Writer: Bill Morrison

Artist: Bill Morrison

Colors: Carlos Badilla

Inks: Keith Champagne

It’s the 1940’s and the carnival has made its way to Detroit, Michigan. Three kids are talking about one of the sideshow attractions which is a genuine preserved corpse. A little incantation and the corpse is shambling away from the carnival.

Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect from this issue but I found it was surprisingly good. Bill Morrison creates an interesting story that keeps you wanting more. The character may be a corpse, but from former memories that start to come back and an old friend, he pieces together who he was and what caused him to end up like this. The story switches back and forth between the past and present highlighting that our character was named Johnny Dover, a news broadcaster that wanted to get rid of corruption in Detroit and the mayor that had ties to the “Purple Gang” who were mobsters. I found his past very interesting because of how strong John wasn’t afraid of the mayor’s threat and pushed through, even in the face of tragedy that happens to him. You can tell the tonal shift that happens in this issue and the horror, mystery, and crime elements that appear.  

Bill Morrison also did the art and it looks great. Characters have the 1940’s look down pat and the scenery is crafted really well. Scenes flow from panel to panel and keeps the story easy to follow. With the combination of Keith Champagne doing the inking and Carlos Badilla on colors, the issue gives off a cartoony vibe, that works for the plot. I love the use of colors that switch the tone of the story itself when presenting the flashbacks of our mysterious John Doe.

If you like horror, crime, and mystery this is straight up your alley with a great story, artwork, colors, and inks. With only a few issues left, I’m curious how he ends up in the vat of water.

5 preserved corpses out of 5