New Comic Wednesday Review: JEEPERS CREEPERS #1

JEEPERS CREEPERS #1 (Dynamite Entertainment, April 25 release date) Rated Teen+.  Written by Marc Andreyko.  Art by Kewber Baal. Colors by Jorge Sutil.  Letters by Taylor Esposito.

 

   This is a neat little scary story that atmospherically sets the stage in Issue #1 for what should prove to be some horrific scenes to come in future issues.  The monster resembles the leading threat from the Jeepers Creepers movies, so I’m assuming that’s what this new story is based on - - a huge winged beastie with a nasty appetite for carnage.

 

  The first seven pages are dialogue and caption-free, which helps establish the spooky mood and allows the art to utilize shadows and silhouettes with perfect color choices from the support team.  Full moon shedding light on a swampy/marshy area while a flock of crows land on a large overhanging tree.  The last panel on page one shows an even larger and different shaded silhouette looming over the crows.  It lands/crashes, demolishing the tree in a burst of splinters and feathers. 

 

    A big demon in a long fur coat emerges, wanders through the swamp and breaks into a dilapidated barn.  When we next see this creature, it’s behind the wheel of a large panel truck flying down a back country road. 

 

The color schemes change for the scenes of an American grad student who arrives in Mexico City to complete his thesis on dragon gods of Aztec mythology.  We can only assume that he’s going to meet the creature.  This becomes more apparent when he obtains an ancient sacrificial knife, which acts like a magnet to garner the monster’s attention. 

 

 

       RATING SYSTEM

 

 STORY: Not a lot going on, as this issue works hard at establishing the background for the story to come. A little history lesson on Aztec sacrificial rites is included, as a way of foreshadowing what may happen later in the story. 2 POINTS

 

ART: A really fine job by the art team here.  Worth the price of admission.  2.5 POINTS

 

COVER: Looks enough like the movie monster to get the attention of fans of that film.  1 POINT

 

READ AGAIN? Not essential, but it gives you another opportunity to admire the art.  ONE-HALF POINT.

 

RECOMMEND? Not for the story, which so far appears to be formulaic. I’d like to be proven wrong, maybe future issues will have more to offer.  Still, worth a look for the art.  ONE-HALF POINT.

 

TOTAL RATING: 6.5 POINTS.  This is the range where I leave it up to the reader to decide. Horror fans may appreciate this more.