PRETTY HATE MACHINE #1 (Mad Cave Studios)
When Thomas’ dad dies after a car accident on a bridge, he has to struggle with more than just his grief. Then enter a seemingly supernatural force that tells him that there may be more to his dad’s murder than what the authorities and his family are letting on too.
Pretty Hate Machine #1 - Written By Tim Seeley & Ryan O’Nan – Art By Paolo Armitano – Colors By Roman Stevens - Letters By Dave Sharpe - Published By Mad Cave Studios
Credit: Mad Cave Studios
*** POSSIBLE SPOILER WARNING ***
STORY OVERVIEW:
Thomas is having a rough time as he is struggling with going to art school in London and his feelings for his friend Gilly who it seems the universe is keeping them apart. Add to his problems that his dad has just died in a car accident and you have a young man that is going through it. Well at the wake of his father, his friends come to tell him that they had a creepy encounter by the bridge where his dad’s accident happened. He goes with them to the bridge and ends up staying by himself there. This is when a creepy being named Luther introduces himself to him. Luther looks really scary but knows something about his father’s accident. Will Thomas believe Luther or is it a big plot to kill Thomas?
WRITING:
This first issue really captures your imagination and takes you into a strange world of horror and mystery. Tim Seeley & Ryan O’Nan do a great job of bringing the reader into this strange world. Setting up the characters and situations well still holding a lot back creates a good amount of mystery which really hooks the reader. Seeley & O’Nan create a sense of horror and suspense as the issue plays out. The grizzly scenes play out like a horror movie; well, the mysterious Luther creates a certain amount of intrigue and suspense. This issue is sure to have you guessing what is going on as well as drawing you in for the next issue.
ARTWORK:
The artwork in this first issue captures the essence of the story and draws the reader in further. Paolo Armitano brings this eerie and strange world to life with the haunting artwork. The art style in this book matches the emo esthetic that the story oozes. At the same time Armitano shows off the horror of the story with some truly gruesome scenes. The blood and guts scenes leave nothing to the imagination and show the reader how terrified they should be. The character design of Luther is probably my favorite piece of art in the book. He is haunting and terrifying well still being shrouded in mystery.
Check Out My Review of IS TED OK? #2
Final Thoughts:
Pretty Hate Machine #1 sets the tone for what this series has to offer. The mystery and intrigue give way to the horror and gore then back again. There is enough revealed that you can follow the story, well also leaving enough to mystery to hook you in for the ride. This is a solid mystery horror book and should be on the top of your list if those genres are what you’re looking for.
FINAL GRADE: 9/10
Let me know your thoughts on Pretty Hate Machine #1 in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
