ELVIRA IN HORRORLAND #5, from Dynamite Comics on December 14th, 2022, concludes the irreverent tour through the halls of horror history with a montage of David Cronenberg’s greatest (and grossest) hits.
The Details
- Written by: David Avallone
- Art by: Silvia Califano
- Colors by: Walter Pereyra
- Letters by: Taylor Esposito
- Cover art by: Dave Acosta (cover A)
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: December 14, 2022
Is It Good?
If you’re going to cap off a tour through horror film history, it’s hard to argue with a comedic retrospective on David Cronenberg (or Chernabog as he’s called in ELVIRA IN HORRORLAND #5). Whenever we get to the end of a limited run, we critique the issue and the series as a whole to answer the one question that matters above all else – Was it worth the time and money?
For regular readers who share our particular tastes in entertainment, the answer is an unequivocal ‘Yes!’
Notice the caveat. We’re not foolish enough to believe this type of comic will appeal to every comics reader, but if you have an affinity for horror films spanning most of the 20th Century, a love of clever satire, and a fondness for the titular (ahem) Mistress of the Dark, this issue and the series as a whole hit the bullseye on the Venn-diagram of all possible combinations. This series is the comic equivalent of CRACKED Magazine cutups, MAD Magazine spoofs, and the best SNL/SCTV parodies all rolled into one.
Does that glowing praise mean this is a perfect comic? No. The third act comes at you a little too fast, and you REALLY need to be up to speed on your Cronenberg Library of characters with a little bit of Disney+ viewing history for good measure. If that aforementioned Venn-Diagram doesn’t encapsulate your knowledge of horror films and genre shows, you’re apt to get lost in a few spots while trying to get the joke.
By a quick count, you need to have seen The Fly, Scanners, Videodrome, Naked Lunch, and the Loki series just to get the main jokes. Fortunately, this is the most cultured comic review site on the planet (naturally), so everything about this issue works for us. However, the average reader may need to do a little homework to make sense of the references.
“What about the art?” you ponder. You couldn’t ask for a better choice than Califano on this series and issue. Again, you have a lot of Cronenberg actor references coming out fast and furiously, so the actors need to look recognizable without getting into Uncanny Valley levels of creepy reproduction. Califano strikes a commendable balance between homaging the actors without trying to create a photorealistic version. Peter Weller looks like a comic version of Peter Weller. James Woods looks like a comic version of James Woods, and so on. Most importantly, Elvira looks perfect.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our review of ELVIRA IN HORRORLAND #4 review to find out what happened when Elvira wound up on the nightmarish side of Elm Street.
We begin with Elvira entering the next (last?) dimension after exiting Elm Steet. She finds herself exiting a Telepod where a very tall scientist and his equally tall, future girlfriend discuss the possibilities of teleportation while ignoring what could happen if you pod jump with a pesky fly.
Nearby, a staticy hand reaches through a television to grab the magic remote Elvira needs to jump home. Elvira snatches the non-working remote away, but more hands spawn from the television and pull Elvira through to another dimension where “Farewell to the flesh” is the last mantra Elvira wants to hear.
The scene is soon joined by gun-toting guys with stomach holsters, head exploders, and naked lunch eaters. Eventually, a gaggle of variants joins the party. We conclude the issue with playing it cool, more Vincent Price wisdom, and monsters.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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ELVIRA IN HORRORLAND #5 is a perfect ending to a nearly perfect series about a dimension-hopping adventure that takes readers through a tour of the 20th Century’s greatest horror films. The clever, snappy banter hits the mark every time. The film references feel organic to the story, and the ending leaves readers with an intriguing promise for more.
Related Information
Is Elvira a real person?
No, Elvira is a fictional character portrayed by presenter and actor Cassandra Peterson.
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