The horror genre comes in all shapes and sizes; vampires, zombies and werewolves may be classic monsters but of all the monsters that exist, it is the impact and imagination of the human mind that creates its own demons. Cullen Bun is no stranger to the variety of horror having covered plenty of examples for a number of publishers.
Seren is one of many patients living in a very reclusive retreat. After a number of stays, brought on by failed expectations, her life is one of quiet contemplation where the current status quo doesn’t seem to be helping. Familiarity breed apathy it seems. When the staff mysteriously vanish the residents are left to dangerous, blood desiring monster who looks to stalk and kills to fulfil its deadly feeding needs.
Cullen Bunn, as mentioned, is something of an expert in the horror genre. Over time, he has shaped a number of stories, across every sub-genre. This time around Bunn is using three distinct vibes in order to tell his story. Firstly, there is the asylum like setting. Secondly there is the monster itself, almost vampiric and finally the flight of the unknown. Bunn wastes no time in setting up characters, whether it is to die or survive, each character has their part to play. Language wise, this is an indie book so there are swear words not hidden by the more mainstream symbols. That said, if you were being chased by a blood curdling monster, alone in the dark, I am pretty sure that you would hitting more than a few expletives of your own. Bunn utilises the various genres well, mixing them to create a dark, tense and at time terrifying read and situations.
The art is provided by Joe Bocardo who tries to go for a realism in sort of extreme manner. The figure work is solid, though faces are not so consistent. In horror, I can understand this as the situations here are certainly fluid. Where Bunn can write psychological horror, Bocardo goes from scene setting to bloody horror, so gore is not only expected but also prevalent in the final third of this issue. With four issues to go, I am sure that there is more to come. Colin Johnson’s colors are fabulous, catering to the environs of the hospital, the emptiness of the site, the horror of the situation with the the introduction of the monster to feeding the beast with copious amounts of red. Justin Birch rounds off the creative team with a round of fonts for the hunted and the hunter alike.
Not for the faint-hearted, this book is an excellent addition to the very cluttered horror genre, with its clever use of sub-genres that cater to many, many nightmares!
Writing – 5 Stars
Art – 4 Stars
Colors – 5 Stars
Overall – 4.5 Stars
Written by; Cullen Bunn
Art by; Joe Bocardo
Colors by; Colin Johnson
Letters by Justin Birch
Published by; Source Point Press