Shook! A Black Horror Anthology

by Rodney Barnes, Bradley Golden, Marcus Roberts (Adapter)

12 Funkdafied Tales of Terror!

In partnership with Second Sight Publishing, Dark Horse Comics is proud to present, Shook! A Black Horror Anthology . With over 190 pages of terrorizing material, the anthology is filled with stories from a range of award-winning Black writers and artists.

Stemming from a love of Southern gothic horror, this anthology boasts a cadre of award winning or nominated writers representing awards such as the Will Eisner Awards, the Ringo Awards, the Hugo Awards, and is the largest collection of Glyph Comics Awards winners and nominees in a single publication. Including work by David Walker ( Bitter Root, Black Panther Party ), John Jennings ( Kindred, The Blacker the Ink ), Rodney Barnes ( Killadelphia ), and more!

So, sit back and follow us on this journey of terror, suspense, nightmares, and the darkest depths of FEAR!!!!

Genres: Horror, Graphic Novels, Anthologies, Short Stories, Fiction, Comics, Graphic Novels Comics

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 30, 2024

About the author

Comic book writer

Reviews

[Alexander Peterhans · Rating 2 out of 5]

Such a disappointment. I mean, look at that cover! Turns most of the writing and art are quite weak. Some stories are obviously pitches for full length comics, and that just doesn't work.

I'm left quite unshaken.

(Thanks to Dark Horse Books for providing me with a review copy through Edelweiss)

[Ghoul Von Horror · Rating 3 out of 5]

TW/CW: Language, blood, gory scenes, racism, sexism, murder, toxic family relationships

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
Stemming from a love of Southern gothic horror, this anthology boasts a cadre of award winning or nominated writers representing awards such as the Will Eisner Awards, the Ringo Awards, the Hugo Awards, and is the largest collection of Glyph Comics Awards winners and nominees in a single publication. Including work by David Walker ( Bitter Root, Black Panther Party ), John Jennings ( Kindred, The Blacker the Ink ), Rodney Barnes ( Killadelphia ), and more!
Release Date: January 30th, 2024
Genre: Horror
Pages: 190
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

What I Liked:
1. Art on some comics are good
2. Love that it's horror and Black

What I Didn't Like:
1. Some stories are confusing

Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}

Final Thoughts:
I wanted to love this graphic novel because it was an interesting take on horror and having an all Black graphic novel. Sadly for me out of the 12 stories 6 of them were so confusing. It was difficult to know what was even happening panel to panel. Some of the stories would have a lighter feel and then the images would go almost completely black and unable to see what was even happening. Just some of the stories were really confusing on what would be happening compared to like the panel that was shown so a lot of the times I was kind of guessing what was even happening in it.

Definitely appreciate what this graphic novel was trying to do but I think maybe it missed the mark a little.

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[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

A middling to poor horror anthology with stories too short, chaotic, or muddied to really have much impact.


• Tasty!! Itchy!! / ~2 stars~

New Orleans in 2032 has a radioactivity problem, and like giant cockroaches and I think vampires? A run and shout story is lost in murky art.


• The Breaks / ~3 stars~

A woman with a terminal illness remembers her breakdancing days as she slips into the afterlife. Despite the premise, it's a nice story with a happy ending, and I have to wonder what it's doing in a horror anthology.


• [Untitled] / ~3 stars~

KKK grand wizard is having a bad night? Well, good.


• Evil Lives, Part One: Lady of Endor / ~2 stars~

It's all gibberish and gore in this demonic spin on Silence of the Lambs. It's the first part of a longer work and really makes no sense on its own.


• Hell to Pay / ~2 stars~

A time travel story about trying to prevent the 1963 Baptist Street church bombing. The twist ending is bold and bizarre, but it did not quite work for me.

Side note: I cannot find it credited anywhere in the book, but this is an adaptation of the radio play "A Story You Won't Believe" by James E. Tokley Sr. I see that the Kickstarter campaign did note it was an adaptation, but it's a pretty big editorial blunder to omit an acknowledgment of Professor Tokley's contribution and copyright in the actual publication.


