“Satana and the Electric Pentacle.” Written by Robin Furth. Art by Kalman Andrasofszky; Stephane Peru; & VC’s Rus Wooton.
“Must Die/Eat Soul – A Living Mummy Tale.” By Jonathan Hickman.
Cover Art by Greg Land
SUMMARY:
In Spring 2007, Marvel Comics released a quartet of horror-related “Legion of Monsters” one-shots. This comic splits between the treacherous Satana, Daughter of Satan, in a 14-page mission to Hell and the Living Mummy’s nightmarish 14-page odyssey.
Satan’s estranged daughter roams Earth as the self-proclaimed Queen of Hell. Hence, Satana is a supernatural serial killer dressed like a scantily-clad super-model, as she still sends her dad one of every ten mortal souls collected. Forced into a thief’s bargain by the grieving twin sister of a recent victim, Satana begrudgingly ventures into Hell to retrieve lost soul Jason Silence. Standing her way is the monstrous Scorpion Queen.
From the Living Mummy’s point-of-view, he was once an Ancient African king: N’Kantu. Forced into Egyptian slavery, he became the unwilling test subject of dark magic by high priest Nephrus. Ironically, they would be buried alive together for thousands of years. Seeking new purpose for his endless life, the Mummy strikes a bargain via Anubis the Death God’s jackal. Accompanied by Nephrus and the jackal, the Mummy must murder and collect evil souls for Anubis, so he may someday be freed from the mortal world.
REVIEW:
If only for its macabre twist ending, Satana’s lukewarm tale by writer Robin Furth is worth maybe one read. Her character is clearly designed for blatant sex appeal rather than an actually compelling character. Kalman Andrasofszky’s artwork is mostly B-caliber, but it at least justifies artist Greg Land’s flashy cover image. Ultimately, this trifle is reminiscent of the style of wickedly morbid irony found in TV’s “Tales from the Crypt.”
In contrast, Jonathan Hickman’s Living Mummy tale is an entirely different beast (pun intended). It isn’t a story so much as it’s a detailed synopsis for a potential ongoing series (the format resembles episodic TV). Articulating the Mummy’s origin and present state-of-mind, Hickman’s well-written text and exquisite artwork prove flawless. More so, Hickman ingeniously uses white, black, tan, and various shades of brown to consistently illustrate the story. Conveying an ancient otherworldly look, it’s an effective technique. Though the story won’t inspire multiple reads, Hickman’s vision of The Living Mummy is impressive enough.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
None.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 5 Stars
IMAGE NOT AVAILABLE
