THE ACCURSED #1, from Blood Moon Comics on 10/4/23, recounts the tale of a brother and sister on the hunt for the hedgewitch who killed their parents. Can the local vampire gangster provide the info they need?
The Details
- Written by: Mark Fenton
- Art by: David Camescasse
- Letters by: Hector Negrete
- Cover art by: David Camescasse (cover A)
- Comic Rating: Teen+
- Cover price: $4.99
- Release date: October 4, 2023
Is THE ACCURSED #1 Good?
THE ACCURSED #1 is a snappy tale about a brother and sister who hunt monsters, but their most important mission is to kill the hedgewitch who killed their parents and cursed the sister with never growing up. If that description doesn’t get your monster-loving heart thumping, nothing will. That said, this comic has more than a few bumpy edges, so consider it a diamond in the rough.
Mark Fenton’s script centers on a brother and sister team who spend their days hunting down an assortment of monsters. The sister is burdened with a curse that prevents her from again, and the duo is in constant search of the hedgewitch who killed their parents. When the latest witch hunt goes sour, thanks to a nasty harpy, the monster hunters pay a visit to the local gangster, casino owner, and vampire for help.
In terms of tone and atmosphere, this issue has many of the same hallmarks as a Buffy episode sans the quippy Whedon dialog. Monsters exist in the open, the brother and sister have a no-nonsense approach to their hunts, and part of the drama comes from the conflicting personalities between brother and sister. So, the human personalities are at least as interesting as the monsters they face.
What’s great about THE ACCURSED #1? The brother and sister team’s mission is super clear, but there are obviously more intriguing mysteries surrounding how the parents died, what the hedgewitch is up to, and more. The sister is so determined and headstrong to barrel through any obstacles, you get the impression she’s not stopping long enough to see there’s more going on, and we’re interested enough to want to find out.
What’s not so great about THE ACCURSED #1? If you haven’t caught the oddity by now, nobody is named in this comic. Not the brother, sister, or gangster vampire is given a proper name to reference. At most, you learn the brother and sister’s last name is Starking, but that’s all you get.
Further, the dialog feels stiff and non-conversational in some of the conversations. You get what they’re saying, but the phrasing sounds stiff when you read it out loud.
How’s the art? Camescasse’s art is the highlight of the issue. The action is fast-paced, and the creature designs for the harpy are unique and engaging.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s THE ACCURSED #1 About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with a girl running down the street toward a waiting van. The girl is chased by a vicious harpy. When the girl gets close to the van, she turns and fires a pistol at the harpy’s win, which is enough to slow it down so the girl can hop in the van for a getaway.
The girl bickers with the driver, her older brother, that the witch they’re looking for isn’t where she was rumored to be, and that the harpy was a trap. Concluding they were set up, the girl insists they drive to a casino hotel called Sundowner to speak with its owner – a thousand-year-old vampire.
The girl is reluctantly let in, and she makes a hard deal with the vampire to find the witch she seeks. We conclude the issue with strategic advice, a tentacled assassin, and a driver’s choice.
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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THE ACCURSED #1 is a diamond in the rough about a sister and brother hunting the witch who killed their parents. The concept and world the characters inhabit are interesting, and the art is engaging, but the script has more than a few rough spots.
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