Writers: Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti
Artists: Adam Archer and Peter Guzman
Publisher: Wildstorm
(Ki-Ki-Ki Ma-Ma-Ma)
Did you hear that? It’s OK. It’s probably just the wind.
Wildstorm’s Friday The 13th title has reached the end of its first story arc. It’s also the last arc as an ongoing, as Wildstorm have cancelled their three New Line Cinema horror titles (Friday The 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), although they will be returning as a series of specials and miniseries.
For the few of you out there unfamiliar with the Friday The 13th movies, they tell the story of hockey-masked slasher Jason Voorhees, and focus mainly on his efforts to kill the teens of Camp Crystal Lake. The series runs (so far) to eleven movies of varying quality and popularity, including the crossover with the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, Freddy Vs Jason. Previous Jason comics have been released by Topps and Avatar, but this is definitely the most high-profile.
(Ki-Ki-Ki Ma-Ma-Ma)
OK, that’s definitely not the wind. There’s something outside.
The first issue introduces us to our cast of late teens/twentysomethings, a mixed group in terms of race and (as is eventually revealed) sexuality, who have come to help get the old camp cleaned and reopened. We also have an introduction to the disastrous history of the camp itself, and (unfortunately) two misspellings of the main character’s surname in the space of two panels.
Over the next few issues, we get to know the characters a little better mainly through interpersonal conflict, we get a little more of the history of Crystal Lake, a few false alarm jumps and some well-timed and reasonably well executed death scenes.
(Ki-Ki-Ki Ma-Ma-Ma)
I’m going to check out the mysterious noise outside. I’ll be right back.
Palmiotti and Gray make a decent stab at telling a new story in a well-worn series without it feeling quite as formulaic as Wildstorm’s Nightmare on Elm Street title. This does at times read like an adaptation of a reasonably good entry in the series. Unfortunately, it falls down whenever they stray too far from the well-worn path of the movies, attempting to graft a whole new tragic history onto the Camp Crystal Lake area before Jason’s arrival. This could have worked, and would have added a whole new dimension to the saga, had it been played a little better. Instead we get levitating zombie children rising from the lake and a bizarre and suddenly introduced concept where Jason is the vessel of the anger and hatred of a murdered shaman.
No, he isn’t.
Archer and Guzman’s artwork, while a little cartoony at times, does bring a certain youthful vitality and energy to the book, along with possibly some of the most buxom women in comics. Their Jason is tall and broad, resembling Kane Hodder’s take on the character in the later movies.
(Ki-Ki-Ki Ma-Ma-Ma)
Hello! Is somebody out there? Hello! Wait, what was that?
The most impressive aspect of the storyline is probably the covers by Ryan Sook, with special praise going to issue one’s shot of a machete-wielding Jason, the face of his next victim reflected in the blade, and issue four’s moody, blood-red portrait of a post-kill Jason on a rowing boat.
The forthcoming TPB collection of the storyline therefore is cautiously recommended. There’s a passably entertaining Friday The 13th story in there, if you can wade past some of the missteps.
(Ki-Ki-Ki Ma-Ma-Ma)
Hello, are y… no! NO! NO! AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!
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Russell Hillman's body was found two weeks ago in an abandoned summer camp in New Jersey. His head was found a week later in a nearby shack. We'll have him back writing reviews next month - we don't let our staff go that easily.