Alex de Campi is rapidly becoming one of my favorite comic writers. Between her work on Archie versus Predator and the writing she has done on this and other Grindhouse comics, she has a knack for making amazing stories out of ridiculous concepts, which the b-movie fan in me loves and appreciates. In Grindhouse 8: Drive In, Bleed Out the preview provided this in the way of synopsis:
“It’s God vs. girl as Veronica and Britt fight the power, armed only with the power of pleasure! And if it isn’t coming, the Earth is going!
While it certainly sounds sexy and ridiculous, a must for grindhouse content, it didn’t necessarily sound good. Since I have enjoyed de Campi’s work in the past I didn’t go in with too many negative assumptions, but I was skeptical. Grindhouse 8 exceeded my expectations and then some. An absurd plot turned into a fascinating tale of self-discovery rich with adult content and bloodshed. One would definitely expect the latter, but the fact that de Campi also introduced such interesting and diverse characters in the short story arcs she was granted is amazing to me as both a comic fan and a writer.
John Lucas delivers a solid artistic delivery along with colorist Ryan Hill. Whether we’re watching Veronica hop in the shower or someone committing an act of violence that requires a blood splatter, the artwork is exquisite. I’ve never seen blood spew in such a beautiful fashion. In this particular issue, the design was perfect for a science fiction, space-based adventure. Even though characters were on a spaceship with gravity, the artwork flowed and gave the impression that they were in space and weightless, but the line work was still appropriate for a gritty, grindhouse issue.
This comic is definitely most appropriate for a grindhouse/horror fan more so than an average comic reader due to violent imagery and the severe nature of some of the events which take place. With that being said, if you’re a fan of the splatterpunk sub-genre, Grindhouse 7 & Grindhouse 8 are not to be missed!
WICKED RATING: 7.5/10
