HunterPrey is the first comic StashMyComics has reviewed from Broken Icon Comics and I must say, it did not disappoint. The story mainly follows a group of inmates who are trying to survive after a blob-like monster has accidentally been brought into the prison they are being housed in. While they are not only trying to prevent themselves from being absorbed into the creature, they also have to deal with guards and infighting in their group. You would never think you’d be pulling for convicted felons, well I guess just felons since their crimes were so heinous they never received a trial, but HunterPrey had me rooting for them to survive.
The story opens with a guard running through a blood drenched cell block so he can get to a phone to call for help. However, he is coldly told that his family will be compensated for his death. The opening ends with a hand reaching toward him and then an ominous shot of blood covering the floor and door of the office. The scene cuts to 8 hours previous and we are introduced to one of the main protagonists/antagonists by the name of Jason Yost. Yost tries to establish himself as an alpha dog by attempting to beat up his cellmate, but his cellmate, Willis, quickly shows him which one of them is in charge. By the end of the night though, the monster has emerged from one of the inmates and begun consuming everyone in it’s path.
As the story progresses we meet more dangerous inmates, even more so than the murderers we were already introduced to. The prisoners team up to try and escape the creature before eventually running into the warden. The felons gradually learn more about the monster they are trapped inside the prison and ultimately formulate a plot to try and escape not only the prison but the blob creature as well.
The story KJ Mendenhall weaves is fantastic. You’re thrown into the deep end right off the bat and it gives you an idea of what you’ll be up for with the rest of the book. Like I said in the intro, the characterizations in this book are extraordinary. Once the monster starts terrorizing the prison you find yourself hoping that at least a couple of the inmates make it out safely. I know I was pulling for Shakespeare to survive. The way Shakespeare is written is extremely humorous and he has hilarious one-liners. Plus, the way he fits into the ending is brilliant. The interactions Mendenhall writes between the characters is most certainly the strong point of the story. To me, the monster was the motivation to show how the inmates would look out for each other or turn on each other if it would help them escape.
This is the first time I have been exposed to Ezequiel Pineda’s art, and it’s great work. I value the ability to portray emotions through drawn facial expressions very highly when it comes to comic art, and Pineda has that in spades. His art just fits the story perfectly. The story is dark and Pineda’s art follows suit. From the pools of blood all over the prison to the way shadows are used to tell the story. Plus, there are just some awesomely gory scenes drawn between these pages. Early on I felt myself wanting the art to have been colored, but that was short-lived and I couldn’t imagine it making the art any better. The monster was so creepy and grotesque in black and white I’d be afraid color would make it less menacing and more comical.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed HunterPrey. For a character driven story, the characters are very strong and, while not relatable, are certainly interesting. The whole story has the feel of an old B-Movie horror film, just with a lot better writing. The writing and the art perfectly compliment each other to flesh out a dark idea. I’m glad I got the chance to review this graphic novel and look forward to reading more comics from Broken Icon. You can check out Broken Icon’s website where you can find more information about them and the comics they are producing.
Art: 8.5/10
Script: 8.5/10
Parental Concern: Not for the kiddies, like it says on the cover.
