The third horror anthology from GrayHaven Comics (and the fourteenth issue overall of GrayHaven’s anthology series “The Gathering”), “Tales From the Abyss” is, like all anthologies, something of a heady mix. While all the stories in here are indeed on the scary side of things, there’s such a variety of approach and technique in these pages that it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. That said, there’s plenty to enjoy as well; these pages burst with fresh ideas as well as innovative takes on older ones, and it’s safe to say that there’s something in here for everybody.
Edited by Andrew Goletz & Glenn Matchett
The 3rd installment of our popular Horror themed issue of The Gathering.
Anthologies are tricky to review because it’s impossible to address everything, and when styles differ so much, picking standouts is largely a matter of personal taste. But then, that’s kind of what anthologies are for: collating as broad a range of talent as possible and releasing it all out into the wild together for readers to encounter as they may. Which is to say: check this one out for yourself! As for getting the general feeling for the talent that’s out there, and a sense of what horror means to today’s emerging and established comic creators, if the stories that populate “Infinite Abyss” are any indication… what’s out there is pretty fierce.
Shadowline’s Marc Lombardi starts us off, collaborating with Leonardo Gonzalez on ‘Prepared’, a vignette about the more banal problems one encounters during the zombie apocalypse. A nicely framed and beautifully drawn satire of suburban life, there are some great little details to enjoy here (the inscription on the main character’s license plate made me laugh out loud). Erica J. Heflin’s ultra-clean lettering, meanwhile, is a nice touch.
‘The Devil and Bobby Jones’ is one unusual looking comic, the art provided by Brian Defferding and the story by Brad Nelson. Pushing one basic set-up to its most extreme conclusion, and laying it all out with some really wild, scratchy, doodle-informed artwork, the plight of Bobby Jones — and the unique circumstances of his brother’s disappearance — are played for quiet absurdity as well as chills.
‘The Outside’ by Arcadio Bolaños and Juan Alarcón, meanwhile, derives its horror from the garden-variety cruelty of its main characters, a group of boys who discover a woman in a well. Both the writing and the art are very strong here, the former understated and allusive, the latter making the most of sudden noonday shadows and the deep dark of the well. This story promises to be continued in the next “Tales From the Abyss”, so that’s something to look forward to.
Horror puts on a very different face in the ‘The Tunnel Home’ by Jonathan Westhoff and Bobgar Ornelas: populated by shiny, smiling characters, and centered on a mysterious (and… Freudian?) tunnel that has caused the disappearances of many young boys, this story is written with a keen sense of irony and sharply illustrated as well.
The anthology concludes with ‘Preserved’, a wonderfully elliptical piece written by Elena Andrews and drawn by David Aspmo. Detailing the power struggle between a father and the son whose blood he depends in order to supernaturally prolong his life, both the subtle writing and the heavily textured art contribute to an eerie and menacing atmosphere. This was probably my personal favourite in the collection, and it certainly ends things on an old-school, almost Hammer-horror-esque note.
And so, while there is some range in terms of polish and overall finesse between these stories, you really can’t go wrong checking out “Infinite Abyss” — it’s a refreshing mix, as well as a fairly consistent one in terms of the fundamental quality of the stories and art. And, for those interested, GrayHaven has another horror-centered anthology called “The Dark”, which differs from “Abyss” in that creators are encouraged to push the envelope in terms of shocking or unusual content. All told, indie fans have no shortage of short stuff to read this Hallowe’en.
Final Verdict: 7.9 — For fans of short form work and horror comics, a buy.
