Halloween Horror Storytime!

Happy Halloween, Sup Forums! In the spirit of the season, I'm going to storytime some horror comics for you, starting off with a personal favorite of mine-HALLOWEEN: NIGHTDANCE, written by Stefan Hutchinson with art by Tim Seeley, published by Devil's Due Press.

Other urls found in this thread:

youtube.com/watch?v=DAbDvqPFXvQ
halloweencomics.com/
youtube.com/watch?v=7Blq11wjG30
youtube.com/watch?v=Ps8H3rg5GfM
twitter.com/NSFWRedditGif

The theme for the thread: youtube.com/watch?v=DAbDvqPFXvQ

As corny as it sounds, I'd call Hutchinson the Timothy Zahn of Halloween, in that he's had a major role in fleshing out the franchise's expanded universe. He's written a number of Halloween Comics, most of them being set in the H20 timeline.

For those of you who don't know, the H20 timeline ignores every Halloween movie after Halloween 2 up until Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, a really good movie THAT NEVER GOT ANY SEQUEL WHATSOEVER

Nightdance is a part of the H20 canon, though it's never explicitly stated. Instead, we're left to infer it through various hints Hutchinson leaves for us.

And no, I'm not paying for a fucking pass, Hiro. The minute long cooldown lets me type up cool little annotations for each page.

What makes Nightdance so great as a horror comic is that it embraces the comic book medium, and makes the plot fit the format rather than try to make a movie in comic form, like Wildstorm's Friday the 13th series.

Examples of course, being our protagonist Lisa's internal narration, something most horror comics avoid since the movies don't have it.

Another reason why it's great is that our protagonists aren't obnoxious teenager prats- the comics use internal narrations to give them some pathos and humanity that most slasher victims on film don't get.

Also, the numbering is off, I'm not missing any pages, at least I don't think so.

Also, Nightdance takes advantage of the comic medium to really give us some nightmarish visuals, the sort of thing movies wouldn't bother trying to show.

Nightdance likes to play into the original Halloween's method of only giving us glimpses of Michael, saving the big reveals for dramatic moments. Here we only see the reflection of his distinctive mask, letting us know that yep, here's the man of the hour doing what he does best.

Also, the comic is set in the year 2000, meaning that it takes place after H20, AND TOTALLY NOT BEFORE ANY SEQUELS THAT INVOLVED BUSTA RHYMES AND TYRA BANKS WHICH NEVER HAPPENED

Okay, enough memes, but seriously; Halloween Resurrection is probably the worst Halloween film in the franchise, up there with Halloween 6's theatrical release. Definitely worse than any of the Rob Zombie movies.

Another perfectly paced big reveal!

I was going to say that if you wanted to see a bunch of bonus material fo rthis and other comics (Including the full list of "Daniel"'s pictures) check out halloweencomics.com/ but it's sadly defunct at the moment.

Apparently what Michael does best is impalement: For a man who set the standard for slasher villains, Mikey isn't too found of well, actual slashing. Come to think of it, slashers in general seem to prefer stabbing.

I'm running out of stuff to talk about, wow.

Again, one thing that's "odd" is that the comic isn't set in Haddonfield, our hero's usual stomping grounds.Instead, it centers on Russellville, Illinois. It's an odd choice, but it's not particularly awful.

Again, really nice use of shadows to keep The Shape as just that- a shape in the darkness, a mysterious boogeyman.

This is my first storytime, by the way. Hope it's going just fine!

bump

It's odd how despite the "heroes accidentally hit an escaping victim" thing is so iconic in Texas Chainsaw Massacre, it never really became a cliche.

>She's Alive!

Yeah, but thanks to some masterful use of lighting and shadows, we can't really say the same for you, dear.

And BOOM, BIG REVEAL! Seriously, some expert pacing for a comic.

I can emphasize with this guy's pain: my microwave is busted as fuck right now. Seriously, a major loss, not being able to easily microwave some popcorn.

Seriously, I don't even think I've had this microwave for a decade, it's fucking bullshit, nobody builds anything to last anymore.

I kinda wanna make some popcorn on the stove, but that would take way too long and kill the pacing of the storytime.

...aaaaaaand that's Issue 1 of 4! Even though the names aren't listed, this issue was titled "A Shape In The Void".

This next issue is called "The Silent Clown", and as I'll explain, it's my personal favorite because of one scene in particular.

A lot of horror comics have lame art, but for some reason I really like Nightdance's art. I don't know what it is, I'm not familiar with Seeley or his other works at all.

Seeley has mostly done GI Joe Comics, though he did co-create Hack/Slash for Image, which I've never actually read.

