Screamland #5

Written by Harold Sipe and Christopher Sebela
Art by Lee Leslie

I was under the impression that Screamland was going to be an on-going series now, but seeing as there haven't been any issues solicited past this one, I suppose that it's done.  Perhaps sales weren't what the creators were hoping for, or maybe the book is simply on hiatus for a while and I'm jumping to conclusions.

Screamland is a fun sitcom-like comic starring old movie monsters and other TV celebrities of the 1970s who are struggling to remain relevant in the era of CGI and sparkly emo vampires.  This arc has been built around Carl London (the Wolfman) and Travis Walters (who is basically the guy who played Scotty on Star Trek) trying to solve the murder of the Invisible Man at a fantasy convention, and trying to recover the film reel for Phantasmagorgya, an orgy film that was made one night which the Invisible Man has threatened to reveal.

This final issue wraps up the whole affair quite nicely, and gives Carl and Travis a chance to reassess their friendship, as well as their relationships with all the other monsters and creatures they insulted through the last four issues.  It's a fun comic, and is worth checking out.  I think I preferred the art in the first arc a couple of years back, but still, this is pretty decent stuff.

Screamland #4

Written by Harold Sipe and Christopher Sebela
Art by Lee Leslie and Buster Moody

I've enjoyed the 'Screamland' take on classic monster movies, but really feel like Sipe and Sebela upped their game with Robrain, who I originally thought was just your typical 'Nazi brain in robot body' character, before this issue.  I don't want to spoil anything (although if you study the cover carefully, you can figure it out for yourself), but this is revealed in a way that makes perfect sense, and surprises me that it hasn't been used before.

The Robrain stuff is not the central focus of the issue (although the back-up drawn by Buster Moody does provide his full origin), and in addition to that, we learn what really happened in the Phantasmagorgya sex video that our two heroes are rushing to find before it can get leaked to the press.  That revelation is not much of a surprise to anyone other than Travis, who had passed out that night and always assumed it was a normal orgy he'd missed.

This book is a lot of fun, and while I have doubts that there is enough material to keep it going past this arc, I am enjoying the ride.

Screamland #3

Written by Harold Sipe and Christopher Sebela
Art by Lee Leslie and Kyle Strahm

The new Screamland series is a lot of fun.  It follows the lives of old school movie monsters as they try to stay relevant in the modern, CGI and Twilight world that has no real interest in them.  Since the first issue, our two main characters - Carl the Wolfman, and Travis, a normal human who played a Scotty-like character on Space Path, have been investigating the murder of the Invisible Man at a fantasy convention.

They don't much care about Izzy; their issue is that he has a porn film that he made in the 70s starring all of them, and they are desperate to get it back before it is released to the public.  When this issue starts, the two wannabe detectives have split up to follow separate theories of the case.

Carl has an odd encounter with The Midnight Slasher - a Jason-type character who has found peace through Christianity and a twelve-step program for homicidal maniacs.  Travis confronts The Mass (a sentient puddle from space), and learns that he is working a slow plan to rule the planet, but he didn't kill the Invisible Man.  From there, the duo join up again, and hang out with an Elvira vampire stand-in.

While this comic is light and amusing, it is well written, and it keeps my interest.  Apparently, more happened that night back in the 70s than our heroes remember.  The next issue should be pretty interesting.

Screamland #2

Written by Harold Sipe and Christopher Sebela
Art by Lee Leslie and Dennis Culver

I'm enjoying Screamland's new run.  Last issue, the Screamland equivalent to the Creature From the Black Lagoon was found dead, and our two heroes, Carl London, the Wolfman, and Travis Walters, who is basically the guy who played Scotty on Star Trek, were working to stop the Invisible Man from releasing a sex tape that featured just about every monster still working in Hollywood.

Now, the Invisible Man has also been found dead, murdered at a giant sci-fi convention.  Carl and Travis decide that they need to investigate this murder, for different reasons, and they each pick a suspect and begin to tail them.

Like the first volume of this series, Screamland is a lot of fun.  The characters are pathetic, yet still sympathetic and very likeable.  This book is very humorous, and has an element of unexpectedness about it.  I'm also enjoying the back-ups, which serve to flesh out some of the more minor characters; this month we see the Midnight Slasher attend an AA-style meeting for serial killers.  Funny stuff.

Screamland #1

Written by Howard Sipe and Christopher Sebela
Art by Lee Leslie and Kevin Mellon

I loved the first Screamland mini-series, and am very excited to see that it has returned in a new (on-going?) series at Image.  The notion behind this series is that all the old monsters in classic Hollywood monster movies were in fact played by the real creatures.  Now, however, as digital effects have taken over movie magic, these original actors can't find work, and have been relegated to the convention circuit, bad porn movies, and desperately scrounging for any attempt to regain their fame.

In this new series, the Wolfman is hanging out with his old friend, an actor who plays a "Scotty on Star Trek" type, at a convention when they get some disturbing news.  The Devil Fish, the Screamland version of the Creature From the Black Lagoon, has died.  Apparently, he was in possession of a film made of an orgy that took place back in the 70s, featuring many different members of the Hollywood monster set.  The Invisible Man is planning on using this film to return himself to the limelight, but  Carl, the Wolfman, is desperate to stop this from happening.  He goes around trying to recruit a number of freaks to help him.

This book is frequently very funny, and has a nice, new perspective on the underside of the fandom world.  While I miss original (and cover) artist Hector Casanova, new artist Lee Leslie does a decent job of things.  The Invisible Man back-up is informative and gives us a different, more serious, perspective on the shenanigans.  Recommended.