Macabre Valley #1. w. Zack Quaintance. a. Anna Readman. 30pp. Comics Bookcase.
Macabre Valley #1 is a 30-page horror comic by writer Zack Quaintance (Death of Comics Bookcase), artist Anna Readman(2000AD, Peachfuzz), colorist Brad Simpson (Local Man, Coffin Bound), Eisner-nominated letterer Becca Carey (Absolute Wonder Woman, Exquisite Corpses), and designer Jared K. Fletcher (Paper Girls).
This is one of those comic books that will speak to anyone looking for a blast of good authentic fun. You know, the good stuff. Comics and horror go hand in hand and Macabre Valley does not miss a beat. There’s a cool story behind this comic which I’ll get to in a moment. For now, just think werewolves done right. I see that the Kickstarter campaign (thru 10/15) attached to this comic has done very well. Let’s take a closer look.
Welcome to McCobb, Texas, “home of the Macabre Valley.” If that sounds ominous, that’s because it is. Okay, so the cool thing to know about this comic is that its writer, Zack Quaintance, has tapped into his own experience as a young intrepid reporter and built upon that to structure his own horror story. This is a shaggy dog story, complete with gumshoe tropes and offbeat humor, reminiscent of classic EC Comics.
This is the story of the gruesome murder of a border patrol agent out in the middle of the desolate badlands of South Texas. A young reporter happens upon the scene and is abruptly brushed away by local police who plead with him to just let this one go. Of course, that’s the last thing that our hero is going to do. So, now the chase is on to solve the mystery of a savagely murdered border patrol agent. The trail leads the reporter to a maverick pastor with a soft spot for rehabilitating stray dogs. That’s all well and good until that night he confronts something less dog-like and more monster-like.
This quirky story, its whole premise, reminds me of the cult classic TV show from the 1970s, Kolchak: The Night Stalker. In that series, Kolchak is a gumshoe reporter, played by character actor Darren McGavin. Each week, by incredible luck (good or bad?) Kolchak confronts a supernatural creature: of course, he “stalks” the creature; goes all-out Columbo (another ’70s TV classic) on the monster until he cracks the case. So it goes with this highly entertaining comic book.
I got to read a shorter version of this story which was part of Zack’s comic book anthology, Death of Comics Bookcase. You can read my review of it here. This 30-page full-bodied version allows for a richer experience and far more breathing room for the talents of the whole creative team, named at the start of this review. You get all sorts of opportunities for expansion like the beautiful greeting card two-page spread. Zack gets to play with various narrative nuances, including some strategic humor inserted at just the right time to pause before consuming more grindhouse gore. One thing to remember about Zack Quaintance is that he’s someone who really cares about the details. He demonstrates that with all of his work, notably his own review of comics which, these days, you can find over at Comics Beat. So, you can rely upon his being a perfectionist when it comes to delivering the goods here with this exceptional horror comic book.
Lastly, keep in mind that this comic book is the result of a Kickstarter campaign so refer to the campaign for details. That said, this comic book will be embarking upon a journey akin to a salmon run where it will endure a challenging journey on its way to spawn for future glory. So, keeps an eye out. Follow this comic book’s journey in all the usual places, including Zack’s hub, Comics Bookcase.
