Just one issue remains in the highly anticipated IDW/ Dark Horse crossover of Steve Niles’ two fables series. After issue three, you’ll be champing at the bit for more zombie-vampire action.
Before the series began, Niles promised by the end of it that one of the tales would case to exist. Although one side seems predominantly stronger now, there’s no telling what could happen by the end of it all.
While issue two was more dedicated to background storytelling, issue three is all action. Chris Mitten draws a gruesome tale that has everything from brutal vampire fighting, gun-play and even a killer page of scythe swinging. The result is a frenetic, fatal issue that changes the series forever. Although some of the art seems less detailed than his usual work and is sometimes hard to follow, it connects well with the savagery and wonton violence within the issue.
The end of the world doesn’t fall into perfect little pieces; Mitten’s art demonstrates that beautifully.
The story, like the art, is fast-paced. But a master scribe like Niles knows when to slow things down. It wouldn’t be a Niles’ comic without some humor. In the midst of all the hemoglobin-filled fights, Cal McDonald is his normally quirky, pop culture educated wise-ass self. After this issue however, McDonald will have much less to joke about. In a wild climax to the issue, the world of Criminal Macabre will never be the same.
The emergence of McDonald’s trusty zombie sidekick Mo’Lock as a true warrior (real fans of the series always knew he has it in him, but he always kept himself in check) was a shock but one necessary considering how much the world has changed over the past three issues. With just a few dozen pages left in the crossover, Mo’Lock’s courage might be the key to everything.
Behind the sturdy art and multifaceted story, this issue sets the bar high for the last zombie/vampire showdown. There’s no telling who will win this one. That, perhaps, is the best part.
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