• The Hill / ~2 stars~

An overly-confident woman scorns some superstition and pays a price that seems disproportional to the offense. Kind of misogynistic at first pass.

Side note: Another editorial omission! The Kickstarter campaign cites this as an adaptation of the 1911 short story The Music On The Hill written by Saki, a pen name of Hector Hugh Munro, but neither Mr. Munro's name nor alias appears anywhere in print.


• The Removers / ~2 stars~

Some monster hunters hunt monsters. The characters are no deeper than the ink with which they are drawn, and the plot and action are difficult to follow.


• Ezra the Hunter / ~2 stars~

Another monster hunter hunts monsters. At least this one has a bit more personality and an interesting power. But this more of an introduction than a story with "To Be Continued . . . " tagged on the end.


• $ucker$ Revenge / ~1 star~

An embezzler who calls his victims suckers gets the absolute stupidest comeuppance.


• Lady of Rage / ~2 stars~

Domestic violence drives this revenge yarn. The most unlikely call from a doctor anyone has ever received pushes it from almost okay to ridiculous.


• The Last Night in Waverly / ~2 stars~

Alien invasions and mental health issues get tossed into a blender and pureed into an undrinkable gruel.


• The Monster of Blackenstyne (Not to Be Confused with Blackenstein) / ~2 stars~

The umpteenth retelling of Frankenstein goes all Body Count "Cop Killer," but like a couple of other stories above, it seems to think the rest of the tale might be told in some future volume.


FOR REFERENCE:

Contents
• Tasty!! Itchy!! / Bradley Golden, writer; Flavio Cortés, illustrator
• The Breaks / John Jennings, writer; Charlie Goubile, illustrator
• [Untitled] / Rodney Barnes, writer; David Brame, illustrator
• Evil Lives, Part One: Lady of Endor / Bradley Golden, writer; Alessio Nocerino, illustrator
• Hell to Pay / Marcus H. Roberts, writer; Jamal Williams Jr., illustrator; based on "A Story You Won't Believe" by James E. Tokley Sr.
• The Hill / Alverne Bell and Shawn Alleyne, writers; Shawn Alleyne, illustrator; based on "The Music on the Hill" written by Saki a/k/a Hector Hugh Munro
• The Removers / Evan Parke, writer; Daniel Gorman, illustrator
• Ezra the Hunter / Kevin Grevioux, writer; Roberto Castro, illustrator
• $ucker$ Revenge / Marcus H. Roberts, writer; Phillip R. Williams Jr., illustrator
• Lady of Rage / John Jennings, writer; Jermel Williams, illustrator
• The Last Night in Waverly / Brandon Easton, writer
• The Monster of Blackenstyne (Not to Be Confused with Blackenstein) / David F. Walker, writer; Adam Seats, illustrator

[Caitlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this collection was a bit of a dud. There were some enjoyable stories, but most of them really fell short due to underdeveloped stories and sometimes incoherent plots that go nowhere. I'm not sure if I've read another comic anthology, but it does seem challenging to write a self contained, satisfying story in so few pages.

[Jaime · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

I was excited for this one, but most of the narratives and art were pretty lackluster. Many of the stories could have benefited from being a few pages longer and more fully developed. Lots of great concepts and potential, though!

[Jeremy Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Next level graphic novel of some of the most terrifying stories that I've read (and got to see visually play out)!! Please read and support this graphic collection!

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as I'd hoped. The stories seemed a little too chaotic for lack of a better word. We also got several partial stories that were to be continued, but this didn't seem the format for that type of story. Some of the art seemed a little crude, but this wasn't all bad. Blackenstyne had me cracking up as it was some humor in an otherwise fairly dark anthology.

[Sonora Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars; a really great collection of horror comics!! Some of the art styles weren’t for me, but overall really fun and innovative and scary stuff in here!

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hope they make a second book. Enjoyed the stories as well as the art work.

[angelofmine1974 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars

My review of this book can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:

https://youtu.be/NWdDZ2n5cQc

Enjoy!

[Monique Tercero · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the stories

[chvang · Rating 1 out of 5]

This anthology was very disappointing. Most werent scary. Only two of the stories were any good.

