No Sleep Till Brooklyn In The Creeptastic "TALES FOR A HALLOWEENIGHT: BROOKLYN STORIES" (REVIEW)

Brooklyn has everything and we mean everything. Home of the world’s best pizza, the birthplace of the Coney Island foot-long, the origin of East Coast rap, and some of the most epic gangland slayings ever captured by Weegee’s magic camera. What John Carpenter, writer Frank Tieri, and artist Cat Staggs know is that Brooklyn also corners the market on horror, its streets full of stories that will turn your hair white and have you pulling the covers over your head. Storm King brings you “TALES FOR A HALLOWEEN NIGHT: BROOKLYN STORIES.” Six stories teeming with what makes Brooklyn the uniquely incredible place it is: mobbed-up goons choosing the wrong place to get rid of a corpse, a long-forgotten boardwalk sideshow that refuses to go quietly, a historical throwback to cryptid carnage and disco vampires getting their groove on till dawn. Each story explodes in the look, feel, and attitude that make Brooklyn stand head and shoulders above all other boroughs. Carpenter sums it up perfectly in his intro, “The magic happens in the streets.”

A CLOSER LOOK:

We’re treated to a zombified version of writer Frank Tieri. Think of him as the Crypt Keeper but with less decay and more hair gel. Each story highlights a different section of Brooklyn. From Gowanus to the Heights these stories highlight the hustlers, muscle, con artists, and dead-enders that add such a rich flavor to the borough. We start with:

A HAUNTING GROWS IN BROOKLYN - the collection starts off really strong with a bunch of Goodfellas making the tragic mistake of trying to pitch a corpse off the Brooklyn Bridge. That icon has a deep history in death and our crew is about to find this out the hard way. Staggs art brings out the creepy but also the humor of the story.

THE FREAKS COME OUT AT NIGHT - Sideshows have a rich history on the boardwalk of Coney Island and the unlucky construction crew hired to demolish the old haunt wish they called in sick that day. To say more would spoil the fun but trust us, it goes from bad to worse for all of them.

THE BEAST OF BROOKLYN HEIGHTS - this tale starts strong with a fantastic retelling of a Revolutionary War cryptid massacre that turns the tide for Washington but lands in a modern-day wrap-up that didn’t quite work for us. Staggs’ work on the historical scenes is amazing however and saves this one from becoming forgotten.

THE BROOKLYN BASHER- the weakest of the collection, this is a drawn-out tale featuring the lengths one will go to deliver stone-cold revenge. Unfortunately, this one feels more Mysterio than Amantillado and that makes this one feel a little silly.

THE NIGHT THE LIGHTS WENT OUT IN BROOKLYN - an inspired mash-up of disco, vampires, polyester suits, and light-up dance floors. This one has a bit of everything for you. When the neighborhood starts going undead some Tony Manero’s take things into their own hands. Who lives to see the sunrise? You’ll have to read it to find out.

THE GATOR MAN OF GOWANUS - THE GATOR MAN OF THE GOWANUS - this story was featured in TALES OF HALLOWEEN VOL. 10 and was one of our favorites. Tieri and Staggs turn it up to 11 to give us a tale of cryptid revenge that feels so delicious we’re hoping for a sequel. The artwork elevates this tale even further with an appropriately gritty feel. If you love seeing jerks get what’s coming to them you’ll love this one.

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