TALES OF TERROR QUARTERLY: 2023 VALENTINE’S DAY SPECIAL, from Zenescope Entertainment on February 8th, 2023, regales readers with four short tales of terror to remind you that you can’t have a beating heart without a lot of blood.
The Details
- Written by: Honor Vincent
- Art by: Juan Francisco Mota, Alessandro Uezu, Dario Tallarico, Ricardo Osnaya, Massimiliano La Manno
- Colors by: Leonardo Paciarotti, Jorge Cortes, Maxflan Araujo, Walter Pereyra
- Letters by: Chas! Pangburn
- Cover art by: Riveiro (cover A)
- Comic Rating: Mature
- Cover price: $8.99
- Release date: February 8, 2023
Is It Good?
Zenescope’s TALES OF TERROR QUARTERLY: 2023 VALENTINE’S DAY SPECIAL feels like the publisher is starting to settle into a groove with these quarterly anthologies. As the name suggests, this is a Valentine’s Day-themed issue, but this collection of short stories, held together by the omnipresent Keres to narrate, fits comfortably in the realm of Tales From The Crypt or Creepshow.
Each short varies in art style (as you can guess from the credits), but no short is wildly divergent enough to hurt the quality of the overall quarterly. The shorts are imaginative and regularly focus on a bad person getting just deserts for their misdeeds. On the whole, it’s an enjoyable anthology, just in time for the holiday.
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]
As with all our anthology reviews, we’ll cover each short briefly and what did or didn’t work.
The Alpha & The Omega
Young, single Jason is desperate to make a name for himself as a star reporter for the local newspaper. When a serial killer takes an interest in sending Jason clues about the next kill, Jason’s status skyrockets along with the body count. Unfortunately, Jason’s story will meet a bloody end.
Serial killer whodunits are tough to make surprising and fresh because so many angles have been explored. That said, the first twist (which you could see coming from a mile away) is followed by a second twist you won’t see coming, so the quick, predictable story gets an unpredictable (and satisfying) conclusion.
Cupid’s Arrow
Emma is crushed when she learns her wealthy husband is cheating on her. Struggling with heartbreak and an overpowering desire for revenge, Emma soon learns what it means to have a heart from the very gods who control them.
Where most stories centering on a jilted lover would lean towards “karmic revenge,” this short flips the script by showing the protagonist that her intentions are just as important as her pain. The message is a little muddled in the execution, but this is certainly a new take on Cupid’s methods.
Lupercalia
A pair of bros who like to treat women like prey decide to sign up for a dating app where the matches are guaranteed to show you a wild time. When the bros match with two lovely ladies who invite them to a secret club, the bros learn the reason for the season via blood and sacrifice.
This short is an interesting twist on The Wicker Man and Midsommar because the “victims” in this case are not victims at all. That said, the ending is filled with comeuppance for the dude bros, so the unique plot gets a satisfying albeit predictable ending.
Daniel & Ivy
Two shy, Goth teenagers struggle to fit in at school with abusive parents and bullying schoolmates. When Daniel reaches the breaking point, he finds a book that promises to give him the strength to move on as long as he’s willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. Will Ivy find the will to join Daniel?
Nobody likes a bully, and Honor Vincent gives readers a bully you’ll truly love to hate. Daniel and Ivy’s ordeal is heartbreaking, which makes Kerry’s (the bully) resolution worth the wait.
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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TALES OF TERROR QUARTERLY: 2023 VALENTINE’S DAY SPECIAL delivers four tales of bloody good horror, just in time for the lovers’ holiday. Each story is unique in theme and art style, but they all have something to offer for readers who enjoy watching the unscrupulous jerk get what’s coming to them.
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