The first, I forget the title, is about a KKK member trying to lynch a black man who turns out to be a voodoo witchdoctor who raises the klansmen's dead victims to seek revenge. Great premise and promise, but could've been done better.

The Last Night in Waverly also had promise. It's a story about an escaped mental patient holding his family hostage. At least, that's what it looks like. But from his perspective, he survived the town being taken over by bodysnatching aliens and made his way home where he's keeping his family safe by not letting them outside. We don't know which version is real until the very end.

Finally, an honorable mention because it was funny: The Monster of Blackenstyne (Not to Be Confused with Blackenstein), about a white scientist, (Dr. Blake N. Stein?) conducting experiments in the ghetto. Black Frankenstien, newly undead, is confused and scared. There's a rookie cop. Teenagers hanging on the stoop. Sardonic dialogue.

Skip this anthology.

[Bea Goode-Parson · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a really bad anthology. The best stories are just okay, and the best art is just good. There are no standouts. Most of the stories and art are bad, bland and forgettable.

Tasty Itchy is just I Am legend, but with the pointless addition of radioactive flesh eating cockroaches that do absolutely nothing. The art style is also very muddy and hard to follow. I was often confused about who was who, and what the heck was going on in the scene. None of the characters are interesting and I couldn't care less if they got eaten or not.

The Breaks was… cute. The art was fun. It didn't really seem like a horror comic though. It was bittersweet, not scary.

The third comic, which is untitled, was about Klan members getting their comeuppance by a necromancer. I liked the necromancer character, but the story feels a bit bland and “crowd-pleasing” otherwise. It doesn't really have anything to say, it's just the spectacle of seeing shitty ppl get their just desserts, which there's nothing wrong with but doesn't compel me personally.

Evil Lives claims to be Part 1, but there is no Part 2 in this book so it's just… incomplete. I think this was my least favorite story in the anthology, mainly due to some really nasty sexualization in the art. Like, do we need to see a murder victim’s dress exploding and her dying on the ground with her butt in the air showing her thong? Again, this is a woman who's just been killed and it's presented as titillating. As for the plot itself, I couldn't tell you. I couldn't figure out what was going on, something about demons?

Hell to Pay had the interesting, if unoriginal, premise of two guys figuring out time travel to prevent horrific tragedies in the past and change the course of history. However, a twist reveals that the true nature of what they thought was time travel was actually something else entirely. I think out of all the stories in this anthology, this one had the best developed characters, but they were still pretty bland and flat. Hell to Pay could have been more interesting, at least for me personally, with better writing, art and character designs. As it is, it's just fine. Not offensive, but also not intriguing, and probably won't leave an impression.

The Hill has nice art. It does well to create an atmosphere. That's all I can really say about this. The story itself is just kind of boring and as others have pointed out also feels a little misogynistic as it's all about a woman being punished horribly for a very, very minor offense. Although the offense was perpetrated against the god Pan, and ancient Greek/Roman gods don't exactly have the best reputations for making their punishments fit the “crimes”.

The Removers was fun, and for me was the best story in the anthology. It was the one I enjoyed the most. The characters and plot were nothing to write home about, but the story had an energy that felt very entertaining and fast paced and was conveyed well through the art style. It felt like watching an earnestly silly action movie.

Ezra the Hunter is just the first issue of a series that never happened. Like with Evil Lives, it feels like there should be more to it, but my Google searches turned up no information on any other issues ever being released. What's your left with is a middling, unoriginal story with a Blade-esque protagonist and some very nice artwork; all of which feels like a throwback to '80s and '90s action comics. It's just okay.

$ucker$ Revenge was the scariest story in the entire anthology for its “edgy Newgrounds flash game” art style alone. I laughed incredibly hard at the first page alone. And then I was left wondering how a story with art and writing this bad ended up in a professionally published book. It is also incredibly short. It's just some D list Batman villains murdering a guy with lollipops.

Lady of Rage has a very boring, tired domestic violence plot. But I really liked the art on this one, and there were two panels in this that especially stood out to me.

