WICKED TALES #1, from Watch Out! Studio on 4/19/23, delivers three tales of terror wherein a departed soul bears witness to the consequences of violated contracts, a mysterious Jazz band readies its latest performance, and a gamble with magical help pushes his luck too far.
The Details
- Written by: Christoff RDGZ
- Art by: Giuseppe D’Elia
- Letters by: Niek Vink
- Cover art by: Giuseppe D’Elia
- Comic Rating: Mature
- Cover price: FREE
- Release date: April 19, 2023
Is It Good?
WICKED TALES #1 is an intriguing bit of horror in the same vein as Tales From The Crypt by Cristoff RDGZ and artist Giuseppe D’Elia. constructed as a series of prologues and teases to larger stories, RDGZ’s anthology gets you onboard quickly with supernatural characters and situations.
What’s great about this issue? If you’re going to tease the reader to get them excited for more, this anthology is as good as it gets (especially when you consider the cover price). In the best possible way, WICKED TALES #1 works as an FCBD 0 issue designed to wet your whistle for more to come. On that point, this issue is a success.
What’s not so great about this issue? For a full-sized comic, the shorts are effectively only a series of teases with almost no context or setup. The lion’s share of storytelling tests on D’Elia’s shoulders to convey as much as possible through the visuals. Mostly, D’Elia succeeds, but occasionally, there’s just not enough page space/panels to communicate what’s happening, leading to a rushed/incomplete feeling.
On the whole, WICKED TALES #1 makes for a solid horror teaser, but it’s almost all tease, so the comic lacks satisfaction.
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 describe each short briefly and what did or didn’t work.
The Soul Collector
An undead spirit recounts the opening preamble to a story about a man who makes a deal he can’t pay off. When he avoids his contractual obligation for too long, his partner comes to collect when least expected.
Less of a complete story than a preamble, RDGZ’s story works best as a setup to introduce readers to an enigmatic, undead narrator who bears witness to countless stories. Light on details or a complete plot, but strong in intrigue and art, this short works as a curiosity-inducing tease, but it’s an unsatisfying story.
The Midnight Concert
A stage crew struggles to prepare their venue for the midnight show of a strangely secretive jazz band. When the stage manager finds an incredibly rare recording of the jazz band’s work, the stage crew learns the power of music isn’t just about sound checks and soundboards.
As with the previous short, RDGZ hints and teases to create intrigue. You get the sense of a supernatural atmosphere with just the beginnings of a plot. Here, we get a look a D’Elia’s art style in full color, and here, the use of grey geometrical shapes for shading doesn’t suit a full-color story as well as it does in B&W.
The High-Roller Secret
A Vegas gambler makes his way to a private table where the worst crime figures away for a high-stakes game of Poker. When the gambler pushes his luck a little too far (with the help of a magic cane), he pays a steep price.
This short comes as close to a complete story of the three shorts in this anthology. With sparse narration, D’Elia communicates the vast amount of the story through the actions in the art, and the visuals communicate what’s happening well. To be considered truly complete, the short needs a little more context, but you can follow what’s happening, and the cliffhanger feels like the end of the first of many misadventures starring a cursed object.
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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WICKED TALES #1 delivers three opening teases of larger stories to get your anticipation and fear levels up. Each short promises an intriguing premise, and D’Elia’s art is solid, but it’s almost no tease with no context, so you’ll feel like you’re not getting the full picture.
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