Review: 1,000 Nightmares #1
I am a big supporter of independently produced comic books. There’s a lot of great creators out there that simply can’t compete because they just don’t have the funds. So, when I discover a gem I like to share it. Bill Richards and Creator Studios give us an anthology title that will make you think! Touchy, controversial themes like racism, homophobia and religious fanaticism rear their ugly head in these pages and may turn a lot of people off. But at the same time Richards tries to be fair minded in his story telling.
The Creative Team:
Bill Richards begins this issue with a little tale called The Oracle. Two friends are walking down the street discussing the latest phenomenon that comes to town. This isn’t a story for everyone but if you want a comic to make you think, then this ones for you. What draws us in is the discussion about the relevancy of the oracle to these friend’s day to day lives. One believes in the oracle and the other is skeptical. It is this conflict that makes us want to see what happens in the tale. Is the oracle for real or a sham? The believer argues that the oracles prophesies have come true whereas the skeptic claims that the prophesies are so generic they could have applied to anything. The second story is Hard Times. This tale deals with what the civilized human being is capable of when he is at his breaking point. Both stories are well told and could keep the reader up at night wondering about their prospects. Great stuff includes the measures that this theocracy will go to in order to protect their secret, plus the final decision of the oracle.
Yevgeniy Frantsev brings us some of the best art I’ve seen in an independent title. His attention to detail brings him into direct competition with any artist employed by the big two. In fact, I think he’ll probably be employed by the big two if they ever get a hold of his work. Equally compelling are the artists for the second tale. It’s in Black and White which works for this story as it takes a grey area (thematically) and repaints it in those terms. What are we capable of in our effort to survive? We are drawn in to Caleb’s plight as he goes from being an average teen to sinking to the depths of depravity. Highlights include the final splash in The Oracle and the look on Caleb’s face on the final page of Hard Times.
In Conclusion:
The scariest horror stories have their roots in real situations that most of us have had to face at one time or another and the thoughts these stories bring to us are: Could we actually revert to our baser instincts the way the main characters have done in these stories, if we were to face the same circumstances? No jump scares will suffice here, these stories are scary because of how sobering they are. ***1/2 (8.5 rating)
1,000 Nightmares #1
Writer – Bill Richards
Art – Yevgeniy Frantsev, Renan Shody, Jeff Sadzinski
Colors – Guiliano Peratelli
Letters – Nikki Sherman
Publisher – Creator Studios
About the Author
Kevin Given Kevin Given has studied with "Longridge Writers Group" and "Writer's Boot Camp" a speech/communications major from the University of Maine Presque-Isle/Orono sites. He has created the "Karl Vincent Vampire Hunter" franchise which includes 2 novels and 8 comic books. They can be found on amazon, Indyplanet and Kindle. For a limited time you can get digital copies of "Karl Vincent: Vampire hunter" #1 and "Files of Karl Vincent" #1 for free on Indyplanet. Kevin is producing the third novel in the series "Dracula Rising" (working title) and developing "Foul Blood" into comic book form.
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