DEATH HEAD #1
Written by Zack Keller, Nick Keller
Art by Joanna Estep, Kelly Fitzpatrick
Published by Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: July 15, 2015
Heather here, reporting to you live from beneath my covers as I peer through my fingers at Death Head #1. Is it really that scary, or am I just a wimp? I’ll leave that up to you to decide.
I had the privilege to interview brothers/writing duo Zack and Nick Keller, masterminds behind this brand new spook-tastic story. Naturally I was intrigued after reading the first few pages that were released online a little more than a month ago and jumped at the chance throw in my two cents. After reading just those first few pages, I could already tell this was going to be something epic. The characters were witty and far more relatable than your usual generic, run-of-the-mill protagonists. The pacing was perfectly timed, giving you just enough information and paneling to know that something big was coming. I was pleasantly reassured that the comic held up to the standards I had placed upon it, delivering exactly the kind of story that we have been waiting for. The story that the people have needed.
Early on, you begin to really connect with the Burton family. First, Justine and Niles, parents who are are celebrating their “babymoon” by taking a camping trip in the woods. What they find instead of miles of trees and wilderness is a ghost town of sorts. An eerily abandoned site they mistake for a reenactment village at first blush, but on further inspection proves to be something far more sinister. What really goes on in this hauntingly silent town? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. As for the children of Mr. and Mrs. Burton, still going on with their lives back home, they appear to be experiencing creepy adventures of their own. The older of the two children, Maggie, is having a rough time at catholic school. Let’s just say her methods and tastes are a little unorthodox compared to most in a religious setting. As for Bee, the younger boy, he seems to have made a new friend in the sewer that may or may not have some explaining to do in regards to her situation. All in all, these connected stories have launched a flurry of unanswered questions, the formula for a fantastic mystery.
The artwork is exactly what you would hope to find in a horror setting. Joanna Estep and colorist Kelly Fitzpatrick leave just enough to the imagination to allow your mind to horrify yourself, all the while granting you the detail and expression to help you get to know these characters without oversharing. The use of shadows, along with other points of subtlety adds just enough mystery to the most crucial of scenes to take you to the depths of your subconscious, leading you into the intoxicating darkness that is Death Head. I have read many horror comics in the past year, but this is by far my favorite.
The Verdict: 9.0/10