The interior art is done by Kurt Van Der Basch and is great stuff and has a very cool indie horror comic look to it. This is a very cool promo comic that does a good job of extended the film universe and adds some detail to some of the film characters past. If you like Dead Snow 2 or even just Dead Snow, make sure to track down this comic and give it a read. Also make sure to checkout the artwork below to see the style of Kurt Van Der Basch.

Dead Snow 2 is a good film and also a good comic and this is a prime example of what I have been talking about for as long as this blog has been active and even before that as comic books make great promo items for your horror films as almost every Fright Flick has an interesting world that fit for comics and with the right creative minds behind it the comics can expand that world and also get readers turned into viewers. I am also glad I finally got around to watching the Dead Snow films as while they are not amazing films, they are highly entertaining ones that deliver a great watch for fans who like a little laughs with their terror. We will be leaving the world of Dead Snow behind as for our next update we will be heading to the world of cartoons as we will look at Roman Holidays! So until next time, read a horror comic or three, watch a horror film or two and as always support your local Horror Host! Make sure next update, you keep your eyes in the sky for not only Santa and his reindeers but also so silly family and their pet lion.