It was a holiday yesterday, so a pretty quiet news day but we still have two pieces of news for you to start the day with.
The Beat – A Year of Free Comics: HEAVENLY EATS satisfies your hunger – Free comics!
Deadline – Elle Callahan To Write And Direct Adaptation Of Graphic Novel ‘Hotell’ As AWA Studios Ramps Up Slate – Looks like we missed this news.
Hotell Vol. 2 #1 (of 5)
(W) John Lees (A) Dalibor Talajic, Lee Loughridge (CA) Keron Grant
In Shops: Dec 01, 2021
SRP: $3.99
Five more interconnected stories chronicle another harrowing week at Pierrot Courts, the mysterious roadside motel where lost souls make their last stand with the demons that haunt them. A family, desperate and destitute after being evicted from their home. A struggling artist, yearning for inspiration. A lonely bachelor, tending to his beloved, ailing dog. A brutal motorcycle gang, hunting for a runaway initiate…When all these haunted souls check into the Pierrot Courts, who will survive to check out?
Hotell Vol. 2 #1
(W) John Lees (A) Dalibor Talajic, Lee Loughridge
(CA) Keron Grant, Mike Deodato Jr.
ORDER CODE – A: OCT211314, B: OCT211315
FOC: November 8 On Sale: December 1
Five more interconnected stories chronicle another harrowing week at Pierrot Courts, the mysterious roadside motel where lost souls make their last stand with the demons that haunt them. A family, desperate and destitute after being evicted from their home. A struggling artist, yearning for inspiration. A lonely bachelor, tending to his beloved, ailing dog. A brutal motorcycle gang, hunting for a runaway initiate…When all these haunted souls check into the Pierrot Courts, who will survive to check out?
The Crimson Cage #1
(W) John Lees (A/CA) Alex Cormack, Ashley Cormack
ORDER CODE – A: OCT211316, B: OCT211317
FOC: November 15 On Sale: December 8
Double double toil and rumble…Brace yourself for a No-Holds-Bard reimagining of William Shakespeare’s MACBETH from the critically-acclaimed creators of Sink. New Orleans, 1984. Chuck Frenzy is the main event star of the local Louisiana pro wrestling territory, but yearns for something greater. A fateful encounter with a trio of terrifying beings in the Bayou gives Chuck a glimpse of championship glory beyond his wildest dreams…if he is willing to do something terrible to achieve it. Join writer John Lees (HOTELL) and artist Alex Cormack (SEA OF SORROWS) for a thrilling new vision of the classic tale of ambition and madness, starting with this special, oversized first chapter.
Artist, Writer, and Artisans (AWA Studios) has announced the return of the original creative team John Lees, Dalibor Talajic, Lee Loughridge, and Sal Cipriano, to bring fans a second volume of the hit horror series, Hotell. Described as a modern-day Twilight Zone with a twist, the series depicts a roadside motel off of Route 66 where a wide array of heroes and antiheroes make their last stand with the demons that haunt them. Some check out. Most don’t. This series will be in stores monthly on December 1st, 2021, with two covers by Keron Grant and Mike Deodato Jr. before being collected in trade paperback in 2022.
Five more interconnected stories chronicle another harrowing week at Pierrot Courts, the mysterious roadside motel where lost souls make their last stand with the demons that haunt them. A family, desperate and destitute after being evicted from their home. A struggling artist, yearning for inspiration. A lonely bachelor, tending to his beloved, ailing dog. A brutal motorcycle gang, hunting for a runaway initiated… when all these haunted souls check into Pierrot Courts, who will survive to check out?
Hotell Vol. 2 #1 debuts on December 1st, 2021.
AWA Studios ready to spread a little joy! From 11/24/20–11/30/20, you can enter their giveaway for a chance to win 6 new trade paperbacks from their Upshot imprint: The Resistance, Year Zero, Archangel 8, Hotell, Red Border, and COVID Chronicles. 10 lucky AWA Newsletter Subscribers will be chosen randomly – But they must subscribe to the newsletter and share at least one of AWA’s social posts with the hashtag #AWABLACKFRIDAY. Winners will be contacted 11/30/20-12/01/20 via email for their shipping address.
ComiXology Delivers eight new digital comics for you today including the first round of collections from AWA Studios. You’ll also find new releases from Harlequin and Magnetic Press. Find all eight comics and get shopping here or check out the individual releases below.
