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Sullivan's Sluggers #1-5
Sullivan's Sluggers
Eisner and Harvey Award-winning writer Mark Andrew Smith joins forces with Eisner-nominated Orc Stain creator James Stokoe for a graphic novel packed with shocks, gore, and screamingly outrageous humor, when America's Favorite Pastime becomes one baseball team's ultimate nightmare!
Long past their former glory, the minor league Sluggers get an invitation to play a baseball game in a cursed small town. After the 7th inning stretch, the sun goes down, and the dysfunctional teammates find themselves fighting for their lives against a town of flesh-eating monsters! Now, it's up to coach Casey Sullivan to help his team escape from being the next dish in the town's terrifying feeding frenzy!
Featuring a bonus section with concept art, pinups by multiple artists, and more.
Long past their former glory, the minor league Sluggers get an invitation to play a baseball game in a cursed small town. After the 7th inning stretch, the sun goes down, and the dysfunctional teammates find themselves fighting for their lives against a town of flesh-eating monsters! Now, it's up to coach Casey Sullivan to help his team escape from being the next dish in the town's terrifying feeding frenzy!
Featuring a bonus section with concept art, pinups by multiple artists, and more.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published August 24, 2010
About the author
Mark Andrew Smith
34 books38 followersMark Smith studied film at UC Santa Barbara and has a Master’s Degree in Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages from SIT Graduate Institute. He writes Gladstone’s School for World Conquerors and the New Brighton Archeological Society.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
October 31, 2015
Let's face it, I was really only here for Stokoe's art, and he doesn't disappoint. Smith's writing is hacky and stupid, relying on crude stereotypes that he doesn't even bother to deconstruct or make fun of, just letting the art carry the whole project.
October 31, 2020
James Stokoe is the only good thing about this racist, disjointed, meandering drivel.
November 15, 2018
Funkadelic type art meets Army of Darkness/Field of Dreams story...okay.
June 5, 2024
A ton of action. A little bit of baseball. And not Stokoe’s greatest work, though it was still great. This one was a fun read, but nothing life-changing. I was excited for this one as a baseball fan and the baseball was pretty limited, though I did enjoy the art of that beginning portion quite a bit.
March 11, 2014
This read more like a movie screen play than a comic book and that's not a bad thing at all.
The story is a mix between Bruce Campbell's Evil Dead and Cabin in the Woods. It's a fun, roller-coaster that'll remind you of them good old 80's and 90's horror/action movies.
Also the artwork is to die for (sorry for the pun) but seriously, James Stokoe is a talent worth keeping an eye on. If you don't buy it for the story, definitely buy it for the art.
But at the end of the day, you'll want to keep it cause it's so damned good!
The story is a mix between Bruce Campbell's Evil Dead and Cabin in the Woods. It's a fun, roller-coaster that'll remind you of them good old 80's and 90's horror/action movies.
Also the artwork is to die for (sorry for the pun) but seriously, James Stokoe is a talent worth keeping an eye on. If you don't buy it for the story, definitely buy it for the art.
But at the end of the day, you'll want to keep it cause it's so damned good!
July 19, 2026
Wooo! Baseball! I'm more of a Football man myself, but I'm not going to complain about a sports comic with a horror bent.
Or rather, I wouldn't if they did something with the sports concept rather than it just being a plot device.
Look, if you come into this expecting something that has to do with baseball, you're going to be disappointed like I was. I came in as a fan of James Stokoe's artwork after I finished "Orc Stain," and I thought that the idea of baseball players vs. flesh-eating monsters was an interesting angle. From the description and even the cover art, I expected that the Baseball team would find themselves playing off against monsters for their lives, and some twist would happen every inning - like a character dying, or why they're even playing against monsters to begin with. I thought it was going to be terrifying, pulpy, violent, and gory, but also funny and unique.
Instead, it's a generic zombie comic. The first half of it was alright: Sullivan's sluggers are a bottom barrel team made up of pros who were once legendary in their own right but are now washed out, drugged out has-beens that play for enough to get gas, grass, ass, and booze and then go to the next town to do the same. When they get to the town of Malice (a bit on the nose, I admit), they find out that when the sun goes down, everyone turns into monsters, and now they must flee for their lives. From there, it turns into a generic zombie horror with the team dying one by one, gathering weapons and supplies, and coming up with a plan to escape.
After that half? Kind of goes downhill, becoming contrite and formulaic. I'm not going to fault Mark Andrew Smith's writing too much on this, though, and claim that he's being derivative and hackneyed with the writing. The major draw of the comic IS Stokoe's art, and it's clear that this comic takes a lot of inspiration from the pulps of the 60s and 70s, as well as classic Romero and edgy, gory b-tier horror films from the same era. If you like that sort of stuff, you'll more than likely enjoy this comic since it took me roughly an afternoon to read through its nearly 200 pages.
But I will say that the backstory for why there are zombies in this town and why they pull in baseball players is... well, you could cut it out completely and it wouldn't change a thing, actually. The characters find out the whys, but it doesn't change anything. If you cut that out, you'd have 20 fewer pages.
