Peter Hogan's Black Forests Review: Scratch Comics Horror Anthology
Reading time: 6 minutes
How about six short but certainly not sweet, sinister stories of suspense and the supernatural, to disturb and delight in the way good horror can, with art from an eclectic mix that delivers the goods? Dare to venture into Peter Hogan's Black Forests.
Peter Hogan is a comics writer from Tunbridge Wells. His path into comics was unconventional, powered by the power of words. His previous works include Resident Alien, Tharg's Future Shocks, Strontium Dogs, Vector 13, The Sandman Presents, Terra Obscura and Tom Strong to name but a few.
Glenn Fabry is a British artist best known for beautiful cover work on industry instrumental titles including Preacher and Hellblazer. His comic works include Sláine, Judge Dredd, Batman/Judge Dredd: Die Laughing and The Authority: Kev, to scratch the surface of the back catalogue.
David Hitchcock is an English, Eagle award-winning artist. His previous works include the beloved Hedrek, the award-winning Springheeled Jack, Madam Samurai and Gothic to highlight some fine examples from the larger body of work.
Mark Stafford is a London-living cartoonist, illustrator and writer. Mark's previous works include Salmonella Smorgasboard, The Bad Bad Place, Lip Hook, The Man Who Laughs and Cherubs! To turn attention to a selection.
Rapha Lobosco is a Brazilian comic artist based in Dublin. Rapho's work can be found in James Bond, Hack/Slash, Vampirella and Uber Heroes. Working as a professional for the last decade, this is the tip of the iceberg portfolio-wise.
Jimmy Broxton is a UK-based graphic artist, illustrator and art director. The thirty-year veteran of the comic industry has donned many work hats as writer, penciller, inker, colourist, letterer and designer. That work covers almost every major comic publisher, including Rebellion, IDW, Dark Horse Comics, Marvel Comics and DC Comics.
Steve Parkhouse is a British writer, artist and letterer. Steve is co-creator of Resident Alien with Peter. His other notable works include, but are not limited to, Sex Pistols: The Graphic Novel, Big Dave, The Bojeffries Saga, Doctor Who, Milkman Murders and sterling work for 2000AD.
Providing some colour work in this volume is Matt Soffe. Matt is a freelance illustrator and comic artist based in the North-West of England. Previous works include Time Travel Opps, To End All Wars, Dracula The Return: Cult Of The White Worm, and Claudia Christian's Dark Legacies, to sample some of the back catalogue.
Last but never least, Rob Jones, writer and letterer of a cavalcade of comics and stalwart of UK indie comics professionalism and highest credited creator at CBNUK (probably). Invaluable industry identities introduced, it's time to step into Peter Hogan's Black Forests.
So, let's start with the art. First up, it's Glenn Fabry on "Interview" with the masterful trademark hyper-realism style synonymous with the artist's name. This piece harkens back to his early styling of inks and pencils saturated in rich detail. The beautiful line work is devilish in delivery with weighty performance in the expressive character work. Glenn's art handles intimacy with ease but equally lands impact in the grotesque, offering a full spectrum of emotion tackling art that pleases greatly. The art is bolstered by the colour work of Matt Soffe, who adds subtle, warm enhancement to the inks. Rob Jones' lettering here and throughout the comic is to the idealised high standard we've come to expect.
Next up is David Hitchcock on "Sweethearts". His scratchy-sketch line work and watercolour bleed colours create an unsettling air to the art on offer. This is another detail-rich presentation with a horror edge that suits the story perfectly. David's art always creates a creepy weirdness in its depictions that's always a treat to behold. Another element of David's art is the unhinged whimsy that it creates, so truly evocative stuff.
Onto Mark Stafford's art on "Our Lady Of The Rats" with my favourite style on offer in Peter Hogan's Black Forests. It's a style I'd describe as 70's underground Pulp aesthetics. It's art full of unique and interesting stylistic imagery. The distorted caricature character designs are wonderfully interesting. The overall "off-kilter" expressionism of the style adding to the quality of the narrative. Mark colours and letters this art as well. With full control, he emphasises and enhances everything beautiful in the art on every level.