Archangel 8
Written by Michael Moreci
Art by C.P. Smith
Colored by Snakebite Cortez
Cover by Jeff Dekal
Purchase
In a world beyond the sight of mortals, Heaven and Hell wage war for the souls of mankind. Principal among God’s legion are seven archangels written about in religious texts for millennia. But there is an eighth archangel, known only from passing allusions in Apocrypha, who operates under a different code. Fighting without God’s sanction, he faces the enemy on his own terms, and shows just how bad good can be.
A Baby For The Boss
Written by Maureen Child
Art by Megumi Toda
Purchase
Jenny is at a loss. Finally getting a big opportunity for her career, she finds out she’ll have to work with Mike of all people. Jenny had once felt an instant connection with the tall, handsome billionaire. But it had all disappeared when their one-night stand led to a horrible misunderstanding the next morning. Now, trying to forget their past intimacy while working with Mike makes it increasingly difficult for Jenny to deny her feelings. She succumbs and they share another passionate night together. Jenny finds out she’s pregnant, but Mike can’t seem to get over the past…
The Contaxis Baby
Written by Lynne Graham
Art by Kanako Uesugi
Purchase
“A horrible woman who drove her boyfriend, Connor, to his death.” That’s the cruel reputation that haunts Lizzie. But worse still is the truth about Connor, which Lizzie refuses to reveal. With a heavy heart, Lizzie agrees to a friend’s invitation for a night out. There, she draws the eye of a Greek man named Sebastian. She spends the night with him…but little does she know, his true intention is revenge!
Hotell
Written by John Lees
Art by Dalibor Talajic
Colored by Lee Loughridge
Cover by Kaare Andrews, Keron Grant
Purchase
You won’t find it on any map, but if you happen to be driving down Route 66 late at night and you’re truly desperate for shelter, sanctuary or secrecy, you might see a battered sign on the side of the road: The Pierrot Courts Hotel – where many check in but few check out.
Red Border
Written by Jason Starr
Art by Will Conrad
Colored by Ivan Nunes
Cover by Tim Bradstreet
Purchase
A young Mexican couple narrowly escapes the Juarez Cartel by fleeing across the border into Texas, only to be run down in the desert by the Cartel’s most brutal thugs. Rescued by a mysterious local who takes them to the safety of his family’s ranch, the couple soon realize their hosts have more than just skeletons in their closet. Trapped in a house of horrors beyond their wildest imagination, the army of assassins on their trail might be the least of their problems.
The Collected Toppi Vol. 4: The Cradle of Life
Written by Sergio Toppi
Art by Sergio Toppi
Purchase
The fourth volume contains ten tales set in Africa, India, and Australia, presented in English for the first time: The Kokombo Dossier, Bwuma, my Son, Warramunga, M’Felewzi, and Pacific Island. Featuring a foreword by NYTimes and Eisner-winning author John Jennings.
The Resistance
Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Art by Mike Deodato Jr.
Colored by Lee Loughridge, Frank Martin Jr.
Cover by Rahzzah, Mike Deodato Jr.
Purchase
J. Michael Straczynski – creator of Babylon 5, co-creator of Sense8, and writer of beloved runs on The Amazing Spider-man, Thor, and Superman: Earth One – returns to comics teaming with Mike Deodato Jr. – the blockbuster artist of The Amazing Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, and Infinity Wars. Together they plant the flag for a new universe of heroes and villains. A global disaster leaves hundreds of millions dead in its wake. Shortly after, a few thousand suddenly manifest superhuman powers. Are they harbingers of more perils to come…or Earth’s last hope?
Year Zero
Written by Benjamin Percy
Art by Ramon Rosanas
Colored by Lee Loughridge
Cover by Kaare Andrews
Purchase
Ben Percy (Wolverine) and Ramon Rosanas (Star Wars: Age of Resistance) team up to present an epic tale that offers a global look at the Zombie Apocalypse. A Japanese hitman, a Mexican street urchin, an Afghan military aide, a Polar research scientist, a midwestern American survivalist – five survivors of a horrific global epidemic who must draw upon their unique skills and deepest instincts to navigate a world of shambling dead. Year Zero wrestles with the weighty moral and theological questions posed by the pandemic and investigates its cause and possible cure.
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There is a reason why everyone who has watched any of Alfred Hitchcock’s films calls him the master of suspense. As his deft use of tension and silence allowed the one thing viewers usually hope for, relief. As you unconsciously hope the good guys win and the evil incarnate perishes. This is where Hitchcock both excels and cruelly tricks the viewer, as this si where he usually twists the knife.
