Review: Hack/Slash #15
May 9, 2012 by     Comments Off on Review: Hack/Slash #15    Posted In: Reviews

image-comics-logoIf you like action, gore, horror, monsters, and pretty women, then you are probably already reading Hack/Slash from Image Comics. If you don’t like these things, but would like an interesting read then this is a title you should consider picking up. The only thing you need to know about the history of this book to get started is that the main character “Cassie Hack” hunts down monsters, creeps, and killers (Slashers) and takes them to meet their maker. She has a creepy partner named Vlad who helps her and wears a gas mask. Pretty simple huh?

Now going into this issue I’ve only read one other Hack/Slash issue and couldn’t really tell you what I read. This isn’t the best jumping on point because apparently we’re at the end of an arc that takes place at an old B-movie studio. That being said, I had a pretty good time reading this though I have yet to fully comprehend the story. Warning some spoilers ahead:

Hack/Slash #15 CoverSo issue #15 starts off with a fierce battle between Cassie and a guy in some Roman/Centurion looking gear. We get from Cassie that he is a B-movie actor turned killer and she is out to right his wrongs. Just when it looks like she’s got the edge, he calls out his Psychosaurs and Cassie is in trouble. Then out of nowhere a gigantic gorilla with her friend “Cat” in one hand and an old lady firing a pistol sitting on his shoulder, come down out of nowhere and even the score. This is just a sampling of the satisfying insanity that permeates this issue. We do get some further story development with her partner Vlad, though he is not involved in the main action of the story. Before this story ends you will see Cassie nearly get killed, a giant spider, and a former lover get his arm pulled clean off. If you can handle this issue then you’ll probably find yourself going to pick up the trades to get a better idea of what’s going on currently.

The story is written by Tim Seeley and he is very good at what he does. Telling a story with so many things going on while keeping direction and a sense of humor is a difficult task for any professional, but he pulls it off here. The art is handled by Daniel Leister with colors by Mark Englert. The pencils and inks are on par with any of the top titles DC or Marvel puts out. The characters’ expressions sell the action and the creatures are drawn with spectacular detail. Despite being a horror title this issue benefits from a warm color palette containing variations of brown, yellow, and orange for most of the backgrounds. The main backdrop of the action scenes mix jungle green and  pale yellow. The time of the day is clearly dawn, judging by the way the sun hits the shoulders and heads of the characters which is a nice little detail if you are paying attention. The dialogue has some cursing in it and the book contains a fair amount of graphic violence so this one is not for the kids.

Hack/Slash remains a well written and beautifully drawn book that seem to get consistently good reviews. Although I am not a horror fan I can see the appeal of this book for those that enjoy the genre. Perhaps because of the violence and gore factor it remains a bit of a niche book, but it doesn’t fall far out of the realm of all the zombie and vampire books that have permeated the market. Image Comics continue to showcase a wide range of subject matter that that defies the comic book stereotype. The popularity of Hack/Slash proves that horror comics still have a place in the industry if they are done well and don’t take themselves too seriously.

Art: 8/10
Script: 7/10
Parental concern: Strong language and graphic gore/violence.

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