With sleigh bells jingling and comic shops decorating with Christmas cheer, it’s time to enjoy the holiday one-shots like Dread the Halls. Crafted by Jordan Hart, Chris Ryall, and a slew of artists, Dread the Halls contains four stories of fear, cheer, and Santa sneers. It’s a bonafide hit, with at least two of the four being worth a read for most!
Kicking things off is the tale titled “Dead Notes” by Hart and artist Fabio Veras. The tale features carolers like you’ve never seen before, as their singing puts you in a trance so that they can eat you! It’s a clever idea, told well sequentially by Veras as a young woman wakes up demanding her partner turn up the music before it’s too late. It’s a mad dash of a tale with an eerie flashback to the young woman’s past. This tale could easily fit in a Creepshow-style TV show or movie.
Veras utilizes shadow and darkness to create a sense of coldness and fear. The use of music notes and lyrics playing over characters conveys the power of the music well, and when they feed, there’s a bizarre stretching of the image that adds to the creepiness.
Next is “Gone Fishin'” by Ryall and Lee Ferguson. It follows two boys who aim to catch Santa using a fishing lure. The boys bite off more than they can chew and get something a bit different than Santa, even though he looks like Jolly Old Saint Nick. The story suffers from its need to tell more than show, although the final panels are pretty haunting. It’s a neat twist on naughty kids getting what they deserve.
These kids are up to no good!
Credit: Image
“Northerners” by Hart and artist Walter Pax is a mostly black-and-white tale featuring beautiful pencil work by Pax. The story involves a snowmobiling guy who ends up badly but stumbles onto a shack with a nice lady inside. At least, she seems to be a normal lady. The story takes an interesting twist or two with a very scary threat thanks to Pax’s design but unfolds into a heartwarming tale. The balancing act of creepy and scary plays out nicely into a story to cozy up to.
Closing out the anthology is “Krampus Slayers” by Hart and Jimmy Kucaj. Be sure to read Hart’s afterword for the story, as it reveals an interesting twist on a story about two Krampus hunters. Kucaj draws great action in this tale, with some killer Krampus moving straight out of Spider-Man or some other superhero book. The use of sound effects amplifies the awesomeness. While mostly a fight scene, Hart’s afterword adds interesting context to why the story is told at all.
Dread the Halls offers an enjoyable mix of festive frights and creative storytelling, with standout entries making it worth a read despite some uneven execution. Whether you’re a horror or holiday cheer fan, this anthology has something to offer, though it might not fully satisfy those looking for a polished collection.
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