One of the biggest pieces of news in the comic-book industry in the past week is CrossGen's bankruptcy filing. CrossGen has been the focus of a great deal of speculation since its debut, but Moonstone's been quietly pumping out a variety of non-super-hero product for some time now, and it's about time people took notice of this publisher. Moonstone offers up another one of its horror anthology one-shots, and it's one of their better ones, thanks to the participation of an old industry pro with a penchant for telling strong historical fiction.
The opening story here is one that mixes noir crime-genre elements with the supernatural theme tying all three of these short segments together. Petrucha approaches the witch from a more sensual point of view, but the greatest strength of this story is the rich, hard-boiled narration. The art reminds me a little of the styles of Stuart (Ultimate Fantastic Four) Immonen, Tommy Lee Edwards and even a little of Gene (Tomb of Dracula) Colan, but there's a vagueness to it as well that hinders the story a bit. It's difficult to tell the male characters apart here, and the action later in the story does unfold in a clear manner.
William Messner-Loebs's story of a pioneer boy's quest to save the life of his beloved little sister is a touching one. It's not a horror story at all, but one that explores spirituality and belief. The writer captures a historical tone quite handily here. The art on this segment, the like script, is the strongest in this one-shot as well. Burnam's linework puts me in mind of such artists as Tom (Weapon X) Mandrake and Sam (Scratch) Kieth. He captures the boy's lanky, agile and hoepful nature nicely, and the vision of the little girl running around and playing is an effective, heartening one.
The final story is the weakest in the issue. The art is far too bright, given the late hour in which the story is set and the darker events that make up the plot. Jack Chant offers up crime-drama twist to the tale of Hansel & Gretel. Unfortunately, the plot is far too predictable. The story boasts a generic, Twilight Zone quality that's comes off as a bit tired.
The black-and-white format suits the supernatural tone of the various stories nicely. I love the variety of stories the three writers come up with within the same theme. I think editor Dave Ulanski has to ask more of his artists, though. LeMien and Figueroa have potential but also have to refine their storytelling. The former's needs to be more accessible, and the latter's needs more polish.
Note: This comic book was not among this week's new releases.
