Spotlight Review on Creature Feature #2 (of 2)

Th3rd world provided a review copy for us and I was very happy to see this as I had enjoyed Creature Feature #1 so much. (See the review here).

Creature Feature #2 (of 2)
Publisher Th3rd World Studios
Price $4.50
Release Date: January 28, 2009
Editor: Mike Raicht

Some of the best parts of this series are the introduction pages were the editor and writer of “Don’t Eat the Snow” does the introduction. It is Mike Raicht doing his emcee bit in the tradition of EC/Warren Publishing/Elvira and all the rest. Done with a wry sense of humor and puts you in the proper mind set for these cheesy “B” horror movie riffs.

Story #1
Don’t Eat The Snow
Writer: Mike Raicht
Artist Jacob Chabot

This story starts off innocently enough with sleigh rides, a baby sitter, her jerk boy friend and a few neighborhood bully types. It ends up with everyone now being part of the same group, which is of course some sort of drooling Zombie like monster. I can see the movie as I read the story; it flows really well and hits all the right notes.

The artwork by Jacob is incredible. He has a realistic style with a nice fluid feel to it and some beautiful line work. His layouts and page design are well done. Also the choice of camera angles, which he switches up, makes the story even more effective and builds suspense and humor when called for. His style is reminiscent of Calvin and Hobbes by way of Ryan Kelly. Needless to say I loved his work and the story looks great.

Story #2
Termite Blues
Writer Stuart Moore
Art Alberto Ponticelli

I have to comment on the art first on this story as Alberto is also currently doing the Unknown Soldier for DC comics and his work is stunning. Now this is in black and white and the line work is a little looser then in his other work, but no less dynamic. With the story Mr. Moore has given him he turned in a great job. The action scenes just absolutely rock. Now the two styles couldn’t be much different, but both Ponticelli and Chabot are top notch professionals and they make the stories stand alone for just the art.

The actual story has you laughing almost from the start, especially since I remember Starsky & Hutch from 1975 about two “hip and happening” cops who busted crime in their own way with a hot car. Then Stuart throws in a little Tango & Cash and twist a seventies cop caper into a story about mutant bugs, beautiful.


Story #3
Imago
Writers Leah Moore & John Reppion
Art PJ Holden

Imago is the term used by entomologists to describe the last stage of an insect’s life cycle and usually it means it is sexually mature and has wings. This little story is about is about an experiment that goes bad and it creates a monster like the blob that absorbs everything in its path. At the end it turns into a monstrous butterfly. Of the three complete stories this one was the least entertaining as the story was just okay.

The art saved this story in many ways. PJ Holden has some great expression and some great scenes that just made me laugh. His ability to convey emotions in his characters is fantastic and his panel layout and design is excellent also.

Story #4 – Part 2 (Part 1 was in Creature Feature #1)
Rockenstein
Creator Brian Smith

The rock and roll Frankenstein story just did not cut it for me. Brian’s style is much more of a cartoonist then the others and splitting up the story with a long lag time between issues also did not work for me.

Drive-In-Interludes – Artist TL Collins

The little interludes where our host Mike Raicht introduces the movies and has some fun dialogue are packed with information and small comedy bits. These pages are some of my favorite pages of the series and Mr. Collins deserve a lot of credit for these.

Overall Grade A – Thrills and chills based on old grade “B” movies, but “A” level talent. At this drive in you don’t have to go in a friend’s trunk.

Also stop by Th3rd World Studios website (clink on link above or on the link section of the blog) as they have recently done a terrific upgrade and have some great webcomics and other stuff there.