Hack/Slash #14 – Review

By Tim Seeley, (Writer) Emily Stone, (Artist) and Val Staples (Colors)

I don’t think I am making too much of a leap when I say that nearly everyone reading this site has, at one point, gotten pissed off at the constant stream of remakes coming out of Hollywood. It seems as though nothing is sacred anymore. I honestly believe that horror fans have gotten the worst of it as rarely is there a day that goes by without news of another remake going into production.

The latest issue of Hack/Slash tackles the remake craze in a way that only Hack/Slash can: by serving up dark humor and loads of gore on the set of a Wizard of Oz remake that’s being directed by the guy who did “Epic Movie 2 and 4 Fast 4 Furious” (Yeah…Tim Seeley gets it). While this one scores big points on concept alone, it isn’t as strong as it could be. There is a lot of potential for gory fun (darkly comic murders inspired by Oz? Sign me up!), but much of it goes unrealized because everything happens way too fast due to the inclusion of odd breaks in the story. I understand the need to advance the three overall series arcs, but it comes across as tacked on when they have next to nothing to do with what the bulk of the issue is about. This one is good, but nearly as great as it could have been.

Tim Seeley serves up some great humor and brings some interesting elements into the series that should play out well in future issues. While I disagree with the way he used this issue to bring those elements into play, I must admit that I am looking forward to the direction the overall plot is taking. In particular, next month looks to be one hell of a ride (80s horror fans are in for a treat).

Emily Stone’s artwork is solid (as usual), but marred by some questionable color work by Val Staples. While the majority of the book looks just fine visually, the gore scenes are hit or miss due to the strange use of pinks and purples for most of the blood. I am able to forgive Staples somewhat though, because a certain scientific serum looks absolutely perfect.

Hack/Slash #14 is a lot of fun, but could have been better. It scores points for concept, comedy, and future plot potential, but not many as were up for grabs. I expect big things next month, so I hope this one makes good on all the promise it holds. (Grade: C+)

-Kyle Posluszny