Anyway I'm gonna just shut up and de-archive the last two issues now while I upload, at least until I get to the pages I wanna talk about. Keep bumping the thread so it stays alive!

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Okay, this one page is prime reaction image fodder if you know where to look. Hey, 2000 was a different time, there was no Sup Forums back then!

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So how does autosage work again?

I'm bumping the thread with continued posts, but apparently we're on page 6?

Anyway, if you wanna know the full story behind the Bowles house, you can find out about it in the short story Halloween: Charlie, which I can't find anywhere.

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Anyway, this is the part I fucking love, because it gives us some major insight into the character of Michael Aubrey Myers. First off, we get to see Michael how he sees himself: just a grownup man in a Halloween clown costume.

Hutchinson did a short story called Halloween: Sam, about Dr. Loomis in the H20 timeline. The ending has Loomis, on his deathbed accurately summing up Michael's character to his face: a grown man desperately trying to relive and recapture the perverse glory of that first kill. He just wants to kill Judith all over again, though it will never ever be as sweet as the first time. I feel like the Hall of Mirrors scene captures that interpretation of Michael pretty well.

Oh yeah, this comic has some nudity. Hopefully the hotpockets brigade will be kind to me.

The problem with Rob Zombie's movies was it had a horrible actress playing Laurie Strode who only got worse in the sequel. Then you had Harris returning to the franchise and somehow made her Annie likable than Laurie because of it.

I'd say Resurrection is the worst, but 6 has the benefit of Pappa Strode head going boom.The only redeeming part of the movie. So I guess.. that's what make's Resurrection the worst. There isn't anything redeeming for it.

I actually love this reaction from the cop, like the moment he hears Michael's name he just desperately wants out because he knows how fucked the situation is. It's an expression of silent panic.

Some people will argue that Resurection brings schlocky fun to the table, but I don't know about that. I feel like the Rob Zombie movies do "Schlocky fun" in a much better fashion than Resurrection.

Also, minor continuity hiccup here, but the idea that no one has heard of Michael Myers in some time makes no sense when 2 years ago he popped up in California and very clearly escaped after yet another attempt on Laurie's life. Not a major problem though, since the "Michael Myers can't be here!" thing fits the mood.

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I really enjoy this page as well, just because it captures how even in broad daylight, Michael Myers is fucking terrifying.

Another thing about Nightdance: Michael is a LOT more brutal here than he was before. This comic came out in 2008: Saw and Hostel were in their prime as a franchise, and it's reflected here.

Zombie's sequel, 6, and Resurrection are always the bottom of the barrel of Halloween movies for me anyway. Zombie's first has Danny Trejo subplot and that I wish the crux was more on. Than just showing Michael's white-trash upbringing. That way you'd have the two sides of Loomis believing there was no hope, and Trejo's believing there was some humanity left in him. Until well that night....

And that's basically the reason why I'll even edge Zombie's Halloween over 6 and the Producer's Cut of 6 because of that.

All the brutality is in character for Michael of course, and Nightdance actually takes advantage of being a comic to showcase the depths of his depravity to the extent that film really can't.

I like the producer's cut of 6 if only because it's not the theatrical release. But I agree that Zombie's remake is really enjoyable because I love Zombie's style, and because it's not Resurrection.

Plus, when you compare it to Michael Bay's attempts to reboot Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th, Zombie's Halloween looks as good as the original.

This page always makes me feel bad when I get to the end of it. Slasher victims are supposed to be generic cannon fodder, not real people with families that they love and care about, dammit!

Actually, again, that pathos is why I love Nightdance so much.

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And that's issue 2 down, in this roller coaster ride of a comic! Just 2 more to go, and hopefully I'll have them done before I have to get ready to leave for class in two hours.

>Having math class on halloween night

god, night school fucking sucks.

you forgot the Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake and prequel Bay did too.

Apparently there was a prequel that just came out that people are saying is pretty good. Haven't seen it yet, but I'm optimistic.

Anyway, here we go with Part 3: A Rainbow in One Color! As the cover suggests, this volume will have some gratuitous nudity. Also, the cover is an obvious allusion to Hitchcock's Psycho, which was actually a major influence on Carpenter when he made Halloween.

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I haven't seen the new prequel. The only good thing about the Bay Massacre Movies is R. Lee Emry doing what he does best: chew the damn scenery.

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Also, the chapter titles are in the recap pages, serves me right for skipping them!

Was there ever a Friday the 13th/Halloween crossover?
I know Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash and Jason vs. Leatherface existed, but I've never seen Jason vs. Michael and it's somewhat disappointing

Time for some backstory on Lisa!

