Ghastly Awards - September 2012 Update

Horror comics are becoming more and more frequent in our reading culture, and the Ghastly Awards are here to recognize, through peer nominations, those that shine the brightest. As a matter of fact so far this year, this entire list of titles (and some self published books) have already come out. We encourage all Comic Creators to take the time to head over to www.ghastlyawards.com and nominate those who you think are the best so far in your eyes.
    

Creators please remember that you can nominate up to 5 times throughout the year, so make your voice heard! For the month of September 2012 the judges are recommending you take a look at:

Revival #3 (Image) -  When most comics make or break moment comes in issue #3 Tim Seeley and Mike Norton still have you by the throat giving you little chance to breath with this rural noir story that holds the creepiness of a classic horror movie. The story is a new take on life after death and what can happen when the dead come back to life and they don't want to eat your brains. Mike Norton's art brings you into the comic while Seeley's story keeps you on the edge of your seat with twists and turns that only Hitchcock could deliver. - Spaced (http://www.facebook.com/NerdGirlsEyeView)

Crossed: Wish You Were Here Vol 1 (Avatar) takes the first 22 episodes of the Avatar Press webcomic and puts it into a TPB for your non-interwebs enjoyment.  A group of survivors take shelter on small Cava island.  Simple enough.  But the Crossed are still out there, and people being people, there's lots of sturm-und-drang.  With all the horror in a world where the Crossed rule, is surviving enough?  Gorgeous art, intriguing characters, great flashback moments and plenty of horrific scenes.  Fair warning: ADULTS ONLY.  Seriously y'all. - Denise Dutton
(atomicfangirl.com)

The Strain #8 (Dark Horse): This comic series by David Laphan (based off the novel of the same name) continues along the path to utter debauchery in issue #8. If you are unfamiliar with the novel, it comes from the deepest, darkest recesses of the minds of Guillermo Del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth) and Chuck Hogan (Prince of Thieves). To dive deep into the dark hollows of Del Toro’s imagination is to open yourself up to one depraved-ass party. Pasty, fat, blood-smeared zombie-vampire-monster-human hybrids walk free, murdering civilians in the sickest ways. It’s a pandemic that has Manhattan and the CDC reeling. But as the pandemic and the understanding of the pandemic slowly build, Laphan gives us relationships we care about, conflict within those relationships and major conflict in a BIG veiny-bulbous-monstrous-tongue-lashing-though-people’s-throats sort of way. – Bree Ogden (agentbree.wordpress.com)

Halloween Classics: Graphic Classics Vol. 23: Billed as "in the EC Tradition," this latest volume in the ongoing Graphic Classics collection arrives a month early to get you in the proper mood for Halloween, delivering 5 illustrated tales based on some of the greatest horror stories ever written, (and one being based on the film, "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari"); Washington Irving's "Legend of Sleepy Hollow", Mark Twain's "A Curious Dream", Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "Lot No. 249", and H. P. Lovecraft's "Cool Air." Rounded out with illustrations by Jeffrey Johannes and EC legend Al Feldstein. 144 pages, full color. – Steve Banes (http://thehorrorsofitall.blogspot.com/)

Harvest #2 (Image Comics): Seeing as both my siblings are practicing doctors, I am subjected to medical discussions on a regular basis, and I like to believe I have come to understand the darker side of the profession. While A.J. Lieberman's medical world is over-the-top seedy, he offers a specific type of gore and unease that most horror fans are not accustomed to. Artist Colin Lorimer offers beautiful panel layouts and loads of blood, making Harvest one of the year's strongest mini-series so far. – Lonnie Nadler (www.Bloody-Disgusting.com)

Hoax Hunters #3 (Image Comics): We start to get some answers this issue - albeit bizarre ones - as to what's been causing the mass animal deaths down in the bayou, as well as theories on parallel universes, flaming skulls, grotesque monsters, and some intriguing background information on Hoax Hunter Jack Lawson. The series continues to mix good, solid horror elements with some genuinely funny situations and an intriguing and likeable cast of characters. The art and script continue to be strong, resulting in yet another fantastic new series from Image Comics in 2012. – Pedro Cabezuelo (http://www.rue-morgue.com/)

Godzilla: The Half-Century War #2 (of 5)- (IDW): James Stokoe's epic Kaiju monsterpiece roars through the Sixties in the latest installment, this time bringing Godzilla to Viet Nam at the height of the war!  A brilliant mixture of history and fantasy, we even get monster Anguirus on the scene, scaring away the Viet Cong! As great as the story is, the real draw here (hah! nice pun!) is Stokoe's immaculately detailed artwork. Page after page of insanely beautiful pen and inks and colors (assisted by Heather Breckel), kaiju battles and pure excitement; this book is a must have! I can't recommend it highly enough!- Mike Howlett (http://eeriepublications.blogspot.com/)

Rebel Blood TPB (Image Comics): Nope, no way. There is absolutely no way I could have seen that coming, and that is why this book is getting a perfect score. Rebel Blood seemed to be heading down a nice little path of typical horror storytelling and then it took a right at the light. I think what Rossmo and Link were able to do here will be talked about for years to come. When the horror genre is filled with some typical zombie survival stories, which are great, it is always nice to see a team bring something new and fresh to the table. - Decapitated Dan (www.decapitateddan.com)

So we ask all comic book creators, what are you enjoying? Make sure to go over to www.ghastlyawards.com to nominate your favorites for 2012! Curious as to what has come out so far this year? We keep a list of all the amazing horror comics and you can find it here: List of 2012 Horror Comics