Earlier this month, IDW comics released a new series called Diablo House. I’ll admit, this comic snuck up on me as I hadn’t heard much about it prior to the release. It debuted at San Diego Comic Con last month and hit the stores early in August.
Let me just say from the start that I really, really liked this book. It’s a nasty look into human nature (mainly anger…), and the first issue plays on the ancient story of Faust. A man who started in a business with nothing soon gains everything his heart could ever desire, only to piss it all away during booze-soaked escapades. Not exactly a new concept, but hey–if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. There are a few twists thrown in here and there to keep you turning the pages, and for me anyway, I can’t wait until next month’s issue.
Diablo House feels like an old school E.C. comic. There’s a central “crypt keeper-esque” narrator, or host, who dubs himself Riley. However, if you’re expecting the image of a decaying corpse or decrepit old witch you’ll be disappointed. Riley is a long-haired, shirtless, board-short wearing surfer dude, but somehow that totally fits with the feel of the book. I, for one, can’t wait for him to walk me through another floor of the Diablo House and allow me to peek in its rooms.
The artwork in Diablo House is really impressive, too. Santiperez is in charge of the art, and his style has clearly been influenced by legends like the late, great Bernie Wrightson. This further lends to the old school, E.C. horror comic feel of the book. Diablo House was created and written by Ted Adams and Jay Fotos handles the colors.
One last disclaimer: Diablo House is definitely a book for adults, chock-full of nudity and adult language, so I wouldn’t pick this one up for your 10-year-old horror fan. But I would sure as hell read them for yourself and sock them away for when your kid’s old enough to read them because this very well could be the next Tales from the Crypt.
