Hack/Slash (Review)

Any reviews that the G3AR team publishes will go in here.
Post Reply
larch
Registered User
Posts: 1196
Joined: 31 Jan 2007, 02:00

Hack/Slash (Review)

Post by larch »

Synopsis:

The Comic is centered around Cassie Hack, a young girl who hunts "Slashers" (You know, the creepy guys in assorted masks or disguises with bad skin who use any manner of power tools, cutlery, weaponry to filet nubile and horny teenagers.) These are people who died while filled with rage toward life and somehow return from the dead filled with only that rage driving them to kill. While their exact abilities vary individually all possess resistance to damage and must suffer severe bodily harm to be killed.

Image

The hunting duo consists of Cassie Hack, an attractive yet tough as nails fearless loudmouth Goth type chick bearing boots and baseball bat. And Vlad, a freakish man who frequently wears a gas mask and who carries around two huge butcher knives. The two of roam the country side tracking down these "Slashers" and killing them.

Review:

In the first issue: "Hack/Slash: First Cut", we get the back story on Cassie and why she become a "Slasher" hunter. Cassandra Hack grew as the typical ugly duckling. Her father left her and her mother when she was young forming a deep bond between Cassie and her mother. A timid wallflower, plain looking and unattractive, as a young child she was verbally and physically abused by her school classmates, never having friends, ostracized because she wasn't pretty and being poor and ill dressed didn`t help.

Then one day the students who tormented her, suddenly started going missing one after another and turning up in the cafeteria`s mystery meat served at the school. I won't spoil it for you, but suffice to say the killer is someone that Cassie knows and loves. When confronted with the truth, the killer offed themselves, rather than be taken into custody. But then, the killer comes back to take vengeance on the students and it is up to Cassie to stop the Slasher from killing more people.

Image

Remember those classic "hack slash" movies of the early 80`s and 90`s. Movies like: Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Chucky and Halloween. In almost every one of those slasher movies, there`s one girl who makes it all the way to the end she`s the survivor the last girl. Meet Cassie Hack, the lone survivor of an attack by the vicious slasher known as "The Lunch Lady." Now Cassie and her monstrous partner Vlad travel the country, hunting down and killing other slashers, before they can leave a trail of blood and terror.

Fans of the horror genre would most definitely like Hack/Slash, I immediately took a liking to this series. The premise behind the plot is clever yet pretty obvious to any seasoned comic reader like myself. But that is part of the charm of this great series. I`m pretty surprised no one had thought of using the same kind of story/plot before since it smacks of the "horror movie" elements. The story, while completely outlandish, actually makes some sort of sense, especially once it is revealed who the killer where in there past life`s.

Image

That, in itself, is a pretty cool notion, but the really interesting hook is the fact that Cassie herself has very strong ties to the "Slasher" lifestyle which serves as both an impetus for her lifestyle and a skeleton in her closet that threatens to consume her. In the first chapter of "Hack/Slash: First Cut" Vlad ask her: "Why do you travel to places help people who are not nice to you. and Cassie jokingly replies: I guess it`s probably because if I don`t do this, I have to go the real world you know where they work 9-5 jobs, and find true love, and have sex andmaybe I`m afraid I`d find out what a freak I really am.

This shows the readers that Cassie does have a softer side to her, but also the fact that she uses her light hearted witty comments to hide the fact that she doesn`t want to die one day and return as a slasher, the thing she hates the most.

Image

Stefano Caselli`s pencil work in Hack/Slash is truly awesome and I just love the different art styles used in each volume of Hack/Slash. Combine that with the excellent digital painting work by Sunder Raj, which sets the mood nicely for the comic.

Image

"Hack/Slash is hilarious and brilliant. It has intelligent satire, humor, blood and loads of love pillows; if Martin Scorsese and Troma had sex Hack/Slash would be there love child. I can whole heartedly recommend it to anyone who loved the hack slash movies of the 80`s and early 90`s."
Post Reply