Gates of Misery, The (Book)
Written by Brandon Cronenberg, Steven Kostanski, Jon Knautz, and Dave Alexander
Published by Matthew Therrien
Let me begin by saying that I am a fan of comic books. When asked to review The Gates of Misery, I gladly jumped at the chance to read this first issue and soon learned that Gates began through a Kickstarter campaign by creator Matthew Therrien. I eagerly dove into the story and am pleased to say I wasn’t disappointed.
Issue 1 contains four different stories, each introduced in a method reminiscent of Tales from the Crypt, only instead of the Cyptkeeper, our narrator is a cemetery. With this incredibly interesting concept, the opening sequence hooked me, and I couldn’t wait to get to the stories.
Beginning with “Re-Phase Malfunction,” Gates takes the reader into the world of a mad scientist, and since this is a horror comic, his plan to exterminate his enemies takes a dark turn. The illustrations done by Therrien are creepy and stunning, reminding me a bit of Watchmen in their style and color choices. Storywise, Steven Kostanski does a great job drawing the reader into the doctor’s world and keeps the audience guessing as the story progresses.
My favorite story from The Gates of Misery is titled “Death in Li Tolqa,” written by Brandon Cronenberg and illustrated by Therrien. The story has a premise audiences are familiar with – characters paying in a horrific way for crimes that they’ve committed – but even with this well known idea, Cronenberg spins a tale that caused me to immediately re-read the story when I completed it. It was such a twist and, without giving away any major plot points, a horror story that is not only entertaining, but unpredictable.
The Gates of Misery kept me entertained, in certain instances scared, and only left me with less than glowing things to say once. “Darrel and Lenny” was not my cup of tea. Neither the story nor its artwork held my interest, but understand that adding humor into horror is not something that I generally enjoy. A well placed pun and a joke or two are fine, but I fell asleep during Leprechaun, which is what the story of “Darrel and Lenny” made me think of as I was reading.
If you’re a fan of comic books and are looking for a fun and easy read, grab a copy of The Gates of Misery – I know I’m looking forward to Issue 2!
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Categorized:Reviews
