Abattoir 1
Abattoir (Issue 1 of 6) (Radical Comics)
Abattoir is my first glimpse of anything published by Radical Comics, and it definitely left an impression on me. This is issue 1 of 6 in a series written by Rob Levin & Troy Peteri, and illustrated by Bing Cansino. I have to admit that these aren’t names that I’m familiar with in the comics world, but being a fan of some stuff that came out on Avatar, the cover told me that I could expect something similar to their brand of horror and gore. I know you’re told not to judge a book by it’s cover, but it’s different when it’s a comic and the cover features a corpse holding a shotgun, a guy hanging from some rafters, a creepy sharply dressed gentleman and a mysterious axe-wielding figure. The basic premise of the story revolves around an average Joe who undertakes a particularly nasty killing spree on his nearest and dearest at a garden party, then follows the aftermath of a struggling estate agent attempting to sell the house where the murders were committed. Bing Cansino does a great job of detailing both the blood, guts and darkness of the story, whilst maintaining the subtlety to convey emotion in the actions and expressions of the characters. The dialogue in the story is a bit played out and wooden at times, but it serves the purpose of keeping the pace up and keep the pages turning. It’s not a particularly new concept, but nasty horror stories seem to be having a resurgence in the last couple of years in comics like Crossed and Chronicles Of Wormwood, and film series like Saw. It’s not too surprising to hear rumours that Abattoir will be turned into a movie in the future, with horror and comics adaptions seemingly being lucrative business of late. If you’re tired of superheroes offered by Marvel and DC and want something grim and nasty, definitely check out Abattoir. If you’ve been a fan of horror for a while, the plot won’t blow you away, but it seems like a promising prospect as a decent horror yarn. Gareth Moule
