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So we're
finally here, aren't we? "Halloween: 30 Years of
Terror." 30 Years later we're here with a mythos
basically untouched and untarnished in spite of the
really bad sequels, Michael being beaten down by a
washed up rapper, and a really bad remake. I think
we have Stef Hutchinson to thank for that. Now, now,
you scoff, but Hutchinson has done some great work
on these comics for Devil's Due, and reading his
variations is like watching GOOD sequels for
"Halloween." Can you imagine a good sequel? I'm a
fan and the Halloween comics haven't let me down so
far. At almost fifty pages long, "30 Years of
Terror" is a compilation of tales branching off from
the "Halloween" movies exploring the ins, outs, and
what have yous of the "Halloween" precisely thirty
years after Laurie faced off with Michael that
fateful Halloween night.
The
primary goal for Hutchinson's work here is to
explore the adverse effects Michael Myers has had on
the people he's come in contact with indirectly, and
how far his hand extends even thirty years after he
failed to murder Laurie. Like a disease, Michael
infects those around him and whether it's now or
years later, he'll come back to make sure he acts as
the manifestation of fate and karma. "Trick or
Treat" is a demented and absolutely excellent short
tale about what happened after the two children left
the Doyle house to look for help after Laurie faced
off with Michael. Danijel Zezelj's art is
beautifully morbid depicting the individuals who
happened upon the children and what happens with the
pale face of death decides to make them pay for
their good deed with a classic urban legend, letting
them see what happens when you open your door for
everyone. It's a great little story that starts off
the proceedings.
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"Visiting Hours" is another tale of an
individual coming close to Michael and paying
for it. Brett Weldele's art is absolutely spooky
with immense line work and gory splashes that
keep this a short but sweet little experience. "P.O.V."
is just... wow. Jim Daly's line work is
hypnotizing as a seven page glimpse at the pure
hatred Michael has toward Haddonfield and the
lengths he'll go through to ensure pure and
utter suffering on everyone around him. With
blotches of red and black and the knack for
capturing immense facial expressions, Michael's
carnage seems absolutely relentless and his
cruelty has no bounds. This seven page silent
story is about as effective as any other horror
comic book I've ever read implementing two
points of view with two pages of the story
employing the view of the killer and the view of
the victim. It's haunting. "Tommy's Web" is
Hutchinson's attempt to personify the
supernatural persona he bears, and how his
powers of manipulation and fate keep the people
he passes individuals working on borrowed time.
Lee
Ferguson and Jeff Zornow's art is brilliant with
the meta-story that takes place serving as a
disgusting example of Michael the monster as
perceived through a man already twisted by his
demons. "Repetition Compulsion" is amazing.
There, I said it. With Tim Seeley and Elisabeth
John at the helm of this final tale in the
compilation, it's surely one that will send you
gasping until the last page, and inspire you to
go back and re-read this. You want to be happy
in Haddonfield, how dare you? No, Michael will
make it his mission to make you pay, and to make
anyone who dares to learn from your happiness
pay. And he'll corrupt whomever he comes across,
he'll destroy innocence, and joy, and pure
bliss, and he'll make sure you remember it. It's
his hold on Haddonfield. "30 Years of Terror" is
marvelous and I absolutely loved every single
horrific look at the carnage Michael inflicts on
the folks in his home town. Though the stories
do tend to be short, the message is clear. Like
everything we do, eventually Michael is going to
come back around to bite you in the butt, and
there's simply no hope but to stand and wait for
him to inflict severe suffering upon you.
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