As the terror that usually we spend the whole film waiting, for is equally unanticipated and worse than what the viewer expected. Take, for example, Psycho, where we find out who is the villain in the film, as they are both tragic and inexorably malevolent. As the materialization of said sinister force, makes the payoff, that much more rewarding. In the final issue of Hotell, the Pierrot Courts finally have their reckoning.
We are taken back for the last time, to the Pierre Courts Hotel, where the front desk clerk, as our narrator, feels the agitation and knows we are asking to leave, from the frights that lie within. We meet David, a man traveling with a priest, Father Villalobos, who just kidnapped his son, Cody, believing he was been possessed by a dark spirit, prompting David to commit an exorcism. Before long, the spirit overtakes him, destroying the hotel and a long-dead secret which leads the spirit to the hotel in the first place, leaving the place overtaken by the fire. By the story’s end, every occupant gets their comeuppance, in the most unsettling ways.
Overall, a more than satisfying conclusion to a collection of stories that has redefined nightmare fuel. The story by John Lees is shocking. The art by the creative team is spectacular. Altogether, a story that more than induces fear, it remixes it for the modern era.
Story: John Lees Art: Dalibor Talajic, Lee Loughridge, and Karen Andrews
Story: 10 Art: 10 Overall: 10 Recommendation: Buy
AWA Studios provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: comiXology – Kindle – Zeus Comics
The Old Guard has created a lot of chatter since it premiered. The film starring Charlize Theron offered a new take on the hitman genre. My first thought was that it may be another Wanted. Also based on a comic series, it turned out to be much more, as these particular hitmen are mostly immortal.
Just like the book, it got into the backstories of several important characters. We find out Charlize Theron’s character knew another immortal that got imprisoned underwater for the rest of her days. The mere thought of never being able to die and being held captive for the rest of your days is in effect hell on earth. In the third issue of Hotell, the Pierrot Courts have a guest who may not leave.
We are taken to the Pierre Courts Hotel, where we meet Kirsten Clements, who is driving in the rain to right to the Pierrot Courts. As we soon find out she is tracking the whereabouts of a woman who went missing at the hotel and never left. She soon has a nightmare where the victim finds her, which leaves her restless, and leads her down a tunnel where an ungodly discovery captures her. By the issue’s end, Kirsten realizes she now faces the same fate as the victim she came to look for.
Overall, a skin-crawling entry into an already spooky story. The story by John Lees is devastating. The art by the creative team of Dalibor Talajić, Lee Loughridge, and Sal Cipriano is stunning. Altogether, a story understands the power of the anthology.
Story: John Lees Art: Dalibor Talajić, Lee Loughridge, and Sal Cipriano
Story: 10 Art: 10 Overall: 10 Recommendation: Buy
AWA Studios provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: comiXology – Kindle – Zeus Comics
Jay and Mark Duplass are somewhat famous actors who have made their way into Hollywood through indie films. Many of their movies revel in character introspection and quiet moments. It can be sometimes an interesting ride in their movies while also being quite bizarre. One their first series on HBO, Togetherness, was a mix of what made them so magnetic while transitioning to the general audience’s more mainstream tastes.
Just when you think you know what to expect from the siblings, they introduce to the world of Room 104. It’s an anthology series which is part science fiction, part character study, and part horror. All depending on which episode you watched, and what goes on, each installment sought to tell something deeper. In the second issue of Hotell, the Pierrot Courts turn in another twisted tale
We are taken to the Pierre Courts Hotel, where a couple, Bobby and Muriel, are checking in this mysterious lodge. As Bobby is much older than Muriel, and is somewhat paranoid about their new respite, as the first thing that jumps out is a black bunny that follows them around. Out of the blue, Muriel is stricken by the wine Bobby brings, eventually dying a bloody messy death from it, something he had planned from the start. He cuts up her body into parts and dumps it in a pond nearby. By the issue’s end, Bobby gets his just due and Muriel lives another day.
Overall, a horror tale that deserves to be alongside anything on Shudder. The story by John Lees is skin-crawling. The art by the creative team is beautiful. Altogether, a story that will creep you out.
Story: John Lees Art: Dalabor Talajic, Lee Loughridge, and Karen Andrews
Story: 10 Art: 10 Overall: 10 Recommendation: Buy
Hotell #3
(W) John Lees (A) Dalibor Talajic (CA) Keron Grant
In Shops: Jul 22, 2020
SRP: $3.99
You won’t find it on any map, but if you happen to be driving down Route 66 in the dead of night and you’re truly desperate for shelter, sanctuary or secrecy, you might see a battered sign on the side of the road. The Pierrot Courts Hotel – where the tormented make their last stand with the demons that haunt them…where many check in, but few check out.
