John Carpenter Is Still The Master Of Thrills And Chills With "TALES FOR A HALLOWEEN NIGHT, Vol. 10." (REVIEW)

What would Halloween be without a spine-chilling tale or two? What would Halloween be without vampires, werewolves, witches, ghouls, and goblins? And what would Halloween be without the master of Samhain himself, John Carpenter? Look no further for all those and more in Storm King’s incredibly popular anthology series “TALES OF HALLOWEEN NIGHT, VOL 10.” Featuring 30 of the most creative writers, artists, and colorists working in comics today. This anthology is packed cover to cover with some of the most frightening 4 color scares you’re going to read this year. 12 tales of terror to get you primed for the spookiest night of the year, this anthology delivers some truly inventive thrills matched by some of the most gorgeous artwork we’ve seen this year. Are all the stories a lesson in masterclass scares? No. As with every anthology, there comes a point of diminishing returns but even the weakest of the bunch have something creative to offer. Kicked off with an original story by the Master himself, John Carpenter, “TALES OF HALLOWEEN NIGHT” hits the ground running and never lets up until the last blood-soaked page. Let’s dive into some of the more chilling tales in the collection.

THE BEST OF THE BUNCH:

SOS: John Carpenter’s original story delivers the scares but is also a heartfelt tribute to the haunted house genre. An exciting new take on the creaky old house trope popping off the page with Sian Mandrake’s amazing colors. The art by Luis Guaragna is effectively creepy and kinetic. Leave it to Carpenter to provide the most cinematic story to the collection. This one will bring back memories of GHOSTS OF MARS for sure.

THE SHOW MUST GO ON: Alec Worley takes what could have been a silly premise and lands one shock after another with this puppet show Creepfest. Think PUNCH & JUDY from hell and you’re halfway there. David Hitchcock and Jack Mandrake bring the shocks with their art and it all comes together with a nightmare ending that lands like a punch.

THE GATOR MAN OF THE GOWANUS: Frank Tieri gives us a tale of cryptid revenge that feels so delicious we’re hoping for a sequel. Cat Staggs elevates the tale even further with appropriately gritty artwork. This story feels like a lost X-Files minus Scully and Mulder and if you love seeing jerks get what’s coming to them you’re gonna love this one. Gator Man Rules!

LONG IN TOOTH AND CLAW: This may be the most off-the-wall tale in the collection and would make a spectacularly gory film. Another “revenge is a dish best served cold” take but completely different from others in the collection. This one takes off at breakneck speed and just keeps going. If you love your gore this tale is the one for you. Complete with a Hollywood a-hole that’s just begging for his comeuppance, LONG IN TOOTH AND CLAW certainly lives up to its name.

TRAVELER BETWEEN WORLDS: of all the incredible artwork in this anthology, these pages are the most stunning of them all. Breathtaking in their depth and emotion, worth the cover price alone just for these visuals, Andrea Mutti and Valerio Alloro create black and white watercolors so unbelievably vivid we can’t stop going back to these pages, they’re simply mesmerizing.

BOTTOM LINE: If you’re looking for thrills and chills this Halloween season, and honestly who isn’t, this collection is for you. 12 uniquely terrifying tales to get you in the mood for a dark, windy, moonless night of dread. This collection is money well spent.

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