Trick R Treat - Days of the Dead

From Amazon:

Days of the Dead takes readers on a journey through Halloween history with 4 chilling new Trick ‘r Treat tales. Discover old-world lovers whose romance takes a chilling turn and Western pioneers who discover the dark side of the frontier. Travel to 1950s Los Angeles for a tale of pure horror noir and into the heart of small-town America to see some pranksters taught a lesson they'll never forget.

Across centuries of Halloween horror, wherever fear lies, Sam will be waiting…

Trick R Treat: Days of the Dead is a 144 page graphic novel containing four stories and a few pages of extra treats. I was pretty excited when I heard we'd be getting a bit more Sam in our lives this October, even if it wouldn't be in movie form.

If you're a huge fan of the original movie, you may be a bit let down with this book. As you can see from the summary above, the stories are each set in their own time. Although there is no Pulp Fiction-esque crossover between them, I like the idea of visiting different time periods. Sam is barely present in some of the stories but he always pops up.

Like any good showman, they definitely saved the best for last. Of the four stories, Monster Mash is the one that most feels like it comes from the same world as the film. Being contemporary, it's the only one that reflects Halloween as we expect it and the art style just about perfectly captures the magic. It has a nice little twist at the end.

My next favorite was surprisingly Corn Maiden. I wasn't expecting a Halloween tale set in the Old West to grab me as much as this one did. It's a cool story and the artwork looks as if it came from animation. Like Monster Mash, this one fits in the Trick R Treat film world.

Seed, set in 1640 Ireland, is about a witch and her would-be persecutor falling in love. I liked this story because it sort of tells how Halloween came to the New World.

My least favorite by a mile, was Echoes. I had expected this to be my favorite being a 1950s noir tale. I was hoping for an interesting private eye/Halloween experience. However, the story has more of a supernatural vibe that's not necessarily tied to Halloween. The artwork in this segment is horrible and not what I'd expect from a 50s noir story at all.

But maybe the most thrilling thing about the book is the short introduction by Michael Dougherty. In it, he states a proper sequel is on the agenda after Krampus hits theaters this December. Good news indeed!

I'd say if you're a fan of Trick R Treat, definitely pick this up. You'll probably enjoy most of it and anything we can do to show there's a need for a move sequel is a good thing!

Trick R Treat: Days of the Dead is available on Amazon in print and for Kindle.

Before you run off to check out all the Cryptkeepers at Countdown to Halloween, here is today's audio Trick or Treat mix: The Works of Danny Elfman