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REVIEW: Chamber of Terror #1
Book Title: Chamber of Terror #1
Book Description: Chamber of Terror #1 is an anthology that contains three stories in one issue.
In the first story, “Dark Pathways”, takes place in a Midwestern town. The Tower family has a daughter named Maggie who has been possessed by a demon. In addition to Maggie being possessed, some cattle at a local farm have been mutilated. When a hunter of malignant spirits arrives at the Tower’s residence we see just how serious the situation truly is.
The second story, “Djinn”, is a short story about a man who sees a Djinn in a mirror that is being stored in his grandfather’s attic. The Djinn promises to grant the man any wish…. IF he can provide enough flesh and blood to be freed of this glass prison. Thus begins a ghastly killing spree.
The final story, “Lazarus”, is a noir style detective thriller of biblical proportions. The primary character is Detective Lazarus. He is THAT Lazarus. When he came back from the dead he became immortal. It is his duty to maintain the balance between good and evil until the second coming of Christ.
Detective Lazarus is on a high profile case. The governor’s wife and her lover have been found on the side of the road murdered and dismembered. This is just the beginning. In a matter of hours an ex lover of the governor’s wife is also found murdered.
How deeply are these cases connected? Lazarus is going to have to go through Hell to solve this case. The only question is whether he can solve it before more innocent people are hurt.
Book Author: Tony Kitrell and Gary Goldstein
Book Format: Paperback
Publisher - Orgnization: Advent Comics
Publisher Logo:
Illustrator: Zipactli Jl
- Story(3.25)
- Interior Art(3.75)
- Cover Art(3.75)
- Dialogue(3.5)
- Mechanics(3)
- Editing(3)
Summary
The three stories we get in Chamber of Terror #1 have three different conclusions. “Dark Pathways” tells the reader it will be continued. “Djinn” is a one shot. “Lazarus” is a one shot that feels like we’re going to be seeing more of. Personally I love the idea of a serial novel, with the caveat that we get segments frequently enough to keep it fresh. To anyone that’s a cynic about the concept of a serial novel working in comics, read The Watchmen or V for Vendetta.
I liked “Dark Pathways”, but didn’t love it. It has a good foundation laid out and the premise is very interesting. When we get the second installment I’m hoping we’ll have slightly smoother transitions between scenes and a touch more character development.
In a way, “Djinn” reminds me of Life of Pi. It makes us question what is real as opposed to perceived or imagined. The way it’s written does a wonderful job of playing into that. There were inconsistencies that caused me to read the story a second time. Then the light came on.
“Lazarus” was my favorite of the three stories. I’ve always enjoyed detective/crime stories. Adding some of the twists that we get along the way left me saying, “More of that!”
The cover art reminds me of Tim Curry’s role as the Darkness in Legend. It’s raw, powerful, and a great flashback to the 80’s. I love it. Without knowing anything about the book I asked my local comic book store to preorder a copy for me, as soon as I saw it on social media. That is the power of a well done cover.
The interior artwork is outstanding throughout the book. I loved the intensity of the title panel for “Djinn”. It reminded me of Brian Holland’s work in “The Killing Joke”.
As a geek on a budget I believe it’s impossible to go wrong with Chamber of Terror #1. You are getting three very solid stories for under $3.00. You’ll be hard pressed to get enough food to fill you up off of the value menu at a fast food restaurant for under that price. I assure you, this will leave you more satisfied!
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