Basket Full Of Heads 5/5 stars
When I heard about Joe Hill creating his own line of comics through DC I was a bit skeptical. Back in ’93 another famous writer created his own line of comics through Marvel called Razorline and the results were more hit than miss. Back then, the industry was going through a state of free fall and it seemed as if everyone wanted to be in the comic business. It was an interesting idea that lasted two short years and the comics themselves were a mixed bag. Now, you can pick up Razorline comics in the discount bin for as little as a dollar.
DC has now given Joe Hill the same opportunity with a line of comics called simply enough, Hill House. The difference here is that Hill House is bringing back the horror in comics. The old school stuff that a lot of us read as kids. Barker was trying to create superheroes while Joe just wants to scare us. I love a good horror comic so I figured why not give Joe a try. He can’t do any worse than Barker am I right? On the upside, you also have Hill’s imprint featured on DC’s Black Label imprint so that alone should tell you that this ain’t a comic for kids. Black Label has been knocking it out of the park lately so odds are these are going to follow suit Of course, a lot could go wrong too.
Even before I cracked this open I lucked out and found a Hill House sampler which is exactly what it sounds like. A taste of what’s to come from his imprint. Instantly I was in. These were all solid bits various titles that show just how good horror comics can be. Do you really need blood and guts to make a comic good? Well, no. Look at your classic horror comics and you’ll see that a lot of them were just plain creepy. This is the vibe you get from just the teasers you get from the sampler. It’s a great way to introduce the line and generate some interest. You like what you see? Boom, here’s Basket Full Of Heads for you to buy. Even if you aren’t a horror or comic book fan you should buy this comic book.
Just from the title I was expecting some blood, and a lot of it, but surprisingly there isn’t any. It’s an introduction to the characters and slowly builds tension. You know something bad is going to happen, but when? The artwork here is well done but the dialogue is the real star here. When you read this, it feels real. This is how people talk and you become familiar with the characters. In the next few issues when things go sideways, it’s going to mean something. Hill is creating a story and it’s a good one that flows well. This isn’t a comic for kids and we knew that going in and that’s what seperates Hill House from Razorline.
As the series moves on it’s going to be interesting to see where Hill takes us. Just from this book alone I am sold on not just Basket Full of Heads but all of titles he plans on releasing. As a skeptic, I wasn’t really sure how well this would work, but after reading this, I’m a fan. I love comics, and I love horror especially when it’s done well. This is done well and slowly moves us toward something big. This is one comic you should pick up and share with everyone. Hill has created a horror comic that feels like something that could have existed in the glory days of horror comics. It’s clear that he’s a fan who isn’t just trying to recreate the past. He’s creating something new, something that is missing from horror comics and I can’t wait to see how it all ends.
Into The Darkness 