Powerful Pages - Batman: Gothic by Grant Morrison and Klaus Janson (1990)

Powerful Pages - Batman: Gothic by Grant Morrison and Klaus Janson (1990)

When it comes to dark and brooding, Batman sets the bar.  With this particularly grim tale, writer Grant Morrison ups the ante with a major influx of twisted horror, while Klaus Janson offers some of his best work, using shadows and angles to supreme effect.  The tale benefits from a ghastly original villain who is a bit more sinister than any of the caped crusader's typical foes, and this fiend proves to be far more formidable as well.  Of particular note were a handful of eerie dream sequences that were quite literally the stuff of nightmares and several expertly choreographed confrontations.  This was a top-notch affair from top to bottom, with impeccable plotting and an inventive yarn with numerous twists and turns pairing nicely with sensational artwork and brilliant lettering.  While I've never seen it placed among top-tier outings featuring Gotham's dogged defender, I found it to be one of his most memorable storylines.  Perhaps this is because most fanboys are more comfortable with a gentler tone and a familiar adversary.  One thing is certain, those who enjoy horror comics may find Batman: Gothic to be right up their alley.  While I have always enjoyed the touch of the macabre that is woven into the very fabric of Batman's legacy, this may be the first graphic novel featuring the character I have encountered where a touch of the macabre just wasn't enough for the artists toiling behind the curtain.  Batman: Gothic is a horror story through and through, and it is plotted and illustrated to sinister perfection.

Final Grade: A

The Monarchs by Stephen Mark Rainey

The Monarchs by Stephen Mark Rainey

An intoxicating and perverse blend of Lovecraftian horror and brooding gothic, The Monarchs is a fiendish delight guaranteed to send shivers racing down your spine.   Captivating from the start and populated by intriguing characters who are all too vulnerable, the pace never relents as the terror steadily mounts.  The main character, Courtney Edmiston, comes equipped with a tragic backstory and enough gusto and pent-up rage to have us squarely in her corner as things veer from bad to worse at every sinister turn.  This is a grim opus, and Rainey doesn't hold back; thankfully, his compelling prose keeps the reader hooked in spite of a powerful sense of impending doom and a nerve-jangling assortment of gruesome shocks.  Long before supernatural horrors rise from the swamp where the tale is set, it is clear that our plucky heroine has been ensnared in a malevolent web of fright.  Truthfully, the same could be said for those who dare to spend a little time with The Monarchs.  At the center of this web, there lurks a particularly nasty spider itching to prey on Courtney 's darkest fears.  Her struggle to escape this woeful fate grows more desperate (and darkly compelling) with every page that is turned.
Highly recommended!