Grindhouse – Doors Open At Midnight #2

Nov 2013 | Dark Horse

Writing: Alex de Campi
Art: Chris Eric Peterson | Marc Laming
Colour: Nolan Woodard
Letters: Alex de Campi
Cover:  Dan Panosian

Bee Vixens From Mars Part 2

It’s up to Deputy Garcia to save her small town from Bee Vixens From Mars in this action-packed conclusion.

This is one of those times where I’ve read something and just don’t have a whole lot to say about it. I really liked the first issue and this one kept up the B-movie feel. The progress of events were what you’d expect from a B movie and I particularly liked the little bee larvae om-nomming; they were adorable.  The Queen was pretty magical, too.

As far as the story is concerned, things concluded nicely and it had lots of bee action. It really did feel like I’m reading a comic adaptation of a movie, which happened to be the most important thing for me. It really hit the mark and I enjoyed it and I’m looking forward to the next movie: Prison Ship Antares.

Grindhouse – Doors Open At Midnight #1

Oct 2013 | Dark Horse

Writing: Alex de Campi
Art: Chris Eric Peterson | Marc Laming
Colour: Nolan Woodard
Letters: Alex de Campi
Cover: Chris Coop | Francesco Francavilla

Bee Vixens From Mars Part 1

A hive living in a tree in a cemetery makes the best honey ever tasted, but there’s something wrong with bees that fly at night. Stranger still are the deaths that have happened.

Any fan of exploitation horror films full of sex, violence, and afterthought of plot, will love Grindhouse. It’s a good tribute to the old era of preposterous gratuitous horror movies that are somehow still entertaining despite it all. I certainly enjoyed this book. It reminded me of Roger Corman’s Wasp Woman from the late 50’s and I wondered if we’d get the same kinda thing going on. In a sense we did. Despite it being a comic, it still captures everything that’s to love of those old horror films with just the right pacing and predictability that’s expected and pretty much required. Most importantly, the monsters were just as I’d want them to be and not just pretty girls wearing striped clothes or something else equally tame.

Yay! Another book added to my pull list! I hope that after Bee Vixens From Mars it will continue on to another preposterous story and keep the tradition going. I miss horror movies like that and the ones made today just don’t quite have the charm that these old ones did, so this book is all I have. Fingers crossed it lasts.