It’s hard to believe but Halloween is once again right around the corner. Stores everywhere have already started filling shelves with candy for the big night, and it won’t be long before those shelves also start filling with costumes for people of all ages. They will also start filling with seasonal movies, including all the slashers that so many people love. The stores are not the only ones getting in the act. Comic book stores are sure to get in on the action, too. As a matter of fact, Mad Cave Studios has a new title due out Oct. 9, just in time for horror fans to get into the spirit of the season in the form of Murder Kingdom #1. The debut issue of the new series is a production that will especially appeal to fans of slasher flicks, what with its story, which will be discussed shortly. The art and lettering that went into the debut issue of the new horror series each also play into the appeal. They will each also be examined in their own time. When they are considered alongside the overall, which is relatively easy to follow, the whole makes Murder Kingdom #1 a good fit for any slasher fan looking for a new way to get into the Halloween spirit.
Murder Kingdom #1, the debut issue of Mad Cave Studios’ new horror series, is a presentation that slasher horror fans will find worth reading. That includes even those who might otherwise not be devout comic book readers. The book’s appeal is due in large part to its featured story. Written by Fred Van Lente (Marvel Zombies), the story centers on its female protagonist, Tanith, and her friend Richard. The pair works at a theme park in Florida (no not that one owned by a certain multi-national entertainment conglomerate), one as a “conductor” for a train-themed ride and the other as a costumed performer. Neither is happy about their situation, but after Brie, an acquaintance of both Tanith and Richard has a public meltdown at the park and loses her job as Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty’s real name in the original Brothers Grimm story), Tanith ends up taking on the role of Briar Rose. While Tanith is happy about her new place in the theme park, her happiness is short-lived when Richard reveals to her that Brie has been murdered by an unidentified assailant. Not to give away too much here but the assailant is at least shown but not identified in the final page of this new series’ debut issue, leaving readers wanting to learn more in just the right way.
What is quite interesting here is that while Brie’s death is gritty (she was stabbed through the neck by her attacker), it is somewhat fitting for lack of better wording. That is because apparently there are actually other versions of the Sleeping Beauty tale that include a second half of sorts. In the second half of those stories there was apparently another woman in the prince’s life, and that woman was none too happy about the prince finding and marrying Sleeping Beauty. She was so incensed, as a matter of fact that she tried to make her cook kill the children that the prince fathered with Sleeping Beauty and serve them. Thankfully he did not obey, serving up beef instead. From there, she ordered the cook to kill the princess but the other woman ends up dying instead in the end. Now, this is all important to note because the Brothers Grimms’ stories are…well…grim and gritty. So seeing what Van Lente has crafted here is actually nowhere near as rough as what those alleged other versions of the original story include.
On another note, Van Lente has also crafted within the bigger story, a sort of rags to riches tale so to speak. This as Tanith goes from being a nobody “conductor” for a train ride at the park to playing the part of a storybook princess that everyone loves…well maybe not everyone. It is an interesting secondary plot, even if it was unintended. What’s more, the joke that Van Lente has Tanith’s boss, Mrs. Dean, makes about not mentioning Disney is actually worthy of a few laughs, too. There is also some dark humor for the most devoted horror fans early on as Tanith is accidentally covered by the ashes of one park guest’s mother early in the story. It is unsettling but the fact of her being so randomly covered plays right into that noted transition from being a nobody to being a someone just by playing a character. Keeping all of this in mind, the story clearly offers some humor alongside its tension that is sure to keep readers engaged and entertained throughout the issue.
The story featured in Murder Kingdom #1 is just part of its appeal. The general artwork featured throughout the issue adds to its appeal. Drawn by Chris Panda, the art presented in this book offers an interesting look. The somewhat rough look almost has a look of something actually hand-drawn. That is evident in the seemingly imperfect look of the various lines and colors. It does not have that spit-shined look of so many books. What’s more, the colors are rich even in the rough design. The overall look gives the book an identity unique from its Mad Cave counterparts and even those of books from other publishers that helps create a certain aesthetic to the story that will add to the appeal.
The lettering, as minor as it might be on the surface, plays into the issue’s appeal, too. That is because thanks to the work of letterer Becca Carey, readers can actually hear the characters speaking in their own minds. From the bolding of certain words to help emphasize tone to the sound effects and how they are incorporated into the whole, Carey does so well to make the dialogue translate so well even on the page. Readers could actually see everything printed being spoken on screen thanks to the variances in the lettering styles presented herein. It is another aesthetic aspect, like the general artwork, that adds to the general presentation and in such a positive way. When it and the art are considered alongside the issue’s story, the thole therein makes the debut issue of Murder Kingdom a good start for the noted any slasher horror fan.
Murder Kingdom #1, the debut issue of Mad Cave Studios’ new horror comic series, is a presentation that will appeal largely to slasher horror fans that will come along just in time this fall for readers to get into the Halloween spirit. The issue’s appeal comes in large part through its story. The story follows a young woman who goes from a nobody to a somebody in the course of a day, but whose happiness is short lived after she finds out the person whose job she has gotten has been murdered. The artwork that is featured throughout the story’s brief 19-page run adds to readers’ appeal. That is due to the unique identity established through the seemingly hand drawn style and the rich colors. The lettering used throughout the story adds even more to its appeal. That is because it helps make it easy to actually hear the characters speaking. This and the art work with the story to keep readers fully immersed in the issue from beginning to end. Each item examined here is important in its own way to the whole of the issue. All things considered they make Murder Kingdom #1 a welcome read for any of the noted audiences.
Murder Kingdom #1 is scheduled for release Oct. 9 through Mad Cave Studios. More information on this and other titles from Mad Cave Studios is available at:
Website: https://madcavestudios.com
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