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Criminal Macabre
In the dark and gritty town of Los Angeles, one man stands between humans and... everything else. Cal McDonald, private detective with scotch for blood, investigates the cases that no one else will. Mummies—shedemons, frankenstein creations, and possessed cars. Collects Criminal A Cal McDonald Mystery #1#5, "A Letter from B.S." from the Dark Horse comic Drawing on Your Nightmares , Love Me Tenderloin , Last Train to Deadsville #1#4, Criminal Supernatural Freak Machine #1#5, Hairball , and the prose Savage Membrane .
* From the creator of 30 Days of Night.
* From the creator of 30 Days of Night.
- GenresComics
560 pages, Hardcover
First published April 23, 2013
2 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
Steve Niles
831 books464 followersSTEVE NILES is one of the writers responsible for bringing horror comics back to prominence, and was recently named by Fangoria magazine as one of it's "13 rising talents who promise to keep us terrified for the next 25 years."
Niles is currently working for the four top American comic publishers - Marvel, DC, Image and Dark Horse. He got his start in the industry when he formed his own publishing company called Arcane Comix, where he published, edited and adapted several comics and anthologies for Eclipse Comics. His adaptations include works by Clive Barker, Richard Matheson and Harlan Ellison.
Steve resides in Los Angeles in his bachelor pad with one cat. While there's no crawlspace, there is a questionable closet in one corner and no one is quite sure what is hidden in there...but we have an idea.
--from the author's website
Niles is currently working for the four top American comic publishers - Marvel, DC, Image and Dark Horse. He got his start in the industry when he formed his own publishing company called Arcane Comix, where he published, edited and adapted several comics and anthologies for Eclipse Comics. His adaptations include works by Clive Barker, Richard Matheson and Harlan Ellison.
Steve resides in Los Angeles in his bachelor pad with one cat. While there's no crawlspace, there is a questionable closet in one corner and no one is quite sure what is hidden in there...but we have an idea.
--from the author's website
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 18, 2015
If you've ever wanted to learn to be a smart aleck, this is pretty much your textbook.
The Cal McDonald Casebook Vol. 1 presents the first batch of Criminal Macabre stories in order and showcases how well developed the world of these characters is. I had only read Criminal Macabre in spurts as I found the graphic novels before, and while they can stand alone, reading them in order makes for a far richer experience. The stories aren't interconnected per say, but the effect they have on Cal is and is shown very well in this collection. Cal spends a lot of time talking about how he doesn't let anyone in because of all the bad things that constantly surround him, and we start to think it's just bluster until the hammer falls in the last story in his volume, "Supernatural Freak Machine." What shows Niles' skill is the fact that the end of that story leaves the reader with a very sheepish, almost apologetic feeling of, "I guess he was right." It take a very talented writer to illicit that kind of response from his readers.
Everything about these stories are perfect. They've got cool ideas, they're grim and gross, but still have really solid humor (it's marvelous to see the relationship between Cal and Mo'Lock develop. By the end of this volume, every time they talk to each other you can't help but laugh out loud), while still having emotional resonance. Jokes and piles of animated meat aside, the things that cause the events of the stories come from pain and loss and Niles never loses sight of that.
Highly recommended for anyone who likes good writing, good characters and dead people.
The Cal McDonald Casebook Vol. 1 presents the first batch of Criminal Macabre stories in order and showcases how well developed the world of these characters is. I had only read Criminal Macabre in spurts as I found the graphic novels before, and while they can stand alone, reading them in order makes for a far richer experience. The stories aren't interconnected per say, but the effect they have on Cal is and is shown very well in this collection. Cal spends a lot of time talking about how he doesn't let anyone in because of all the bad things that constantly surround him, and we start to think it's just bluster until the hammer falls in the last story in his volume, "Supernatural Freak Machine." What shows Niles' skill is the fact that the end of that story leaves the reader with a very sheepish, almost apologetic feeling of, "I guess he was right." It take a very talented writer to illicit that kind of response from his readers.
Everything about these stories are perfect. They've got cool ideas, they're grim and gross, but still have really solid humor (it's marvelous to see the relationship between Cal and Mo'Lock develop. By the end of this volume, every time they talk to each other you can't help but laugh out loud), while still having emotional resonance. Jokes and piles of animated meat aside, the things that cause the events of the stories come from pain and loss and Niles never loses sight of that.
Highly recommended for anyone who likes good writing, good characters and dead people.
February 26, 2015
Take everything great about Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden series and throw it away and you're left with another lousy story from Steve Niles. Comic companies need to stop giving Niles a free pass, Fifty+ horrible books in a row is enough.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews