GRAPHIC NOVELS

Flinch: The Vertigo Horror Anthology

by Brian Azzarello
& others (text) & Ho Che Anderson & others (illus.). Bk. 1. Vertigo. 2015. 192p. ISBN 9781401258122. pap. $16.99; ebk. ISBN 9781401266219. Rated: M. HORROR
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A nice neighborhood falls victim to a gang of overmedicated senior citizens. A zombie seeks therapy for her anger issues. A man goes to a monster rental company. These are some of the hooks in this collection of the first eight issues of Vertigo's early 2000s horror anthology. Vertigo has long been DC's mature imprint, and this gory graphic novel reads like TV's Tales from the Crypt kicked up a notch—there's rampant nudity, explicit violence, and a diabolical Titanic tale filmmaker James Cameron would never envisage.
VERDICT Like most anthologies, Flinch has its hits and misses, but the list of talent makes this collection stand out. With a roster including Azzarello (The Dark Knight III: The Master Race), Joe R. Lansdale (Steam Man), Greg Rucka (Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens; Shattered Empire), Jim Lee (The Multiversity), Bill Willingham (Fables), Frank Quitely (Batman and Robin), and Todd Klein (Sandman), it's hard not to be impressed by the high caliber of artists, writers, colorists, and letterers involved—and it's fun seeing them work on the wrong side of the tracks. Fans of specific creators will be drawn to this work, although the vague title might not reach a wider audience of horror fans.
Reviewed by Terry Bosky, Madison, WI , Jan 08, 2016
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