American Gothic Press 2015
Written by Steve Niles
Illustrated by Nat Jones
Lettered by Marshall Dillon
I have really enjoyed this story that Steve and company have taken the world of monsters, particularly movie monsters and turned it into this world run by them where humans are in the minority has been exceptionally well done. After having started off with a woman fleeing from the vampires only to run into a group of werewolves was great to see. Then we were introduced to the Frankensteins and this issue we have another surprise guest monster society that honestly I had never expected to see. I think the only classic movie monster this series with missing is the Mummy.
From Kim's concept to Steve's execution this series has been one of the more fun versions of monsters that we've ever had the privilege to see. The dialogue and characterization we've been getting every issue has been exceedingly beyond what I could have expected. There is Frankenstein answering to the werewolf leader really it just struck me as so funny and completely in character. Even the moments of levity injected into the story bit so naturally that you chuckle and understand the tension that's happening but still completely enjoy it. In a weird way it seems that Steve has almost humanized the monsters made them more people than fearsome with you know the struggle to survive and coexist all being played out before our eyes.
I have to admit the concept that even the vampires among all the monsters are considered to be the most evil force which can unite the others is fantastic. Even while there are tensions among the different monsters inhabiting this planet it's still fun to see how everything plays out. Each group has strengths and weaknesses that can be fully explored further down the road should these guys decide they want to revisit this, which by the way I hope they do. It isn't hard to imagine that within four issues these guys have created a world that we would want to visit over and over again. I think the concept alone with the humans being the minority here and the monsters running this world it's just perfect enough that it's different enough that t would be you know something we want to keep coming back to.
Nat's work here to have been really inspired. The characters have all the hallmark classic look and feel of the original movie monsters that we ever saw. That it all seems to be done in an almost watercolor effect so that its got detail yet still has a dreamy quality to it really makes the interiors stand out.
There really is something magical about this whole recreation of the original monsters in the world they inhabit that really strikes a chord within the imagination.