All in all, read only if you like pulpy, violent horror comics with some fun, bombastic art that's full of details and don't care for the story. If you're looking for something with a bit more substance in the writing to chew on, you're probably best to skip this till you just want something quick and fun.
Or rather, I wouldn't if they did something with the sports concept rather than it just being a plot device.
Look, if you come into this expecting something that has to do with baseball, you're going to be disappointed like I was. I came in as a fan of James Stokoe's artwork after I finished "Orc Stain," and I thought that the idea of baseball players vs. flesh-eating monsters was an interesting angle. From the description and even the cover art, I expected that the Baseball team would find themselves playing off against monsters for their lives, and some twist would happen every inning - like a character dying, or why they're even playing against monsters to begin with. I thought it was going to be terrifying, pulpy, violent, and gory, but also funny and unique.
Instead, it's a generic zombie comic. The first half of it was alright: Sullivan's sluggers are a bottom barrel team made up of pros who were once legendary in their own right but are now washed out, drugged out has-beens that play for enough to get gas, grass, ass, and booze and then go to the next town to do the same. When they get to the town of Malice (a bit on the nose, I admit), they find out that when the sun goes down, everyone turns into monsters, and now they must flee for their lives. From there, it turns into a generic zombie horror with the team dying one by one, gathering weapons and supplies, and coming up with a plan to escape.
After that half? Kind of goes downhill, becoming contrite and formulaic. I'm not going to fault Mark Andrew Smith's writing too much on this, though, and claim that he's being derivative and hackneyed with the writing. The major draw of the comic IS Stokoe's art, and it's clear that this comic takes a lot of inspiration from the pulps of the 60s and 70s, as well as classic Romero and edgy, gory b-tier horror films from the same era. If you like that sort of stuff, you'll more than likely enjoy this comic since it took me roughly an afternoon to read through its nearly 200 pages.
But I will say that the backstory for why there are zombies in this town and why they pull in baseball players is... well, you could cut it out completely and it wouldn't change a thing, actually. The characters find out the whys, but it doesn't change anything. If you cut that out, you'd have 20 fewer pages.
All in all, read only if you like pulpy, violent horror comics with some fun, bombastic art that's full of details and don't care for the story. If you're looking for something with a bit more substance in the writing to chew on, you're probably best to skip this till you just want something quick and fun.
December 29, 2020
When Manager Casey Sullivan and his Dragons semi-semi-semi-pro baseball team roll into the small town of Malice for a ball game with their team, what they never expected was for the night to be rife with anything but baseball. In fact, what they find is a town populated by demons and other hellish creatures who have no intention of letting the Dragons get to their next game. To call what comes next a “wild night” would be the understatement of the century.
I absolutely adore James Stokoe’s artwork. It is so detailed and lush and makes you want to stare deeper at it even when what you’re observing is the dissected body of pitcher being gobbled up by an tentacled monster from beyond.
But this is the first book I’ve read where Stokoe didn’t also provide the writing. Mark Andrew Smith does a good job even if the “writing” is minimal while the visuals take the front seat. I did enjoy, however, the story of Malice’s history. It was a nice juxtaposition to the gory romp that otherwise pervades this book.
Highly recommended.
I absolutely adore James Stokoe’s artwork. It is so detailed and lush and makes you want to stare deeper at it even when what you’re observing is the dissected body of pitcher being gobbled up by an tentacled monster from beyond.
But this is the first book I’ve read where Stokoe didn’t also provide the writing. Mark Andrew Smith does a good job even if the “writing” is minimal while the visuals take the front seat. I did enjoy, however, the story of Malice’s history. It was a nice juxtaposition to the gory romp that otherwise pervades this book.
Highly recommended.
November 21, 2022
Home run? More like run home.
A failed baseball star with a thirst for redemption takes his lousy baseball team to a damned town. While the basses are loaded, an army of demons try to devour the team.
I liked this one, but it definitely has its flaws. The art is amazing, and I loved seeing such a cool variety of monsters. The colors are good but you can tell it’s early in stokes career. I also really liked the way they used the speech bubbles. But there were a few moments where I winced. It’s characters are portrayed in a pretty racists way. They were still fun and likable though. This book wants to be an anime so badly. With the way the pages move, the kind of art style, and the extreme kill scenes, it feel like a manga epic. I honestly had fun reading it.
A failed baseball star with a thirst for redemption takes his lousy baseball team to a damned town. While the basses are loaded, an army of demons try to devour the team.
I liked this one, but it definitely has its flaws. The art is amazing, and I loved seeing such a cool variety of monsters. The colors are good but you can tell it’s early in stokes career. I also really liked the way they used the speech bubbles. But there were a few moments where I winced. It’s characters are portrayed in a pretty racists way. They were still fun and likable though. This book wants to be an anime so badly. With the way the pages move, the kind of art style, and the extreme kill scenes, it feel like a manga epic. I honestly had fun reading it.
