Review: Dark Horse Presents #9

Dark Horse tantalises their readers yet again with even more short stories and serials. Boasting such creators as Mike Mignola, Brian Wood, Paul Pope, Thomas Yeates and Steve Leiber, DHP #8 showcases some of the finest talent in comics. Engaging stories compliment the buffet of artistic styles like a cabernet with a grilled steak, making for a mouthwatering comics experience.

Mike Mignola’s Lobster Johnson story was perfect period noir – dark, gritty and even a scene in the rain.
The second epilogue for Brian Wood and Kristian Donaldson’s The Massive hit all the right beats and has me very excited for the series. Paul Pope’s story of the second moon landing by the Apollo 12 was beautiful and engaging – one of the clear standouts in the anthology. Richard Corben’s adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe’s The City in the Sea captured the dark creepy tone of the original poem. Rich Johnson’s tale of a murderous grandma in a small town continues to be hilarious, and all the other stories, while not necessarily standing out, are visually striking.

It is the grab bag of style, both art and story, that makes anthologies like Dark Horse Presents so good. It’s like going to a candy store and trying a little bit of everything – there’s some flavors you like more than others, but they’re all good. If your not reading Dark Horse Presents, you should be.