Last Night in Waverly is a classic sci-fi horror plot, with invading alien-looking monsters. I found the art passible. That's pretty much it. I think it's the most forgettable story in the anthology.

The last story, Blackenstyne, is Black Frankenstein. He beats up some cops and saves some kids. The art was fun. And, well, that's it.

I'm very glad I checked this one out from the library, instead of buying it from the store like I was so tempted to after seeing the cool cover.

[Audrey | WellReadandUndead(ish) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this collection better, but there are a few reasons why it fell flat:

-There were far too many stories included in such a small collection. There are 12 stories in less than 200 pages, and since some stories were much longer than others, it meant that those short stories felt incredibly underdeveloped. In some cases, it seemed like they were the beginnings to a longer story, but the amount given just made no sense as a standalone.

-The experience and skill of the writers and artists included varied widely. I love the idea of elevating new and freelance writers/artists and have them included in anthologies alongside big names. The problem was that I didn't feel that the quality matched.
Artistically, some scenes were so visually dark and muddy that I couldn't tell what was happening. In some stories, it felt like the artist only got an outline of the story to draw rather than the final product. As one example, in "Hell to Pay," the text is telling me that there is a massive burst of light and on the page I only see a small glow. It was very mismatched. Finally, there were some stories that seem to rely heavily on character facial expressions to relay subtext but the artists either didn't or couldn't deliver on that, leaving the story to feel particularly hollow and confusing ("The Removers" was especially bad with this.)
The writing was also all over the place. In two stories, "Hell to Pay" and "The Monster of Blackenstyne" there were several panels where the exact same thing is written twice. Because the stories are so short, I couldn't tell if it was an off-beat humor or other stylistic choice or just lazy writing. Some stories had chaotic tense changes going from past to present and back again in a way that didn't match the stories. Some writers made such incredulous choices to move the plot forward that it brought me out of the story entirely (I'm thinking of the doctor's phone call in "Lady of Rage" and basically everything that happened in "The Last Night in Waverly.")

-I never like sex and violence thrown together and there was one story that seemed to unnecessarily draw a character in salacious positions or exposed and it seemed gratuitous and didn't add to the story.

-The anthology didn't feel particularly grounded in a set of themes. Stories explored everything from supernatural monster horror, sci-fi horror, post-apocalyptic horror, historical fiction horror, and real-life horrors (like cancer and domestic violence). This isn't always a problem, but because the writing style, art quality, and visual design were also all very different, the anthology desperately needed something to ground it.

Unsurprisingly, the most enjoyable stories were those written by the authors and illustrated by the artists with more experience. Those stories included:
-"[Untitled]" by Rodney Barnes
-"The Breaks" by John Jennings
-"The Hill" by Alverne Bell and Shawn Alleyne (which, according to another reviewer that I fact checked, is actually an uncredited adaptation from Saki's 1911 short story, "The Music on the Hill.")

Overall, a mixed bag with disappointing results. (also why is this entire thing so male-heavy?)

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes art can connect to a deeper truth that can get lost in reality - the horrors of racism are not just seen here, but felt in a way that you can’t help but experience in your core. This aesthetically beautiful and creative work is not just clever, but dare I suggest this work of art could prove to be a helpful tool for strengthening empathy and building connection in seemingly individualistic world? Horror may not be your genre - but if you ever consider stretching outside of your comfort zone, this may be the time to do it.

[Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good Horror Anthology; I have 4 stories that are my personal favorites. These stories prove that African Americans can write Horror too. I want to see more Black Horror Anthologies like this. The Comic book audience should be open to stories from Communities of Color instead of attacking those who want Comic Books to expand beyond only White creators and Writers by so called fans.

Don't allow the negative opinions prevent you from reading it for yourself. Give it a try for yourself.

[Mee Too · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, not a very good production of black horror anthologies. Most of the art was not to my liking, many stories desperately needed an editor (or honest friend) before releasing. Hell, the whole project needed some outside help.

