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In the Black Forest of Germany, something wicked and wild awaits! Nazi’s call upon mad scientists, the occult, monsters, and even worse to win the war. The Grave Brigade is a special military unit made up of some the most dangerous, broken men the US has to offer. You have to fight fire with fire, and in this case crazy with crazy! Can this band of renegades and outcasts last a night against The Wolf of Black Forest?!
- Written by Mike Dean & Tim Radecki
- Illustrated by Debora Lancianese
- Colors by Arthur Hesli
- Lettering and Design by Dave Lentz
- Editors Chris Staros, Bob Salley, & Leland Bjerg
- Created by Mike Dean & Tim Radecki
Grave Brigade: A Retrospective
Perhaps you missed the debut of Grave Brigade last year, much like myself! One of my pet peeves when it comes to comics is when the story doesn’t deliver what the cover art promised. In the case of Grave Brigade, I’m happy to say that isn’t the case!
The Classics Never Go Out of Style
A group of outrageous soldiers with different specialties and personalities take on a werewolf in 1943 Germany. As Nazi’s use every scientific and supernatural advantage to fight the Allied forces, the Grave Brigade is using brute force and a bag of crazy to fight back.
FIRST LOOK AT ONE WORLD UNDER DOOM #3
The characters are all unique and fun with a touch of mystery as to still make them dangerous. The plot, while familiar, is still balls-to-the-wall awesome. It is so reminiscent of movies like Overlord, Dog Soldiers, and in some respects, even Hellboy.
Grave Brigade: Setting the Tone for Horror in History
The art is fantastic! Gore and body horror grace the pages in an oddly beautiful way. The werewolf design is solid and very intimidating. I really like the way characters are drawn, not in a realistic way, but in something more akin to an animated series. I could totally see this on screen and it would be phenomenal!
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Colors in this issue make for a very vintage horror atmosphere. The green, sepia like palette gives it that feeling of almost being a black and white movie, putting us in the mood for something dark and old. Then comes the red of blood, gore, and even fire to contrast the environment. It’s all very well executed!
Overall Grade: 9.2/10
What’s Next for Grave Brigade?
The Grave Brigade gets a little history! Issue 1 saw us in the middle of a trek through the Black Forest of Germany and a run in with a werewolf, but how did we get there?! We know from the opening to issue 1 that Captain Jack Graves once came face to face with the Grim Reaper itself. Now, we see the aftermath as Graves recovers in the hospital and gets a visit from General Harris. He’s given orders to lead a new unit of soldiers destined for either life in prison, or even the wrong side of a Firing Squad. Their mission, as hinted at in issue 1, is to find Dr. Frankenstein!
Grave Brigade Changes Gears and Takes Us Back
Issue 2 takes on a slightly different vibe from the first, and not in a bad way. There’s still plenty of action, some awesome dialogue, and much more of a psychological thriller aspect. Character’s are fleshed out a little more and we’re introduced to a new member of the Grave Brigade, a priest! More world building, more history, and better character development without any detriment to pacing. The artwork also carries over, delivering another outstanding look and feel. The way supernatural scenes are crafted and certain things are portrayed will give the reader an emotional response, whether that be the creeps or a shock depends on the person!
Grave Brigade is For the Fans!
Fans of horror/action movies, WW2 history, and old school pulp comics will dig this series! Issue #1 was funded completely through Kickstarter with a positive response from fans. The Kickstarter for issue #2 is live March 25th and will run until April 15th, the link for which can be found here! Follow that to the backer page and support creator owned comics! Then, come back here and let me know what you think of Grave Brigade in the comments!
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