Basilisk, Vol. 1

Basilisk #1-4

by Cullen Bunn, Jonas Scharf (Illustrator)

After escaping the Chimera, a cult-like group of supernaturally-powered young people, Regan will be dragged back into her dark past and forced to hunt down her former brethren.

Deep in rural America, the Chimera terrorized small towns with their horrifying supernatural powers. Bound by a cult-like hivemind, these five young people, each with incredible powers stemming from the five human senses, left death and destruction in their wake. Who will stop them? Regan, one of the Chimera, escaped her brethren with her murderous eyes bound and has been hiding in cheap motels and dive bars crippled with the guilt of her past. Until now… when someone will force her to hunt down the other four of her kind. New York Times bestselling horror writer Cullen Bunn (Harrow County, The Empty Man) reunites with his Bone Parish co-creator, artist Jonas Scharf (Avengers Of The Wasteland), to unleash the first chapter of a supernatural horror series rooted in the way we process the world – our senses. Collects Basilisk #1-4.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Horror, Fantasy, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction, Comic Book

112 pages, Paperback

First published December 29, 2021

About the author

Cullen grew up in rural North Carolina, but now lives in the St. Louis area with his wife Cindy and his son Jackson. His noir/horror comic (and first collaboration with Brian Hurtt), The Damned, was published in 2007 by Oni Press. The follow-up, The Damned: Prodigal Sons, was released in 2008. In addition to The Sixth Gun, his current projects include Crooked Hills, a middle reader horror prose series from Evileye Books; The Tooth, an original graphic novel from Oni Press; and various work for Marvel and DC. Somewhere along the way, Cullen founded Undaunted Press and edited the critically acclaimed small press horror magazine, Whispers from the Shattered Forum.

All writers must pay their dues, and Cullen has worked various odd jobs, including Alien Autopsy Specialist, Rodeo Clown, Professional Wrestler Manager, and Sasquatch Wrangler.

And, yes, he has fought for his life against mountain lions and he did perform on stage as the World's Youngest Hypnotist. Buy him a drink sometime, and he'll tell you all about it.

Visit his website at www.cullenbunn.com.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Doesn't have enough backstory to be meaty.
Yet?



A group of 5 supernatural beings wander out of the woods and cause total destruction to a small town. Very gory, by the way. Each of these beings represents one of the "senses". Taste has some nasty panels. From causing someone to have the overwhelming urge to taste grease in a hot fryer, to eating their arm, to not being able to stop eating the intestines of their neighbor, this is not for the overly squeamish.



Sight seems to have a conscience and runs off to live like a drifter. That is, until a woman whose family was killed by these gods finds her and semi-forces her to help in her plot to kill these things off. Spoilery thing happen.



I don't think 4 issues were really enough to make this volume stick to your ribs.
What are these beings? Why did they appear out of nowhere? Why does one of them seem to have a conscience?
Depending on whether or not Bunn gives us some answers, this could be cool or it could be just another shittily-told horror story.
I'll read the next volume if I can get it from my library.

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

Five people walk out of the Appalachians one day destroying everything in their path. Each one of them has bizarre control over one of the 5 senses, turning them against you. Our protagonist is a woman whose family was murdered by the Chimera. Now she's hunting them and their cult of The Faithful down.

There's not much character in these characters. The Chimera are one note villains killing for the joy of killing, treating humans as playthings. The protagonist has nothing to her character but revenge. It makes for an uninteresting read, unless you just enjoy random images of people, forced into killing themselves and each other. Jonas Scharf's artwork is excellent though.

[Kadi P · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a half-baked, basic, and entirely average first vol with a story that could have been told in half the number of pages and still been more effective. The entirety of the plot led up to the final meeting and then the final meeting was rushed. The cliffhanger ending was more irritating than intriguing due to the fact that none of the characters were particularly likeable or even had much character to begin with. There were so many unanswered questions surrounding the five Chimera beings and they weren’t individually introduced, so they seemed like five variations of the same personality just with different powers.

Mostly, this was a start. A very long and drawn out start, which is very hard to judge because on its own it means little. Perhaps vol 2 will make more headway and the storyline will improve, but after reading this I found I wouldn’t particularly care either way.

[Lashaan Balasingam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast-paced, dialogue-light, immersive, and entertaining revenge story filled with intriguing supernatural powers and conflicted characters.

Yours truly,

Lashaan | Blogger and Book Reviewer
Official blog: https://bookidote.com/

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cullen Bunn launches a bold new ongoing, featuring five horrific monsters and the woman they have wronged. Each of the Chimera hold a power associated with the five senses, and they're all very, very broken. They're also on a rampage.

