| In "Hack Slash - The Series," issues three,
Cassie and co. are stuck in hell
after being summoned asa a virgin by Six Sixx and his demonic
rock band Acid Wash, and is doomed to a certain fate. But
on Earth, Vlad is rendered helpless as the band
can recognize the blood of virgins, and Vlad
will assuredly suffer the same fate as Cassie if
he doesn't get laid. Now it's a race against
time to find a hooker and get inside with the
virgin radar down. Only in "Hack Slash" folks.
What I've always
loved about this series is that it never takes
itself too seriously. It's very much like
"Buffy" in which is presents new twists to
folklore and the supernatural, bends the horror
genre, and explores it with a smile. The only
difference being "Hack Slash" bears none of the
smug self-awareness "Buffy" does, and
Tim Seely keeps the balance of humor and drama
without fault. The issue never loses a beat from
converting to the tense situation with Cassie,
to the rather comedic conundrum with Vlad. Emily
Stone's art is the quintessential designs for
this series. Realism while also managing a
certain level of comedic at all times.
The design here for
Cassie is fantastic, and Stone has a perfect
grasp on Cassie's personality and movements and
even catches a banner scene of Cassie in all her
sexual glory as she waxes poetic about her love
life. The reality
Cassie finds herself in is ruled by demonic
barters, a talking dog, and his master who
happens to be someone completely unexpected, but
issues three is still pure "Hack Slash" with a
tight story and laughs aplenty. Vlad in his
perpetual naiveté is Cassie's only hope for
survival, and his struggle to understand
flirting and sex with the help of an old friend
is hysterical. And within all the madness,
Cassie reveals a part of herself that we've
never seen in earlier issues, and I still love
her in spite of it.
Each issue
manages to completely cover new ground in terms
of characterization, and the writers always look
to explore new quirks and flaws within Cassie
that makes her much more three dimensional than
any comic book heroine at the moment. With
Cassie and new friend Georgia, they
find themselves to possibly be surrogate mothers to some
mysterious force against their wills, and Cassie
may or may not discover something about herself
in the end. I personally am anxious to see what
turns up.
Will Vlad get
laid? Will he forget a condom? Will someone
please make a huge poster of Cassie Hack for the
salivating fan boys? So many questions, so
little time.
-
Felix Vasquez Jr.
7/07/07
Out in
Stores July 18th! |
