Nerds That Geek Comic Book Review – ‘Hemlock Ave Book One: Hopes & Nightmares’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Cover Art for ‘Hemlock Ave Book One: Hopes & Nightmares’ Courtesy of Mad Shelley Comics.

There was a time, where horror anthology comic books ruled the day, courtesy of E.C. Comics. Who released a pair of franchises entitled Tales from the Crypt and The Vault of Horror, that outright took the world by storm. For audiences were eager and ready to see what terrors awaited in these so-called funny pages and everywhere you looked, they were in comic readers hands. But alas, while they were important and iconic and dominant franchises, their staying power didn’t last, and they faded from popularity… but not from the hearts and minds of the fans. Because those stories influenced countless filmmakers and their structure and design influenced franchises such as Tales from the Darkside, and Crypt even managed to come to life via an HBO show.
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In fact, the love for these books and their unique style of storytelling has given them lasting power and influence well into the 21st Century. To the point where collected editions of those stories exist and where new iterations that embrace their spirit are finding their way to the marketplace. In fact, Mad Shelley Comics, and its prolific writer, Richard T. Wilson, are preparing to release their own horror anthology comic saga entitled, Hemlock Ave, and we here at NTG thought it would be worthwhile to share our review of Book One Hopes & Nightmares. Simply because… it’s a stellar read for so many reasons. First and foremost, because Richard manages to outright capture the spirit of what E.C. Comics and their brood stood for so long ago.

Which is, stories that surprise and take us on incredible rides through the supernatural and the impossible and that is present here in spades. Since each story has something twisted and unique about it and goes places that you really don’t expect. Which gives rise to a real sense of nostalgia when reading this book. One that really does make you feel as though you’re a kid again reading such stories for the first time ever. Because of their purity and commitment to the core tenets of horror. Which is to scare, unnerve and outright offer suspense through and through. But while it is delightful to harken back to days gone by and double check the pages of this comic to see if the Creep from Creepshow is lurking about or if the Crypt Keeper will have a pun ready for you, it’s what Richard does with the stories that really makes this worth your while.

For in many ways, Hemlock Ave. is a horror anthology for the 21st Century. Wherein some of the old devices you’d see in this kind of comic and even the genre, are missing. Replaced instead with the elevated concepts we find in horror now. So, that means you’re treated to tales of terror that are either quite grand in nature and feature things that go bump in the night, or you’re immersed in something that explores our internal fears. Such as our fears of a life not properly lived, which really is new to horror, but Wilson’s stories here handle such matters in a beautiful and haunting manner. Wherein we genuinely connect with the fear but press on with the story, since it’s obvious that Wilson has something to say on the matter and what is said is masterful in nature.

In fact, there are great echoes of George Romero’s work here when it comes to the powerful stories that play out on the page. For this is a horror anthology that deeply explores the human condition and the corner of our mind that wanders into the darkest recesses of the soul at the most random moments of our day. Giving rise to an anthology that is very human in nature and very terrifying to say the least. And that writing, combined with the amazing art present from Pietro Vaughn, Shahed R., Katarina Naskovski, and Kevin McElroy brings forth something quite special. That rare horror comic that not only taps into all the primal fears we do our best to avoid but tasks us tackle them, so we can know the peace that the characters in these tales do not.  

Pre-Order ‘Hemlock Ave Book One: Hopes & Nightmares’ here.

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