Catacomb of Torment #1 Review

Catacomb of Torment #1

Oni Press

Written by John Arcudi, Marguerite Bennett, Matt Kindt, William M. Gaines and Al Feldstein

Art by Patrick Piazzalunga, Dan McDaid, David Lapham and Graham Ingels

Colors by Alessandro Santoro, Michelle Madsen, Nick Filardi and Michael Atiyeh

Letters by Richard Starkings and Tyler Smith

The Rundown: The Tormentor reveals four tales of terror.

What’s the Deal with Voodoo?

Two college students go to see an aging comedian on campus and their pc biases bring them face to face with him in his hotel. When an accident causes his death, Rain begins to hear and see things including the dead comedian himself. A vision that will lead to a tense confrontation and a dark revelation.

I understood what Arcudi was trying to do in this story by skewering pc culture and the intolerance of the protagonists. It’s just that the story doesn’t particularly land for me because I don’t care about any of the characters or what happens to them for it to affect me. The art is really good though. I enjoyed the visuals a lot.

Quintana Roo

A group of friends vacations at a fancy resort on the dime of one of the parents and when they decide to disrespect the land in both word and deed, the land decides to fight back and make an example of them.

An intense, entertaining and thrilling story with a great message and fantastically detailed art throughout.

Garden Variety

A chef with an affinity for mushrooms discovers his new growth technique might have a few flaws. Flaws that will lead to a deadly dinner for everyone invited.

I really enjoyed the premise of this story and the potential roads it could take me down as a reader. I just didn’t find a way to connect with the ending. It had a great buildup, but the landing felt forced. I did enjoy the visuals a lot. There were some great visual scares.

Halloween

A new matron is brought in to mind the children at Briarwood Orphan Asylum and she is determined to do her best for the poor, practically starving children under her care despite the limitation given her by the master of Briarwood, Mr. Critchit. As she continues to fight to make a decent home for the kids, she discovers a dark truth. A truth Critchit is willing to kill for.

A great classic Halloween story with a wonderful twist ending and great art that reminds me what I love about this genre of comic.