Tales Of The Unnamed: The Blizzard

The Unnamed

by Geoff Johns, Andrea Mutti (creator)

Set in the same world as GEIGER and JUNKYARD JOE, this tale of the UNNAMED stars Michael Verardi, who was convicted for shooting and killing the man who murdered his son. While being transferred to a high-security prison, a violent blizzard leaves Michael stranded on a Colorado mountain with other convicted felons and transport guards. After witnessing unexplainable visions of their sins, a ferocious monster threatens to tear them all apart in retribution…
Collects the entire story of THE BLIZZARD, as originally published in IMAGE! 30TH ANNIVERSARY ANTHOLOGY #1-12

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Horror, Fiction

112 pages, Paperback

First published July 24, 2024

About the author

Geoff Johns originally hails from Detroit, Michigan. He attended Michigan State University, where he earned a degree in Media Arts and Film. He moved to Los Angeles in the late 1990s in search of work within the film industry. Through perseverance, Geoff ended up as the assistant to Richard Donner, working on Conspiracy Theory and Lethal Weapon 4. During that time, he also began his comics career writing Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E. and JSA (co-written with David S. Goyer) for DC Comics. He worked with Richard Donner for four years, leaving the company to pursue writing full-time.

His first comics assignments led to a critically acclaimed five-year run on the The Flash. Since then, he has quickly become one of the most popular and prolific comics writers today, working on such titles including a highly successful re-imagining of Green Lantern, Action Comics (co-written with Richard Donner), Teen Titans, Justice Society of America, Infinite Crisis and the experimental breakout hit series 52 for DC with Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka and Mark Waid. Geoff received the Wizard Fan Award for Breakout Talent of 2002 and Writer of the Year for 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 as well as the CBG Writer of the Year 2003 thru 2005, 2007 and CBG Best Comic Book Series for JSA 2001 thru 2005. Geoff also developed BLADE: THE SERIES with David S. Goyer, as well as penned the acclaimed “Legion” episode of SMALLVILLE. He also served as staff writer for the fourth season of ROBOT CHICKEN.

Geoff recently became a New York Times Bestselling author with the graphic novel Superman: Brainiac with art by Gary Frank.

Reviews

[Willow Heath]

Geoff Johns and a handful of talented artists have created a whole new universe. That universe is home to a group of heroes that the main stories revolve around. But there are also some fun offshoots from those stories, and The Blizzard is one of them.

This horror comic follows a group of convicts and their guards as they travel by bus over the Rockies during a snowstorm. The storm has been conjured by a mysterious creature that is hunting the men. It creates visions of those the guilty men have killed or let die before killing them itself, serving as a bastardised kind of vengeance.

However, not everyone is actually guilty, including our main character, Michael, who was convicted for killing the man who kidnapped and killed his child.

It's a short, bloody, action-packed work of horror that is really elevated by Andrea Mutti's outstanding artwork. It's messy and frenetic in a way that really enhances the gory monster horror.

[Matthew Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I dug this one as a bit of a psychological horror and a bit of a monster horror book. I didn’t enjoy it as much as the other books in this universe, but it had its own charm for sure. Mutti really does horror and action horror well and that made this book much better for their artwork on it.

[Alex Sarll]

Unremarkable yet inoffensive survival horror which was fine in an anthology context, but is apparently now the basis of a new Johnsiverse that I shall not be investigating further.

[Drew Canole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Originally published in IMAGE! 30TH ANNIVERSARY ANTHOLOGY #1-12, which is where I read it. One of the better stories in that anthology (not saying too much I suppose). Andrea Mutti's artwork is great. His artwork feels perfect for a snowy blizzard story.

For fans of The Thing

[Ziyad Baksh · Rating 3 out of 5]

decent character driven horror

A decent character driven horror story that wraps nicely. It has connections to the other Ghost Machine comics but the artstyle makes it harder to tell who is who at times.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A prisoner transport vehicle gets caught in a blizzard that's caused by a monster who eats guilty people.

When I write out the plot in one sentence like that, The Blizzard sounds like it's going to be really dumb. It's...not...not really. The Andrea Mutti art exactly matches the scary, mysterious vibes, and the storytelling is relatively propulsive, giving each character justtt enough human interest that we're sad/surprised when they're decapitated.

Is this an essential entry in the Unnamed universe? No, definitely not. It's revealed that Redcoat hunted the beast some time back and he's called upon again at the very end to tackle the beast once more. Maybe he'll do that in his own book?

[Wesley Stroud · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who knew Blood, Guts, Gore, and Monsters could be so cozy?

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tight tale that works (except for one line and the epilogue) on its own and still fits into the larger universe.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, this was creepy as hell.

A convoy of prisoners, at various degrees of depraved, are trapped in a blizzard with their guards. As they attempt to find shelter, they're stalked by a beast that seems to be able to make them hallucinate, bringing up their sins and judging them.