Rapho Lobosco is next on "Turniptop", presenting the most commercially conventional of the art on offer. Full of technical and precise line work that strikes a fine balance between detail and conservative depictions. This high-class artwork works as a great juxtaposition to the "B-movie" horror narrative in a way that enhances both exceptionally. There's a touch of a twisted Disney aesthetic to this one I definitely appreciated. Matt Soffe and Rob Jones return to colours and letters respectively, and both deliver idealistically.
Jimmy Broxton is artist, colourist and letterer on "The Revolution Will Not Be Downloaded". The character work is particularly strong on this one, with very interesting line work being utilised. The colour work is good and solid with a "blocky" presentation. The lettering is fundamentally sound as well. The background work did feel pretty sterile for me, especially compared to the other art on display in this book. This one felt like it was lacking in places.
Finally, for art, as this has been chronological in examination, Steve Parkhouse does art, letters and colours on "Grandmother's House". Steve brings bold inks and an 80s fantasy series style to this one, hitting extremely strong shading throughout. Alongside bold and bright colours, Steve's creating an essence of over-engineered, gruesome children's fairytale aesthetic in the best way possible. This is fundamentally strong, classic comic book art in every way. It's a delightful ending to the sequential art spectrum Peter Hogan's Black Forests presents overall.
On to the story(ies). Peter Hogan's Black Forests presents six demented fairytales both classic and contemporary in their structure and telling. All full of powerful horror elements and unnerving in every capacity. The collection starts with the supernatural spooky tale "Interview", a gentle warm-up and appetiser for things to come. A man and a woman sit down for a cig and a chat, but not all is as it seems. The pacing is excellent and intimate with a nice splash (pun intended) of visceral horror to set the larger tone. The final panel lands an excellent twist(ish) moment. The second story is "Sweethearts" and the first of the more traditional folk/fairy tale story. A story of love and the heart with a monstress twist. This one delivers the goods again, showcasing a strong and efficient storytelling prowess.
Swiftly on to "Our Lady Of The Rats" where things get a bit meta in the narrative and delivery. Urban Mythology takes an academic dissection before a mythological overflow. This is followed by my favourite narrative "Turniptop". I mentioned earlier its B-movie qualities and wish to reiterate I mean this with reverence. It has a cult devotion-worthy status. To sum it up, a story of any length, let alone this short, about a scarecrow with a Turnip for a head has no right to be this disturbing and unsettling, with a laugh in the face of shock way. So very excellent in so many ways and a rollercoaster of a story.
On to the next one from this high-water mark of storytelling prowess. "The Revolution Will Not Be Downloaded" feels like the only story to suffer in this format. Unfortunately for me, it felt like a wash back from the tide of the previous story. A technophobia tale gently pawing at the idea of being anti-AI. It never manages to be very committed to its hints of sci-fi. It really felt like there was something interesting bubbling under the surface. But it was stifled by the shorter telling and suffered from commitment anxiety. Finally, it's "Grandmother's House", a simple but excellently delivered second venture into traditional fairytale territory. It has an edge even the Brothers Grimm would find borderline acceptable. It is good, dark, demented storytelling to really enjoy and even make you smile.
For fans of horror, fairytales, folklore, myth, being unsettled, outright messed up, probably consensual intimate relations with a vegetable-headed crow botherer in worrying proximity to a minor that produces demon offspring, Saints of a sort, interviews, bringing down AI, wolves and love in a mix of predominantly excellent art. Don't be afraid to get Peter Hogan's Black Forests.
The best place to get your copy of Peter Hogan's Black Forests would be the publisher Scratch Comics' main website here. Grab one while there are still copies to be found. Alternatively, Peter Hogan's Black Forests is available on the Shift website here.
Review: 4.9/5
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