On the flip-side of things I definitely saw some talent in a few of the stories. Some I believe could have easily used this platform as a launching point for some fun work. However I doubt ill ever hear from any of these writers in the near future. Being mediocre and black in America will never be enough (for society) 😥

3.2 ✨ for the good ones in the bunch

[Amanda Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found this while I was in Washington DC at a small bookstore, this was an interesting read and I did find some stories compelling like “The Breaks”, an untitled story about a Klansman being attacked by black zombies, and “Lady of Rage”. However, while even stories I have not mentioned have promise, what stopped me from rating this higher was the fact these stories had to be condensed, which often left me with a feeling of wanting more or wondering if there is a series.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

There has got to be more to The Hill, Ezra The Hunter, and The Monster of Blackenstyne

Lady of Rage was my favorite of this anthology. I love a story that takes a woman and turns her into an avenging being.

The Remover; the art made the story feel like a memory not a current story. Something was missing.
Suckers Revenge was confusing and seemed like it was placed in this anthology just to meet a page quota.

[Silver · Rating 4 out of 5]

While not every story was too my taste all of them WERE clearly well written and the art left each feeling different and unique from the others.

My favorites were probably Tasty Itchy, Hell To Pay, Ezra The Hunter, and Blackenstyne.

I especially loved the nod to the Golem that is so often connected to Shelly's monster, as well as the overall sense of care given to the creation. (after all is it really a Frankenstein related work if it doesn't pose the question of what makes a monster?)

[Stephen Stroud · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a real mixed bag for me. There’s some dope art in here and then some very dodgy art. The stories are also either bangers or mid. Luckily it seems like some of the better ones will actually began serialized. Fingers crossed! I was gonna give this three stars but at the end there’s a QR code for original music which is such a cool idea, and the tracks are fire.

[Aaron Jefferys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of laughs, lycanthropes and life’s horrors, from the everyday to the supernatural, this anthology has something for everyone. The 12 stories vary in substance and length, but every one delivers an enjoyable experience, be it heavy- or light-hearted.

Visually stunning as well. The different art styles across the entire collection lend to the enjoyability of the work as a whole.

[Bianca Newby · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of cool ideas that weren’t executed in enough time. I either wanted a lot more or was confused about the point. There were a ton of stories in here and I enjoyed two of them. I was interested in a few more but they ended so abruptly. The various art styles with each comic was cool.

It was an okay time.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first foray into horror graphic novels. I really liked it, but some of the stories were pretty gory, which isn’t a bad thing, it’s just not my thing. Some of the stories were absolutely excellent, the others were really good. If horror comics are for you, this is a definite read!

[Ya Boi Be Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 for a strong and enjoyable comic anthology coming from a dude who normally finds comic anthologies just ok. "The Breaks" and the unnamed third story are both good and show the variety here. The former is a more light hearted love letter to those who lived in a specific time period and culture while the other is a fun gory revenge story that tells how racial violence can take a person's body but their soul.
The best ones were the unnamed third story and The Breaks. I also want to shout out both The Removers and Ezra the Hunter for their pulpy fun as well as the strong craft and fun murder revenge of an abusive relationship in Lady of Rage.
The only two real misses in the first story and Suckers Revenge. The first story is a strong dud while the other is just a miss. And honestly, if there's only one miss and a single dud in a comic anthology you know it's great cuz most misses and duds are just reader's opinions than actual bad writing.

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a real mixed bag for me. Some stories had solid art, some I couldn't even tell what was happening or didn't assist with telling the story through sequential art. There are some authors I enjoy in this like Rodney Barnes and David F. Walker. It's a real shame that this didn't work more.

[Stephanie Yuzuki · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories and artwork vary considerably, but I enjoyed the book throughout. I hope some of these stories go on to be series in their own right; some clearly want to expand into longer stories. Follow-up volumes of Shook! are welcome too!

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black comic/graphic horror

Like all anthologies this is inconsistent with varying quality of stories and art. Still a worthwhile read. The end of the comic has a QR code that links to music inspired by the comic.

[John Gustafson · Rating 3 out of 5]

As is almost inevitable with anthologies, this is a mixed bag. But at its best, it showcases a variety of bold comic art styles, with a few stories rising to the same level. But seriously, just look at that front cover: if you don't think it's wonderful, I don't know what to tell you.