Blood, Hex and Violence
Every once in awhile you get a comic that comes along and shocks you to the core. Not because it’s necessarily terrifying, but because it re-invents the wheel. Hexed is a comic by Michael Alan Nelson’s, BOOM! Studios in house horror savant who writes among many other things, Fall of Cthulhu.
courtesy BOOM!
Hexed is a comic about Lucifer, a female occult thief. This may seem like an overused gimmick, and to be truthful, there have been a lot of female protagonist occult thrillers on the market recently due to the success of Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake books. But this series redefines that genre not just in the way the conflict is set up, but in how Nelson uses unique devices to progress that conflict.
There are a lot of really cool throw away ideas in here, like a portal into a person or demons captured in toys, that are unique and fresh interpretations of this sort of story. While first issue critiques are always sketchy because you can’t judge an entire novel from its first chapter, Hexed makes you want to keep reading the other issues, which is more than I can say for other series.
Michael Alan Nelson said in the press release for Hexed, “I think a great story needs more than flashy gimmicks and a couple of neat concepts. You absolutely must have a compelling story and fleshed-out characters before you can start throwing labyrinthine plots into the mix. I look for chilling conflicts, then find ways to make them as unsettling and riveting as possible.” I see exactly what he means.
Hexed takes this almost tired genre, turns it on its head in new and creative ways, and sets up an inventive premise with the promise for more occult nonsensery that could disturb and/or fascinate you. A great indie must read.
Matt Knicl: My name is Matt Knicl. I'm a U of I alumn and one of those unemployed English majors Garrison Keillor likes to make fun of. I've been reading comics since high school and one day I would like to write them. My goal is to expose readers to what is out there in the world of comics and using my English powers, show what is worth reading or not. I can be reached at buzz.comics@gmail.com.
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Matt Knicl
My name is Matt Knicl. I'm a U of I alumn and one of those unemployed English majors Garrison Keillor likes to make fun of. I've been reading comics since high school and one day I would like to write them. My goal is to expose readers to what is out there in the world of comics and using my English powers, show what is worth reading or not. I can be reached at buzz.comics@gmail.com.