Vicious Circus: Book 1 (REVIEW)
Clown Town is here to save the day!
This group of misfit clowns rolls into this small Kentucky town to save the abused children from all the local predators, abusive parents, and the like….to be clear, there are a lot of them! [They’ve got a predator meeting, ie: AA for those guilty of unspeaking acts against children, and I’m not ashamed at all to say that I took great delight in seeing the pervs get their comeuppance.] You’d be forgiven for being lulled into a sense of comfort by the fact that the clown gang is going to seek bloody and violent justice for all the children. They begin by hunting down the first abuser and ensuring they aren’t going to be a problem anymore. And rather than leave the child to pick up the pieces of their life, the clown troop takes the child along with them…
When the circus comes to town those who harm the young and vulnerable may face the consequences of the clowns’ harsh but much-deserved justice.
We are introduced to two characters, children Melvin & Chelsea, Melvin is suffering the results of having been abused by a family member. Understandably, Chelsea’s efforts to cheer Melvin up aren’t going well, until a clown named StinkBomb appears.
This of course doesn’t sit well with Chelsea, Melvin is one of her closest friends and she decides to get help to find him. Before any of the adults in town can spring into action, however, reports pour into the police station about a series of bizarre and brutal murders, with the suspects all being clowns! With a “crazed” cadre of clowns dropping bodies throughout the small town, a rag-tag team assembles to track down the perps, all signs point to the circus…
What happens next threw me for a loop and I’m still mentally recovering!
Vicious Circus is a 96-page horror graphic novel published by Flatline Comics with co-creators Kevin LaPorte and Amanda Rachels handling the writing and art respectively. Nathan Lueth masterfully lays down moody and subdued coloring that works well with the subject material.
This thrilling tale will keep you on the edge of your seat, constantly guessing and experiencing a range of emotions. With every unexpected twist and turns, you’ll be left on the edge of your seat, feeling both shocked and horrified.
Amanda Rachels kills it when it comes to the sequentials. The cover gives you a creepy vibe but also makes you curious about the story. The artwork inside is impressively done and rich in detail. Every panel is thoughtfully laid out and drawn to give you the feeling of being right there in the scene.
This thrilling tale will keep you on the edge of your seat, constantly guessing and experiencing a range of emotions. With every unexpected twist and turns, you’ll be left on the edge of your seat, feeling both shocked and horrified.
Amanda Rachels kills it when it comes to the sequentials. The cover gives you a creepy vibe but also makes you curious about the story. The artwork inside is impressively done and rich in detail. Every panel is thoughtfully laid out and drawn to give you the feeling of being right there in the scene. The artwork is accompanied by the colors of Nathan Lueth and it helps bring the art to life even more. If some readers are to find any fault in Book 1, it won’t be in the story or art but rather in the paper choice used for the interiors. The stock quality of the paper is thin, not as thin as a newspaper by any means. I’m personally pretty heavy-handed and the reluctant owner of hands that suffer from Hyperhidrosis so I was extra careful when flipping through so as to not potentially rip or tear a page. I didn’t notice any ink lift or color drain so I might be (more than likely) the problem! Don’t let that deter you from picking up this book though. It is well done and a more than enjoyable read, which will have fans of horror comics awaiting book 2 anxiously.
As of this writing, Teena McIntire did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the company, team or product reviewed in this article. The opinions expressed in this review are those of the writer, subject to the Indievolt.com Publishing Guidelines.