Yeah, likewise the only good thing about the Elm Street reboot is Jackie Earle Haley being legitimately fucking creepy as Freddy. Everything else sucked, but Haley's spin on the character was enjoyably chilling.

Michael has never crossed over with anyone.

So yeah, Michael trapped Lisa in the basement of the Bowles house with Daniel and left her to die. Now? He intends to finish the job.

Michael doesn't do crossovers, it seems. There's some fan films where he fights Freddy, but that's it. I've thought about drafting a script of my own for a crossover, though.

The crossover would be Michael Myers vs. Batman.

It would take elements from H20 and be set early on in his career. He's just taken on Dick Grayson as a ward, who is starting a new year at a prestigious Gotham Boarding school, where "Keri Tate" is the school's counselor, who is trying to get Dick to open up about the loss of his parents.

Meanwhile, Sam Loomis is being brought in to Arkham Asylum since people see Michael Myers, who has been presumed dead since the events of Halloween 2, as the predecessor to many of Gotham's "freak" criminal lunatics.

Always good to read.
BTW what's everyone's favorite Halloween movie?
Mine's IV.

Anyway, his sister AND his old nemesis being in the same town alongside a true cavalcade of freaks is too much for Mikey to pass up, and that Halloween, he makes his move. It would pit Batman, Laurie Strode, and Dr. Loomis up against Michael, with Dick Grayson learning what it means to be a hero by saving as many of his classmates as he can from Michael's wrath.

It'll probably never get made, but I think it's a neat pitch, no?

4 has a great opening and a great ending and the truck stop scene is good too, but honestly? The rest of the movie is pretty bad. I'd vouch for 1 as the best movie, with 2 as my personal favorite.

This feels vaguely loss-esque. Maybe it's just the hospital?

Tension! Suspense!

Again: this comic shows the parts of Michael that the movies can't. He's not some unlucky retard lashing out at a cruel world or a poor traumatized manchild browbeaten by his abusive family: Michael Myers is pure fucking evil.

youtube.com/watch?v=7Blq11wjG30

Oh shit, that should be spoilered. Be nice, mods, it was a mistake!

This comic does seriously sex up Michael's murderous inclinations, presumably for the Psycho reference. Speaking of, this is probably my favorite trailer of all time: youtube.com/watch?v=Ps8H3rg5GfM

God bless this dumbass boyfriend, seriously.

More buildup...

Big reveal, this time in splash page format! Can you spot all the classic Halloween references?

bumping for OP

Remember how great it was when not every comic had to have a splash page in every issue? I miss those days.

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Much appreciated!

I know it's supposed to be horrifying, but there's something about these next few pages that I find darkly hilarious.

There's just something funny to me about someone getting their big brave heroic moment only to totally and hilariously eat shit.

Oh shit, I forgot to mention that I loved this part too- As it turns out, Michael is actually remarkably intelligent! That's another reason I like him so much as a character, he's an actual evil genius of sorts. He's actually pretty clever, unlike Jason or Freddy or Leatherface.

Anyway, that's the end of Part 3!

And here we go with Part 4: "When The Stars Came Crashing Down," the end of Nightdance. How does it end? Well, my nome de plume for the thread should give you a major hint!

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Did I mention how great these covers are? Because they're something else.

Oh, and be warned: this chapter has some of the most brutal imagery in any slasher movie or comic.

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Yeah, like I said, this comic shows what the movies can't. Mainly, the fact that Michael Myers has no problems murdering small children. Seriously, even Freddy waited for them to grow up first!

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WHAT'S EVERYONE'S FAVORITE SLASHER MOVIE VILLAIN?

Jason forever

Again, technically Michael Myers shouldn't be an urban legend, he should be very, VERY real given how he turned up two years ago in California. Either way though, it's nice and dramatic so I won't complain.

Jason, no questions asked. There's something genuinely sympathetic about him that none of the other monsters really have.

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Michael is very obviously a close second, mostly because in the end, his real talent is his own genius nature. Jason has brute force and Freddy has the dream world's power, but all Michael has is his own innate genius and maybe some pagan god protection but that's fucking stupid..

Seriously though Michael: WHAT THE LITERAL FUCK. When I said this was more brutal than any of the Halloween movies, I wasn't fucking kidding around. Michael is a real bastard, and Nightdance takes every opportunity to showcase it through the most horrifying visuals.

Honestly I feel like this scene would be more or less unfilmable. It's like something out of the American Psycho novel. Like he literally hallowed out her skull and stuck a light in there. Eat your heart out, Eli Roth.