Are You Afraid of Darkseid #1 Review
Are You Afraid of Darkseid?
Written by: Elliot Kalan
Art by: Mike Norton
Colors by: Allen Passalaqua
Lettered by: Simon Bowland
Publisher: DC Comics
Bloody Mary
Written by: Kenny Porter
Art by: Max Dunbar
Colors by: Luis Guerrero
Lettered by: Becca Carey
Publisher: DC Comics
Backseat Killer
Written by: Calvin Kasulke
Art by: Rob Guillory
Colors by: Luis Guerrero
Lettered by: Simon Bowland
Publisher: DC Comics
Escape the Dark Fortress
Written by: Dave Wielgosz
Art by: Pablo M. Collar
Colors by: Wil Quintana
Lettered by: Dave Sharpe
Publisher: DC Comics
The Endless Staircase
Written by: Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing
Art by: Jesús Hervás
Colors by: Eva De La Cruz
Lettered by: Clem Robins
Publisher: DC Comics
The Ogopogo
Written by: Ed Brisson
Art by: Christopher Mitten
Colors by: Tony Aviña
Lettered by: Becca Carey
Publisher: DC Comics
Black-Eyed Kids
Written by: Terry Blas
Art by: Garry Brown
Colors by: Marissa Louise
Lettered by: Dave Sharpe
Publisher: DC Comics
The Cellar
Written by: Jeremy Haun
Pencils by: Tony Akins
Colors and inks by: Moritat
Lettered by: ALW’s Troy Peteri
Publisher: DC Comics
Okay but seriously, these anthologies from the Big 2 have been so fantastic this year. Are You Afraid of Darkseid? hits similar notes to your typical Halloween spooktacular special issue, but all the stories are fun, and some are just phenomenal! A few that stood out to me are The Ogopogo, Escape the Dark Fortress, and The Endless Staircase.
The stories here are framed with members of the Teen Titans out roughing it on a group camping adventure. Which makes for the perfect setup for these stories, though I do question why they’re all in costume and referring to each other by their hero names. Kalan does an excellent job of having the Titans interact with one another, I greatly enjoyed seeing each member setup for their stories and ragging on each other for not being scary enough, Crush and Wallace were the standout characters for me. Each story had something to love about, and it was an excellent decision to include multiple genres of horror. Was so stoked that there was a “lake monster” story included as that’s my favorite type of monster and Brisson weaves one horrific tale.
Though so many unique types of stories are told throughout, the book’s momentum rarely falters. The shared duties of some artists help to blend each tale into the central narrative and allow for the others to experiment and give each story its own distinct flavor. The Staircase is definitely worth the price of admission alone, told in splash pages that traverse different points in space and time and you honestly have to check it out.
This may be one of my favorite anthologies of the year. It features an incredible collection of stories that allow for the writers and artists to experiment and put out some wonderfully frightening tales. Absolutely pick this up if you’re looking to get into the spirit of the season.
Written by: Elliot Kalan
Art by: Mike Norton
Colors by: Allen Passalaqua
Lettered by: Simon Bowland
Publisher: DC Comics
Bloody Mary
Written by: Kenny Porter
Art by: Max Dunbar
Colors by: Luis Guerrero
Lettered by: Becca Carey
Publisher: DC Comics
Backseat Killer
Written by: Calvin Kasulke
Art by: Rob Guillory
Colors by: Luis Guerrero
Lettered by: Simon Bowland
Publisher: DC Comics
Escape the Dark Fortress
Written by: Dave Wielgosz
Art by: Pablo M. Collar
Colors by: Wil Quintana
Lettered by: Dave Sharpe
Publisher: DC Comics
The Endless Staircase
Written by: Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing
Art by: Jesús Hervás
Colors by: Eva De La Cruz
Lettered by: Clem Robins
Publisher: DC Comics
The Ogopogo
Written by: Ed Brisson
Art by: Christopher Mitten
Colors by: Tony Aviña
Lettered by: Becca Carey
Publisher: DC Comics
Black-Eyed Kids
Written by: Terry Blas
Art by: Garry Brown
Colors by: Marissa Louise
Lettered by: Dave Sharpe
Publisher: DC Comics
The Cellar
Written by: Jeremy Haun
Pencils by: Tony Akins
Colors and inks by: Moritat
Lettered by: ALW’s Troy Peteri
Publisher: DC Comics
Okay but seriously, these anthologies from the Big 2 have been so fantastic this year. Are You Afraid of Darkseid? hits similar notes to your typical Halloween spooktacular special issue, but all the stories are fun, and some are just phenomenal! A few that stood out to me are The Ogopogo, Escape the Dark Fortress, and The Endless Staircase.
The stories here are framed with members of the Teen Titans out roughing it on a group camping adventure. Which makes for the perfect setup for these stories, though I do question why they’re all in costume and referring to each other by their hero names. Kalan does an excellent job of having the Titans interact with one another, I greatly enjoyed seeing each member setup for their stories and ragging on each other for not being scary enough, Crush and Wallace were the standout characters for me. Each story had something to love about, and it was an excellent decision to include multiple genres of horror. Was so stoked that there was a “lake monster” story included as that’s my favorite type of monster and Brisson weaves one horrific tale.
Though so many unique types of stories are told throughout, the book’s momentum rarely falters. The shared duties of some artists help to blend each tale into the central narrative and allow for the others to experiment and give each story its own distinct flavor. The Staircase is definitely worth the price of admission alone, told in splash pages that traverse different points in space and time and you honestly have to check it out.
This may be one of my favorite anthologies of the year. It features an incredible collection of stories that allow for the writers and artists to experiment and put out some wonderfully frightening tales. Absolutely pick this up if you’re looking to get into the spirit of the season.
A Look Inside