It's a decent concept, and it's a fairly short story overall, but the atmosphere is top notch. The prisoners and the concept of morality are explored better than I expected for such a short story, and the ultimate conclusion actually took me by surprise even if it's probably obvious in hindsight.

Andrea Mutti draws and colours the series; the snow effects are super cool (ha, pun), and the characters all feel individual and easily recognisable despite all wearing either prison orange or guard uniforms. The creature is suitably shadowy, with its real form never really glimpsed - though it does look hella nasty even in shadow.

There's a little tie to the greater Unnamed universe that Johns has been crafting, but even if you don't know who the guy on the final page of the volume is, there's a lot to like in this short horror story. Just don't read it in the winter.

[Rick Ray · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of the individual chapters that were published in last year's Image 30th Anniversary Anthology series, The Blizzard tells the story of a prison convoy that ends up trapped in a blizzard. The prisoners and guards soon begin to hallucinate their previous traumas as a deadly monster stalks them from afar. A fairly simple premise for any horror story, The Blizzard feels fairly by the numbers but is a bit elevated by the great water color artwork from Andrea Mutti. There isn't too much to tie this to the greater "Unnamed Universe" titles, but perhaps Johns will find a way to reference this in a later entry.

[Henry Fosdike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this horror tale set in the wilderness. As three prison guards transfer five inmates, the weather turns and they find themselves fighting against a blizzard and an unnamed monster that appears to deliver vengeance on those for their previous actions, with an appearance from those they've wronged right before their untimely demise. It's thrilling, philosophical, and violent throughout with some excellent artwork and a fantastic sense of atmosphere. As someone new to this 'world', I had no idea who the character was on the very last page, but it didn't detract from what was a fantastically paced, immersive experience.

As an aside, it would make a fantastic 90-minute movie.

[Travis Duke · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, its good. I guess this is some new universe for Johns and his team. They let you know that Blizzard lies on the outskirts of the main story.. ok. Anyways this is a classic killer/thriller with a bunch of convicts that are chased by some crazed beast. I liked the writing, it is fast paced and quick to the story, but it is predictable if you have read/seen this theme before. The art is fine but nothing amazing for me. Solid read, might check out the other stories in this Universe called "Tales of the Untamed"

[Shake · Rating 3 out of 5]

As most said…it’s solid. Not great. Not bad. The atmosphere of it being in the snow and low vision definitely made things creepier. I did like the stories behind each convict. Did not like the artwork at all. I think I know what they were going for with that blurry look to keep things unsure and eerie but it was really really hard to follow and some major points and took me out of it about. I might have given it a 4 if the artwork was either clearer or better done.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars overall
Five high-security prisoners being transferred in an 'unnatural' snow storm, find themselves, along with two guards defending themselves from an infernal creature/beast that kills the 'guilty'. That's it, no deeper than that, with references to the Redcoat character, tying it into The Unnamed Universe. Disappointing, not least Andrea Mutti's art; nobody in my opinion, has done better with winter snow scapes than Steve Lieber on 'Whiteout'.

[Craig · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another entry in the "Unnamed" universe, though the ties are pretty tenuous (it appears that the Redcoat managed to catch the creature once and he's being called at the end to catch it again, an offer he turns down). The art is kind of muddled from time to time, though it's not terrible. I just didn't really connect with this story.

[John Shaw · Rating 2 out of 5]

A particularly odd monster story.
That really turns out to be
more of the same.

A prison transport bus gets stranded in the
woods, far, far from civilisation.
Or any help.
For something, some-thing
is in the woods ( small Bill Shatner joke )

Cut to the chase they all die.
No one is surprised.

[Matty Dub · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the whole reason so got the Image! Anthology and…. It was mid at best. Definitely the lesser of the Unnamed universe so far.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun creature feature, horror story with great art!

[Trevor ComicFan · Rating 3 out of 5]

79

Story was pretty great. Art was not great at all, detracting from the experience.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid horror/action page turner from Johns which sticks the landing very well, not a common achievement in much of today’s writing.

[Mee Too · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the story was good as a stand alone, but the writer trying to tie it in to whatever other series he’s got going seemed pointless. This is a good script for another Netflix dud.

[Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was pretty good. Not Mutti's best art or colours. Story was interesting.
Worth reading.

[Riccardo Ball · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story, true crime meets folklore horror.

[alejandro galvez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was not for me.

This title was weak. The weakest of the bunch. I was so bored. Characters were flat. Art was amateur hour. So disappointed in this.

[Zoidberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

No idea that this universe existed— good standalone story, this is a completely standalone story and you don’t need to know anything about the unnamed universe to enjoy it.

[Wm · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why?

[Minki Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

+ Similar plot to Yellowjackets but with inmates, could see it becoming a horror movie
- cliche story, unmemorable characters, uninteresting

[Se Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute little self contained story, very bottle episode on Dr Who vibes.
It would make a great movie, but I say that too often.

[Zach · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25

[Matthew DeLeon · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

Really not a fan of the artwork here. If I can't tell what's going on, there is a problem. Otherwise the story is fine.