Review: Horde Comics volume 1 (Horde Comics)
Produced by our own Andy CT, Horde Comics is more than just another small press anthology, thanks to a mix of exceptional production qualities and some smart and enjoyable stories. With plenty of thought and consideration having gone into every element of the book, Andy and his long time pal Gregg Mason have produced the kind of polished book (and Kickstarter campaign) that you would expect from a seasoned veteran, not a pair of debutants.
Publisher: Horde Comics
Writer: Andy Conduit-Turner,
Artist: Gregg Mason, Stella Dia, Joe Flood, Beth Varni, Gavin Mitchell
Price: £1.99 from hordecomics.com
This first issue of Horde Comics, comprises 5 stories and starts with Berserk, featuring art by Beth Varni, which is a slick, contemporary horror tale with a twist and a slight 28 Days Later vibe. Then there’s Quiet by Andy and Gregg which may suffer from having the same basic premise as recent horror movie A Quiet Place, but is still an interesting one off horror and features the team’s iconic cover stars who have a V For Vendetta meets Point Break feel to them. Then there’s the slightly surreal and twisted world of Business with art by Stella Dia which is a Bill Sienkewicz-esque tale of an annoying salesman. And then perhaps the pick of the issue is Got Milk with art by Joe Flood, abut a sword wielding heroine in an alternate universe who goes grocery shopping and fights for her life at the same time, which is a lot of fun. Last but by no means least is Entombed with the excellent Gavin Mitchell on art duties. Channelling his more light hearted work on Stiffs or Pup and Grumpicorn, rather than the epic fantasy of Trolltooth Wars, it’s another great tale and a testament to the quality of work on offer here as it makes sure this first issue ends strongly.
All in all, Horde Comics is an accomplished debut and a really fun and enjoyable read. Although it lacks a real knockout blow in terms of a quality story which you could see a regular run being built around, as a first offering it is a very well put together and we hope the start of great things.