Writer: Doug Wagner
Artists: Daniel Hilyard and Dave Stewart
Recently I was struggling to find a comic book which could replace my beloved Nailbiter. I need something that can bring the comedy and the horror and make them melt into one another, to create a uniquely funny and terrifying story. Then Vinyl came my way, and I was hooked from the first panels.
Our story starts with FBI agent Denis, who is trying to charge his friend Walter for murder. During his potential bust with Walter, Denis is kidnapped by what appears to be a female flower cult that looks like a mix between the daughters from the film The Virgin Suicides, The Manson family, and that weird Swedish cult in Midsommar. Weird examples, I know, but just go with it.
We are treated to flashbacks of a gruesome nature, and they just give us a little bit of a taste of things to come. This comic has charm and the concept of music being played on record already leaves a big mark on this book. Does the music accompany the perfect murder? Does it drive people to become killers? At this stage who can really say? All I know is that I am so down for issue two, and I am dying to know why records are an important part of the story.
Doug Wagner has brought forward a very eclectic story which, by the end of issue one, could go just about anywhere. He has given us a sneak peek behind the curtain and brought forward the potential for multiple stories to be told, which adds a lot more ‘meat’ to the story. This isn’t just another ‘blood and guts’ tale that no one will remember after putting it down.
Everything about this artwork is neat and clean. Just because it is a horror comic book does not mean it needs to have a crude and gratuitous look about it to get the horror across to the reader. The colour palette coming from Hillyard and Stewart has a motive regarding the story. When you look along the panelling, it is very standard colours, yes, it is pretty, but it isn’t something that is bright; and then we are treated to Dave Stewarts’ red. I can notice that red anywhere. If you read Hellboy you will be familiar with the Dave Stewart Red; it is iconic and symbolic. It is what brings the story and art together, and it is a match made in heaven.
By the end of the first issue we are treated to potentially two stories, but what is the most intriguing thing of all, is how they will crash into one another without it being messy. Thus far they managed to make an easy transition between the two stories, which is something to make a note of, as a lot of first issues either do not show enough to keep a reader interested right off the bat, or they cram too much in.
If you enjoyed the cheeky charm yet horror of Nailbiter that are accompanied by slick and clean artwork, pick up Vinyl. I think you just may dig it.
JADE LINDLEY
