Greetings comics lovers welcome back to casually comics the channel where we chat all things
comics from reviews of comics new and old to history to anecdotes to really wherever
our whims take us. I’m Sasha and horror isn’t just for Halloween no this genre is
always here to give you goosebumps or keep you up at night all year round. Today we’re
going to look at a story from a horror anthology comic well a homage to rather from DC. Secrets
Of Sinister House. Before we get started please if you love talking about comics subscribe
we’d love to have you join the party.
Horror comics were a huge genre before the silver age when they were largely crushed
by the comics code authority. They would see a slight resurgence in the bronze age when
some of the bans were lifted for example the oes against using supernatural creatures so
you could have more wiggle room. However by that point the superhero genre was once more
a firmly established juggernaut and even if horror comics were still enjoyed they never
again rose to the same height of cultural prominence though their legacies would linger.
DC themselves actually tried their hands at a horror comic in the 70s an anthology series
called the secrets of sinister house though it was initially called The Sinister House
of Secret Love for 4 issues and focused on horror romance that angle died hard. The series
ran from July 1972 – July 1974 and lasted 18 issues it never really got off the ground.
However in 2019 the name and concept were mined for a new secrets of sinister house
anthology for halloween but this time ft stories starring dc heroes random one shots some from
the main verse and others from outside it. Some are solid a couple are bad and most are
ok. There were 2 I really loved and of the two I decided to share the green lantern one
with you cause it has a whole Alien thing going on.
So we’re going to look at Green Lanterns in Fear 101 written by che grayson with art
by Miguel mendoca and colours by bill crabtree.
It starts on page 63 this comic does this thing where it doesn’t give the titles til
the end for reasons.
We open on jessica Cruz who is a new lantern well relatively new she debuted in 2014 and
was originally from Earth 3. Long story short she wasn’t chosen like other lanterns instead
a ring forced itself on her but she was able to overcome it thanks to help from Batman
and she would later because of her actions be granted a real or rather proper green lantern
ring. The thing is Jessica was an unlikely choice and wouldn’t have been a candidate
under normal circumstances because she suffers from crippling anxiety to the point at times
of agoraphobia and getting a ring doesn’t magically fix her either it’s something
she constantly battles with and can at times actually make her incapable of using her ring.
Jesica is really unique and if you’re anxious be it a little or to an actual clinical level
Jessica can be really relatable in way not many superheroes are. She;s a good addition
cause she brings something new is what I’m saying. All that set up was to prime you for
what’s about to happen. Lett’s do this.
They have no name, just a singular voice. Worthless Burden you weak pathetic thing.
This is what it feels like inside my head. Her lantern partner and best friend Simon
Baz asks her to breakfast but she says he can’t and he gets that so he doesn’t push
he just brings over breakfast.
What’s wrong. It’s just these new anxiety meds aren’t working I got zero sleep last
night I’m sorry. But Baz wont have any of that and yes he has the same name as a rainbow
rowell character. He not only got her breakfast but something super awesome matching bracelets.
Come on who doesn’t love a good matching bracelet you can act like you’re too cool
but I see the joy of your inner child in there they want a bracelet. Also they’re green
so they’ll match their uniforms.
However then they get an alert for a lantern emergency a distress call that is nothing
but screams. Simon asks Jessica if she;s up to it and she’s like yeah totally good to
go but her rings power is only at 70% cause the ring even if charged still needs to be
powered by your own will. The rings charge is well at this point it;’s more of a plot
point than a rule which has it’s pros and cons.
The ship is on a collision course and they;re looking for survivors but something is off.
I think we;re going tio have to break rule number one of being on a haunted space ship.
What’s that? We’re going to have to split up. I don’t really think that’s a good
idea. Aghhh
Simon vanishes and demons begin to come out of the wood work , vanishing replaced with
puddles of blood and jessica begins to panic. I can;t do this...not without Baz. For as
long as I can remember I’ve been crippled by fear. My fear whispers to me and the anxiety
kicks in. As she gets more and more anxious her rings power level drains and the creature
darts around her whispering the same taunts as her own personal demons,
They drag her down into a pool of blood. My greatest fear is the thing that no one else
can see. My unworthiness.
Ahead of her she sees the demons feeding and the ship fades away so they are now feeding
on the corpses of her dead friends. They taunt her telling her what she already thinks that
she;s cursed that she got her powers to late to save the people she loved.
Her ring is nearly depleted however then her bracelet is torn off and she sees Simon trussed
up about to be killed.
I don;t want to be the girl who’s demons swallowed her whole. And the bracelet reminds
me I don’t have to face it alone. Oh that;s right you know what time it is not just bracelet
time for friendship time...for adults. Friendship is a magic space ring. She mages to save Simon
and flee the ship now fully aware that whatever was on that ship it wasn't alive. It was corrupted
with yellow lantern energy so it was making their nightmares manifest. Baz has a thing
about being alone and separate so that’s why his thing was to vanish which narratively
played well with Jessica’s anxieties.
Also she saved the bracelet pieces to fix my heart. Baz is able to convince her that
they deserve to get pancakes.
I like this story it’s to the point and builds a decent horror atmosphere that manages
to double up on the psychological aspect because it is happening jessica though it does rely
on you knowing a bit about her like the fact that her friends are dead killed by mobsters.
I like to imagine that’s where her crush on Bruce came from mmm his parents are dead
just like my friends.
She also liked Barry I dunno what’s up with that tho. Mostly I wanted to tell you about
Jessica you know in case you missed her there are a lot of green lanterns earth has a disproportionate
amount. And they all spend way to much time on earth they’re supposed to be patrolling
the whole sector.
There’s a lot of potential space horror to be mined with green lanterns and I like
the concept this story could have done with more time to build its atmosphere but I really
appreciated it. But if someone were to come back and say it felt rushed I would get that
too.
So tell me things? How do you feel about horror anthologies? Do you like the green lantern
any of them like I said you have choices. Share your thoughts down below. And while
you’re down there please do all of the youtube things. Like share comment subscribe and hit
that bell notification so that you never miss a vid. I’m Sasha and thanks so much for
watching Casually comics I’ll see you again soon.