The leading anthology series on comic store shelves kicks off the year with a fantastic issue. Edgar Allan Poe’s Snifter of Blood features all the laughs and spooks readers have grown accustomed to, as well as the spectacular value for money that AHOY is known for. This issue sees James Finn Gardner and Sandy Jarrell take on Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart with their own adaptation. Tyrone Finch and Ryan Kelly present “Winston,” and on top of that come the prose backups that AHOY is famous for. A lot of bang for your buck.
The Good
One of the best things about Poe’s Snifter of Blood is the variety of content. “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “Winston” are two very different stories, but they complement one another perfectly within the anthology. “The Tell-Tale Heart” is a great take on the original with Sandy Jarrell’s art being a standout. “Winston”, on the other hand is a very different kind of story.
At times tragic, “Winston” captures the feeling of horror a lot of people are feeling after the past year. Things we think we’re in control of inexplicably change, as if daring us to react. “Winston” is a great story, and along with “The Tell-Tale Heart”, they both go to show just how much readers can expect from an issue of Poe’s Snifter.
The prose backups are all well written as well. Coming by way of Brendan Mallory, Kit Josephs and Lisa Jonté, the stories are varied and deliver in ways that sequential art can’t. If anything, AHOY comics spoil readers — you can get so used to the prose backups that you forget most other comics don’t feature them.
The ‘Bad’
It can only really be said so many times, but there’s nothing to complain about in the Snifter. This book fills a somewhat niche space on store shelves that readers won’t find anywhere else. This tongue-in-cheek book is about humor just as much as it’s about horror, and does something no other books are even attempting, let alone pulling off. The industry needs more comics like this.
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