HATCHET: HALLOWEEN TALES III – Review

HATCHET: HALLOWEEN TALES III, available from American Mythology on October 27th, 2021, delivers three gory tales of gruesomeness as the immortal Victor Crowley decimates threats from beyond time & space, organized crime, and the future.

The Details

• Written By: James Kuhoric, S.A. Check, Alexander Banchitta
• Art By: Puis Calzada, E.V. Cantada, Horacio Domingues
• Colors By: Emmanuel Ordaz Torres
• Letters By: Natalie Jane
• Cover Art By: Roy Allan Martinez, Emmanuel Ordaz Torres
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Release Date: October 27, 2021

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Was It Good?

The Hatchet series is a horror fan favorite, so we always look forward to American Mythology putting out another in the series, whether it’s a one-shot or annual anthology. That said, this issue is a mixed bag but one that has potential for something much greater.

Let’s talk about the down point because it will underscore the potential for a new level of storytelling. To be blunt, the down point is that the stories are starting to get boring. The writers are doing a fine job finding new, creative victims for Victor Crowley to kill, but where do you go when you have demons and Lovecraftian monsters from beyond the veil, and Crowley mows them down with barely any effort?

It’s silly to say these stories are just an excuse for Crowley to kill things. Of course, they are. That’s the point. But there comes a time when the adversaries are too ridiculous and the kills are too easy. Without a conflict that matters, a true challenge, the thrill of the kill starts to dwindle.

That leads to the potential high point stemming from the first story, An Eye For An Eye, by Kuhoric. Besides being the best story in the issue, it opens up the idea that if Crowley can “easily” defeat a threat from the Lovecraftian Old Ones, there must be more to Crowley’s power we haven’t seen. Kuhoric has an opportunity to dig into Crowley’s origin, his nature, further than the films or the comics ever have. Surely, Crowley can no longer be considered human, so there may be a story opportunity to explore the power that keeps his killing engine going.

Find the source of Crowley’s power, and a whole new level of storytelling is possible. With apologies, this is leaning too far into script doctoring territory, but the hope is that Crowley comics stick around for a long time. They will if they can shake off this rut.

Regarding art, the first story drawn by Puis Calzada is also the strongest of the three. The level of detail and creativity around the bizarre monster creations in An Eye For An Eye is phenomenal and worth the cover price alone.

Should you get this issue? Yes, of course, but be advised, it’s more of the same. That said, pay close attention to the first story and let your imagination run wild with the potential.

What’s It About?

[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]

As with all anthology reviews, we’ll describe each story briefly and rank them based on what worked or didn’t.

An Eye For An Eye

A group of teenagers summons an Old One from beyond the veil of time and space to ask for the power to destroy Victor Crowley as revenge for the death of their leader’s father. The summoning works but the power granted is not what they thought, and it definitely doesn’t end well when Crowley comes a-callin’.

The first story is the strongest of the group in terms of both writing, art, and overall creativity. That said, the ease with which Crowley wins verges on the absurd.

Past Forward

In the year 2099, a group of teens go out into the woods to get an “I dare you” photo in front of the old Crowley cabin. Of course, this is a truly dumb idea.

The premise, the art, and the kills are average. What sets this short apart is the setting – the future – because it confirms that Crowley either has a very slow aging process or possibly is immortal. The revelation adds a nice little nugget to the Crowley mythology.

A Wolf In Pig’s Clothing

As the saying goes – Snitches get stitches. Or in this case, a bullet to the brain. Three mob enforcers dressed as pigs for Halloween take their mob associate out to the woods to put an end to him for turning into a police informant. When two of the killers contemplate their actions and what they expect death to be like for them, Crowley happens upon the scene to put an end to their speculation.

The last panel in this short is the selling point as it confirms one of the hitmen guessed correctly about the afterlife. Beyond the last panel twist, the story and art are average.

Final Thoughts

HATCHET: HALLOWEEN TALES III is a consistent entry in the Hatchet/Victor Crowley comics canon with plenty of flying limbs and guts galore. However, the lack of true challenge for our main villain is starting to feel like the stories are stuck in a rut. If you want more of the same from Victor Crowley, this one is right up your alley

Score: 6.5/10

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