Forbidden Gallery #2
written by William Mull, Rene King Thompson and Nicola Cuti
drawn by Craig Hamilton, Karl Comendador, Tim Holtrop,Brian Postman and Nik Poliwinko
Lettering and coloring by Daerick Gross Sr and William Mull
Published by ACP Comics
$4.99 plus shipping
Last year I raved about the first issue of Forbidden Gallery, and ACP publisher William Mull has kindly provided me with an advance digital copy of the second issue. Issue 2 is available for pre-order NOW, and I highly recommend this terrific book of mystery and science fiction with a twist, especially if you are a fan of classic EC Comics storytelling.
I have to run a little disclaimer here. I am a print guy. I prefer reading comics that I can hold in my hands. And I enjoyed the first issue of Forbidden Gallery so much that I did something a little selfish. While reading the book to write this review/preview, I skipped the last page of each story. I want to save the endings for when I have a physical copy to read. So there’s a chance, however unlikely, that I may not like the endings when I get to read them. I really doubt that I will, though.
However, that does not prevent me from seeing that Forbidden Gallery #2 is even better than the excellent first issue. The introductory sequence, “Wallflower,” is beautifully drawn by Craig Hamilton, and introduces a little innocent kinkiness into the book. It’s great seeing Hamilton’s work again. I’ve been a fan since he drew an Aquaman mini-series for DC back in the 1980s, and he’s still at the top of his game.
“Scattercrow,” written by Mull and drawn by Karl Comendador, is a great little period Satanic comeuppance story. Comendador’s layouts and art perfectly serve the story. Next up we have “Reflections in a Black Pool,” written by Rene King Thompson and drawn by Tim Holtrop. This is terrific parable that mixes xenophobia with otherworldly encounters, and it’s very much in the tradition of EC Comics. Again, the art perfectly serves the story.
“Pumpkin Smoosher,” by Mull and Comendador, is another winner. This time we get a classic horror/revenge/monster story that could probably be fleshed out and adapted for the big screen.
“The Wire Brain,” written by Nicola Cuti, with art by Brian Postman, is a great riff on the sci fi/horror trope of medical science gone awry, with a nice sheen of drive-in-theater-style exploitation thrown into the mix. Once again, it’s a great story with great art.
Wrapping things up we have “The Other Side,” written by Mull with absolutely stunning artwork by Nik Polwinko. This could easily have been published in EC’s Weird Science comic back in the 1950s. The story is great and the art is just spectacular, with hints of Wally Wood, Al Williamson and Joe Orlando combined into a new, original style.
Like I said, this book is highly-recommended. There is not a bum story or art job to be found in these pages. Even the lettering and cooring are excellent. Forbidden Gallery #2 is yet another comic book that captures the sense of fun that’s too often missing from mainstream comic books. This is perfect for any fan of classic horror or science fiction comics. You can pre-order the book now HERE, and in case you missed the first issue, you can even get a package deal that includes it at a lower price.
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