I was never a huge fan of traditional superhero comics when I was a kid, because I found the format frustrating. I wanted to finish the whole story in one sitting like I could with a book, and waiting for weeks just to read for half an hour drove me crazy.
I did like horror comics, though, because they were self-contained stories within a single issue. Tales from the Crypt, The Vault of Horror, and The Haunt of Fear are three titles I remember distinctly. They were gruesome and horrifying but oddly moral, like if Tom Savini wrote for The Twilight Zone. I loved them and analyzed them to death for clues to how I could use their lessons follow in the footsteps of my idol Stephen King, who I knew was also a childhood fan.
I’ve started reading comics more often lately, since I discovered graphic novels. Now I can read an entire volume of Harley Quinn’s adventures without having to wait for the next skimpy little issue to come out. So you can imagine my excitement when I found the complete volume of A Basketful of Heads at my local library.
A Basketful of Heads, the graphic novel written by horror’s boy wonder Joe Hill and the first offering from his new DC imprint Hill House, reads a LOT like those long-ago horror comics. There’s blood, intrigue, and a sexy young woman named June who fears for her life from a gang of criminals. She becomes a target because of her connection to a young cop in training named Liam, but finds herself in possession of an unexpected ally in the form of a very old, very special Viking-era battle axe. It reminds me of an eighties-style slasher, but instead of one relentless killer and a collection of pretty girls, it’s one pretty girl working her way through a collection of relentless killers in her search to find and rescue the love of her life.
If you’re familiar with the work of Joe Hill, then you know that in his world (his inscape if you will), NOBODY is safe. There’s no guarantee justice will be served. Things are going to happen the way they’re meant to happen and if you don’t like it that’s too damn bad. (His novella “Loaded” had me breathing into a paper bag at the end.) And as comfortably traditional as the story felt as I was reading it, in the back of my mind I knew that poetic justice and a morally satisfying conclusion were not guaranteed. That knowledge added a little extra zest to my reading experience, and as a result I plowed through the entire volume in a matter of minutes. I’ll have to go back and read it again so I can enjoy the artwork a little more.
Speaking of the artwork, it’s pretty fucking great. The bulk of the story takes place during this godawful storm on an island, so there’s a pervasive feeling of wetness that permeates every page. You can almost feel the little trickle of water sliding down the back of your neck like when it’s raining really hard and your neck isn’t completely covered. The characters are well-drawn as people and not stereotypes and action figures to be pushed around on the page. Even the violent criminals are complex in their own way.
If you like Joe Hill, Stephen King, or traditional-style horror comics, you need to give A Basketful of Heads a try. It’s clever, entertaining, a little scary in places, and overall a good time.
Dawn Napier 