Read
July 25, 2025A story about a touring baseball team isn't my usual turf – if there's one thing less interesting than sport, and there really is only one, it's American sport. But if they're trapped in a town full of man-eating demons I begin to admit a faint possibility of entertainment. And if James Stokoe is doing the art, well, now you're talking. His usual grotesque flair for the violent, the revolting and the darkly comic turns a generic script into a gory, kick-ass extravaganza, though there's still an awkward tonal shift when we find out how the town called Malice (yes, really) got that way, and the gross-out disembowelments and decapitations suddenly give way to the real and not remotely funny sins of America's past.
May 11, 2020
If you aren’t a big fan of action-packed and blood-and-guts filled comics, this isn’t for you. As a baseball fan, I was hoping for more of a story about the game, but it is purely the set-up of having so many characters. The characters are very stereotypical with extremely limited development or backstory. The author attempted to create a story about 2/3 through which may have a had a bigger impact if it played out earlier in the story. The art is pretty fun and trippy but I did have a hard time figuring out who some of the characters were when the action was heavy. Come for the art, not for the story.
December 10, 2018
This is an incredibly stupid, hackily written, pant-by numbers ultra-vilent monster story about a team full of formerly professional baseball players trapped in a haunted town. But you kind of know that going in, so it shouldn't be a letdown when the writer hits every horror story beat without adding any flair or interesting humor.
If you like baseline (umm...sorry) horror or James Stokoe's art, this will be a fun read. If you're not a fan of either, I'd stay far away.
If you like baseline (umm...sorry) horror or James Stokoe's art, this will be a fun read. If you're not a fan of either, I'd stay far away.
March 17, 2024
A washed baseball team must prove their mettle when they're facing off against a group of flesh-eating monsters instead. The dysfunctional teammates must relearn how to be a proper team in order to survive their ordeal. It's a flimsy B-movie premise, and the writing doesn't do much to salvage it. Utterly meandering and tedious, with the minor saving grace that is Stokoe's artwork.
October 27, 2017
In the spirit of the old Eerie comics a baseball team battles a cursed town full of disemboweling monsters. Graphic and fast paced.
November 6, 2017
Loved every bit of this book!
June 20, 2019
Read for TLP
May 29, 2021
The best thing about this book is the artwork. The storyline is like Evil Dead, and isn't enough to carry for more than 1/3 of the book.
December 6, 2022
Stokoe's art is incredible but the story is a little thin.
February 20, 2013
A very solid book that is just pure fun. There's nothing too deep going on with the writing or the story. Just some good old fashioned, B-movie grade horror that involves monsters and a washed up baseball team. This book does two things that make it stand out:
1) The art is unbelievable. Jame Skokoe is a straight up genius and this is one book in a long line of evidence to support this fact.
2) Everything possible was done to make this book look and feel exactly like it should. The packaging and printing jobs allow these pages to be experienced how they should.
It's a quick, fun read that's beautiful to look at and I'm glad I picked it up.
1) The art is unbelievable. Jame Skokoe is a straight up genius and this is one book in a long line of evidence to support this fact.
2) Everything possible was done to make this book look and feel exactly like it should. The packaging and printing jobs allow these pages to be experienced how they should.
It's a quick, fun read that's beautiful to look at and I'm glad I picked it up.
December 12, 2015
A unique mix of baseball and horror, this is an enjoyable, but ultimately forgettable graphic novel. It follows a traveling baseball team who have the bad luck to enter a small town with a dark past. The resulting showdown is filled with every imaginable horror movie and baseball cliche, and is about as "over the top" as "over the top" can be. It's a diverting entertainment, if that's your cup of tea, but it never really rises above the concept. It's the art that is the real selling point -- the artist really knocks it out of the park. (Pun intended.)
April 4, 2013
I was a Kickstarter backer for this project and am glad I decided on a whim to back. It's a pretty good story (anything baseball related works for me) and the art is truly fantastic!
Very glad some of the extras were hit money-wise as the physical book is a beauty. For my read, I took it in digitally to see how that version fared and it held up well, though I would say to grab the physical copy to really take in some of the artwork.
Very glad some of the extras were hit money-wise as the physical book is a beauty. For my read, I took it in digitally to see how that version fared and it held up well, though I would say to grab the physical copy to really take in some of the artwork.
December 30, 2012
Note: I kickstarted this project
This book was really, really good. The characters were entertaining, the story moved at a fairly quick pace, I kept trying to guess what would happen next and was always surprised! The story is also very unique. All in all I am very, very happy with this book.
This book was really, really good. The characters were entertaining, the story moved at a fairly quick pace, I kept trying to guess what would happen next and was always surprised! The story is also very unique. All in all I am very, very happy with this book.
March 18, 2013
Fun, over-the-top horror tinged with humor and baseball. What more could you ask for? The oversized format is really fantastic for this volume too, really fitting the insane larger-than-life monsters drawn by Stokoe.
March 19, 2013
The artwork is gorgeous but the story leaves a whole lot to be desired. I guess it's decent fantasy stuff.
Really it's only worth it for the Stokoe art.
Really it's only worth it for the Stokoe art.
April 19, 2013
amazing book, and as usual STOKOE really brought his game... too bad there's a disagreement b/w Stokoe and Smith
April 30, 2013
Baseball meets horror in a visual extravaganza. The story's ok and the Stokoe art is beautiful.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews