Broken Frontier

I recently “Inter-Reviewed” writer Robert M. Heske  on his earlier Cold Blooded Chillers collections—single-issue anthologies dedicated to suburban-based horror yarns in the slasher, thriller, monster (and more) genres—and now he’s gone and published his third and (for the time being) final installment.  And this one is weird with a capital “wuh”.

Earlier issues dealt with mundane (literally - as in “down to earth”)  matters such as serial killers, haunted houses, things easy to wrap one's head around, albeit often Heske tossed in a deft little twist to keep things interesting.  However CBC #3 is out-and-out Twilight Zone material, the final story in fact a lengthy finale very much worth (and possibly even requiring) a second reading to understand its many minutiae.  Which isn’t to say the suburbia-angle is missing: Heske kicks off inside (what is for him) familiar territory with a pedophilia-focused short, although things swiftly shift from gritty realism to surreal paranormality (not a word, but it should be).  Then we segue into story #2, dealing with, on the surface, a haunted Aquarium, though only one security guard seems to notice its existence.  Thematically, it’s this second story that drives home the symmetry of CBC #3 as a whole: it’s a bizarrely perfect inverse to story #1, a completely different approach to telling, cleverly, the exact same story only with new faces and a switcheroo in roles.

All well and good, I was truly digging the issue by the end of story #2, and Olympic-dove head-first into the third and last…and man, if anyone else out there can tell me what the heck was going on in this last of the last, please dear God, email me and let me know!  All you Grant Morrison fans out there who actually understood the last issue of The Invisibles and Final Crisis, this one’s for you.  Help a brother out.  Though to caveat: it’s certainly the most ambitious story Heske has attempted inside the whole CBC repertoire, roping together numerology, Mayan Myth, aliens, other dimensions, multiple lives, and, I think, even more—it’s a bit of a smorgasbord, an all-you-can-eat weird-end-of-the-genre buffet.  It’s therefore the longest and most epic story told in CBC to boot.  Heske expertly paces his oddity; and for all my confusion, I was sucked right in, dying to understand every nuance, and discover the ultimate destination the story was leading to.  Sadly, after two thorough readings, I haven’t a clue to what the final pages inferred.  There’s a “Forum” section up above (you’ll see the tab).  Read CBC #3.  Go to the Forums.  Go to “Reviews”.  Find “Cold Blooded Chillers #3” in “Reviews” in “Forum”.  Give me your take on this one.  I’d be very curious to know.

Time for the art: hands down the best of the three CBC issues produced: a true evolution of Heske’s ability to elbow artists to contribute.  First up on “Shadows” is Adam Swiecki, a Polish artist known for the book The Reborn Legends—a series that chronicles forgotten or unknown Polish fables.  His inky, oily, gluey linework is perfect for the shifty world of backdoor child prostitution that ends with a freakish supernatural twist.  This alone makes me beg for a translated Reborn Legends !   Then Filipino sensation Reno Maniquis steps in for the mirror-image sister-story “Transcendence”, and this guy’s work is mainstream slick-and-smooth incredible.  Think George Perez meets JG Jones. Maniquis presents a world lush in detail and flawless comic book layouts.  He’s currently the artist on the book Wall of Angels, and everyone needs to read CBC #3, and then seek out that larger series, as well as sample Reno’s wares at his blog.

Lastly, Columbus College of Art and Design graduate Dirk Shearer tackles the somewhat indecipherable epic finale “Synchronicity” - and his haunting, avant garde style reminiscent of the great Sean Phillips is wonderfully suited.  There’s a dark intensity sidled up next to a photo-realistic excellence.  While I wasn’t able to quite think through events on the final pages, Shearer’s art kept my eyes glued to the pages and convinced that the story’s dark and somber flavor was one worth devouring.

Cold Blooded Chillers #3 is the greatest of the three, a fantastic final installment to the initial outing of Heske Horror publications.  Between this and The Night Projectionist, I’m a die-hard fan of Mr. Robert M., and as if that weren’t enough, every artist showcased are artists I’m itching to see more of.  Very few anthologies achieve such an affect, and CBC is perhaps the very best of independently publishing anthologies I’ve ever read.

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Check out and order any or all issues of Cold Blooded Chillers at www.coldbloodedchillers.com