MANIAC OF NEW YORK III: DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACK #1 of 4 Written by Elliott Kalan with art and colors by Andrea Mutti and letters by Taylor Esposito (AfterShock Comics, January 18, 2023 release date) “The Theme Is Rebirth”
Goodbye Harry, Hello Mary.
The popular MANIAC OF NEW YORK returns this month with Volume 3 - - DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACK. Why not, isn’t Harry the Maniac dead after being sliced through the head by Maniac Task Force Chair Gina Greene in Volume 2 - - THE BRONX IS BURNING?
Seems like you can put down the person behind the mask but perhaps not the power or supernatural force of the mask itself. The creative team of Kalan and Mutti return for more disturbing gore but there’s much more than a slasher comic playing out here. Like the previous two volumes, there is plenty of illustrative commentary on city politics, social life and culture in general as well as a stab at how media and pop stars manipulate that for their own benefit. The satire is not so subtle this time, and the story is even stronger because of it.
To celebrate the debut of Issue #1, COMIC UNIVERSE at 446 McDade Blvd. in Folsom Pa (19033) will hold a special event Wednesday, January 18 with a special sale and raffle opportunities. Purchase a copy of MANIAC OF NEW YORK III: DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACK #1 and earn a raffle ticket for an Elliott Kalan autographed copy of Issue #1 and a hardcover edition of ANIMOSITY: YEAR ONE. All day, AfterShock back issues and series sets are on sale at 50% off and AfterShock trade paperbacks are 25% off. Publish more AfterShock comics and earn more raffle chances.
It’s two months after the demise of Harry The Maniac and NYC Mayor Dimanzio is taking credit and making it the centerpiece of his re-election campaign. Meanwhile, the two NYPD officers responsible are in isolation and therapy of sorts. Gina Greene left the city, while Detective Zelda Pettipone struggles to find new meaning in her life. The rich opportunistic author Gardner Bernbaum gets her to agree to an interview for The Death Train: Mass Transit, Mass Murder (working title), his book on Harry The Maniac. Meanwhile, the reborn Maniac attacks a tent city for the homeless in Central Park.
A reoccurring plot thread from Volume One and Two returns in the opening pages, and may play a role before Volume Three concludes. Andrea Mutti’s gory watercolor-splash art style makes the blood look even bloodier, and he brings even more this time. The emotions exploding from facial expressions and body language enhance the proceedings, adding to the gore factor as well as satiric elements of the story.
There are new characters introduced, including pop star Sadie Sinister (a spin on Lady Gaga) and an extreme news channel commentator (think a cross between Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity) who actually trumpets the new Maniac as a city hero for ridding the city of vagrants. FIVE STARS.
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