CREDIT: ComicTribe
Rating: 4.5/5 – A Creepy Halloween Treat You May Have Missed.
by ComicSpectrum EiC Bob Bretall
Halloween ComicFest, the Fall version of Free Comic Book Day that is less publicized and still finding its footing, was last Saturday. I find fewer stores participating in my area with the same vigor as they do on Free Comic Book Day. Lots of stores have comics to hand out, but there seem to be less events and sales coupled with the day. I think there are a lot of competing things drawing people’s attention on Halloween and this comic book themed holiday gets lost in all the other parties and events people are gearing up to attend. Which is too bad, because there were 19 full-sized and 13 mini-comics to be had for the day. I managed to get my hands on all 19 of the full-sized comics this year and my favorite by far was Quilte from ComixTribe, by the same team that brought us “And Then Emily Was Gone“, writer John Lees and artist Iain Laurie.
I’m always a fan of giveaway comics that contain new material instead of just repackaging existing stuff. The reprints are great ways to bring new readers into the fold if they are re-presenting tried and true “winner” material, but I’ve often read that stuff the first time around so I’m personally pleased when I get something new. Quilte is the story of revered psychologist Dr. Karla Quilte, who specializes in using her psychic powers to help patients with recurring nightmares by entering the dreamscape with them and helping them resolve their underlying problems. In the first few pages of the issue, we see Dr. Quilte help a young girl, Amanda, with a fairly creepy nightmare. The story them moves to the another patient, Adam, who is so disturbed by his nightmares that he’ll do just about anything to prevent himself from falling asleep. Has Quilte met her match? Well, you’ll have to get your hands on the comic and read it to find out.
Quilte artist Iain Laurie has an extremely non-conventional style, and it is a wonderful match for the creepy on off-kilter story by John Lees. This is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but I loved it. You can download a preview of this issue from the Halloween ComicFest website and have a look for yourself. If you like what you see as much as I did, check with your local comic shops and see if they got any copies of this (or can re-order one) for you. This is the kind of comic that reinvigorates my love of the medium, so different from everything else on the stands and telling a take that seems to work best in comics where the art and story work together to tell the story paced out precisely on the printed page by the creators.
Reviewed by: Bob Bretall
(bob@comicspectrum.com)
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