Written by (See Credits Below)
Art by (See Credits Below)
Cover Art by Gene Ha & John J. Hill
SUMMARY:
Released by DC Comics for December 2007, this 71-page anthology includes thirteen short Halloween horror tales starring a diverse array of DC stars, each by a different creative team. Narrated by Arkham Asylum inmates awaiting a Halloween Night prison break at midnight, this comic’s book-end segments conclude with an appropriate twist. However, make no mistake: this comic is for adult readers only. The stories and their creative teams are:
- Halloween at Arkham Opening: pages 2-3
Writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning Pencils: Trevor Hairsine
Inks: Kevin Conrad Colors: Rod Reis
Killer Croc finishes telling a ghastly tale. The Joker initiates at random another round of spooky, did-it-really-happen? Halloween stories with his imprisoned cronies.
- Kcirt Ro Taert (Trick Or Treat): pages 4-8
Writer: Paul Dini Art: Dustin Nguyen
According to the Scarecrow, a depraved gang of drug punks deliberately poisoned an unsuspecting, young trick-or-treater with a hallucinogenic drug causing a terrifying catatonic state. An infuriated Zatanna Zatara ensures that the gang’s fitting payback is demonic hell on Halloween Night.
- The Watchdogs: pages 9-16
Writers: David Arquette & Cliff Dorfman Art: Bernard Chang
Per Two-Face, on a full moon Gotham night, Robin traces a bloody homicide case to a pack of vigilante werewolves preying upon Gotham’s “evil wolves.” Arquette inserts himself as an unnamed Gotham City police detective
- Red Rain: Blood Lust: pages 17-23
Writers: Peter Johnson & Matt Cherness Art & Colors: Kelley Jones & Mark Chiarello
The Mad Hatter tells of Elseworlds’ Red Rain vampire, Bruce Wayne, experiencing a gruesome nightmare. Or is it really a horrific déjà vu that the Batman vampire is inflicting on a defenseless family? Answers evidently might be found in the Search for Ray Palmer: Red Rain special.
- What Can Scare the Main Man?: pages 24-27
Writers: Marc Bernadin & Adam Freeman Pencils: Eric Battle
Inks: Sandra Hope Colors: Pete Pantazis
The female fear-monger, Phobia, reveals her encounter with Lobo when he thwarted her gang’s ‘shopping’ raid at STAR Labs. Who would have guessed what utterly terrifies Lobo?
- Children of the Deep: pages 28-33
Writers: Tony Bedard Art & Colors: Sebastian Fumara & Edgar Delgado
Dr. Destiny relates how a young Aquaman once tangled with three bloodthirsty witches known as The Morgan Sisters in the coastal village of Portsmouth.
- … In Stitches: pages 34-35
Writer: Peter J. Tomasi Art & Colors: Peter Snejberg & Lee Loughridge
Mr. Zsasz reveals how Young Frankenstein gruesomely rebuilt himself after being ripped apart by Black Adam.
- World’s Shoddiest: The Light Kday Returns!: pages 36-38
Writer: Kal-El Bogdanove Art & Colors: Jon Bogdanove & Pete Pantazis
The Riddler recounts his hilarious Metropolis misadventure the previous Halloween Night where he and his gang run into Lois Lane, Bat-zarro, and Bizarro during a warehouse heist on the docks.
- Strange Cargo: pages 39-44
Writer: Steve Niles Art: Dean Ormston
According to Poison Ivy, even Superman gets scared, especially after he must rescue Lois & Jimmy from bloodthirsty zombies they meet on the Metropolis docks.
- Small Evil: pages 45-49
Writer: Steve Seagle Art & Colors: John Paul Leon & Trish Mulvihill
One decrepit inmate tells of a Smallville horror story where teenagers Clark Kent, Lana Lang, and Pete Ross encounter a pranking youngster whose increasingly gross jokes may prove a fatal mistake.
- Speed of Life: pages 50-54
Writer: Mark Waid Art & Colors: Ryan Sook & Dave McCaig
An unidentified female inmate relates how the Flash (Wally West), wife Linda, and their two young children encounter his late grandfather’s apparent ghost.
- The Pumpkin Sinister: pages 55-62
Writer: Dan DiDio Pencils: Ian Churchill
Inks: Norm Rapmund Colors: Rod Reis
Another unidentified villain tells of Shadowpact’s Halloween Night where Blue Devil/Dan Cassidy & a bored Enchantress/June Moone are at home greeting trick-or-treaters. Cassidy’s psychotic childhood rival and a dim-witted friend conjure up the demonic Pumpkin Sinister to sic the ghoul on Blue Devil.
- Sometimes They Come Back!: pages 2-3
Writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning Pencils: Tony S. Daniel
Inks: Jonathan Glapion Colors: Pete Pantazis
Killer Croc relates his South Carolina swamp encounter a few months earlier with an ominous, white-haired drifter who refuses to die.
- Halloween at Arkham Ending: pages 69-70
Writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning Pencils: Trevor Hairsine
Inks: Kevin Conrad Colors: Rod Reis
Halloween Night’s last cackle may belong to the Joker … or does it?
REVIEW:
This DCU Infinite Halloween Special is a stark reminder of how DC Comics’ kid-friendly status quo drastically shifted with 2004’s Identity Crisis murder mystery and 2005’s ultra-violent Infinite Crisis. Of this comic’s thirteen stories, a mere three (What Can Scare the Main Man?; World’s Shoddiest; and Speed of Life) are safely pre-teen appropriate, not to mention terrific stories with top-flight artwork.
Speed of Life is uniquely welcome, as it’s the comic’s sole non-violent story, with a redemptive theme that both kids and adults can likely relate to. For mature horror fans, there really isn’t a single dud to be found. Among this comic’s other gems are “Kcirt Ro Taert;” and “The Pumpkin Sinister.” Despite some startlingly vile content, DCU Infinite Halloween Special’s mix of macabre storytelling and superb art proves astonishingly good.
ADDITIONAL CONTENT:
There is a single-page, cartoony Halloween greeting from the DCU Editorial Staff.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 9 Stars