Basilisk's main character is actually the least exciting part of the book - her motivations make sense, and her attempts to take on monsters that are vastly superior to her in terms of power levels is admirable, but she pales in comparison to the villains of the book. They're all so dark and twisted in their own little ways, and seeing the power play between them is almost more fun than watching them get eviscerated or doing some eviscerating. There's a lot of eviscerating in this one. There's a growing sense of tension that culminates in the big issue 5 blow-out, and it's definitely a well-earned conclusion (even if it's less of a conclusion and more of a to be continued).

Jonas Scharf's artwork is also great. He changes his style almost entirely for the flashback sequences to the point that I had to check whether there were two artists on the book, and he manages to make the human aspects of the book just as chilling as when the Chimeras unleash their powers.

I've not read much of Cullen Bunn's indie stuff, though I know he's famous for his horror books (Harrow County's on my To Read pile at some point) - if this is an indication of what he's capable of though, I should probably make them more of a priority.

[Oscar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really good! Violent and gory!

[Mitch Kukulka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bunn's name in the horror genre of comics is as much of a staple these days as Stephen King's is among horror novels, so it's no surprise that this is good, but horror stories rarely have character work this efficient, narrative momentum this propellant and plots this entertaining.

[Omaira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Se lee en un abrir y cerrar de ojos, pero carece de una buena introducción. Esta novela gráfica supera por poco las 100 páginas y está repleta de sucesos sangrientos, los cuales logran ser verdaderamente estremecedores.

Los responsables de dichos hechos son 5 personajes que utilizan sus poderes contra todo aquel que se atraviese en su camino, aunque apenas sabemos nada sobre ellos. Me resultó ligeramente chocante el inicio porque no cuenta cuál es su origen. Se les ve salir de un bosque y provocar una matanza, pero no sabemos de dónde han salido o si tienen algún propósito concreto. En todo caso, el eje de la trama no es precisamente profundizar en su misión. Lo que centra la atención es las acciones que una humana realiza para intentar acabar con ellos. Y sí, sabemos sus motivos, pero da la sensación de que todo lo que hace es fruto de la improvisación.

Aunque engancha y se dan las explicaciones suficientes para entender lo básico, me da la impresión de que esto es únicamente un esbozo de algo que estaba destinado a ser mucho más extenso. Todo se desarrolla de forma apresurada y superficial. Es trepidante, pero, al pensarlo fríamente, te das cuenta de que hay muchas lagunas a nivel argumental.

Las ilustraciones no escatiman en detalles y destacan especialmente aquellas en tonos sepias que logran transmitir el horror que dejan a su paso los protagonistas. A nivel artístico, no tengo ninguna queja. Las viñetas muestran lo necesario para entender el alcance de los poderes de los personajes y, al mismo tiempo, consiguen no ser del todo sombrías y llenarse de luz cuando todos aparentan ser inofensivos.

Si buscáis una lectura breve con acción y toques siniestros, ésta es una buena opción.

[Estibaliz · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

Jonas Scharf's art is gorgeous, and just that makes for a delightful read, but 'Basilisk' is a little bit stereotyped when it comes to the classic revenge story and the depiction of the villains, some sort of X-Men/gods whose powers are related with the five senses.

I'm disappointed on how they killed the most appealing character so soon, and I'm hoping we'll be getting some flashbacks and background stories in the future for added value, but at least the prophecy is intriguing enough to keep my interest, and so is Regan, as an outcast whose loyalty or purpose is not 100% defined yet.

Not a bad start, I'm enjoying this Cullen Bunn's graphic novel more than I did 'Harrow County' (so far).

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The supernatural Basilisk reunites the creative team of Bone Parish, which was a favorite horror series of mine. This time the action moves to Appalachia, as a group of five killers emerges from the secluded mountains.

This group of five works together with a hive mind, each part of a chimera, in essence, a monstrous hybrid creature. They all have a power related to the senses: Vanessa, the leader who has the power of touch, bombastic Jimmy who has the power of taste, quiet Manny who has exceptional hearing, flower-child Cara who has the gift of smell, and hooded Regan whose power of sight is deadly to those who she looks at. Regan's power relates to the title of the series for if you are aware of old legends,  a basilisk is a legendary reptile reputed to be a serpent king, who causes death to those who look into its eyes. While some of these powers (esp taste and smell) didn't strike me as particularly deadly, I trust that author Cullen Bunn will build an interesting story.

Regan has escaped the group and the cult followers, but Hannah, a woman bent on revenge captures her. Hannah is a grieving mother, whose daughter and husband were killed in an early attack by the chimera group when they came down from the mountains into her small town. With nothing left to lose, Hannah wants to kill the group and Regan seems to acquiesce to her demands. Manny also seems to want to pull away and whispers a prophecy to Regan before he is killed. But the other three plan to dig in, and have an easily manipulated brethren of followers who will obey them.

The art by Jonas Scharf is top-notch, as his work always is. He captures the natural beauty of Appalachia and portrays its inhabitants realistically. Alex Guimarães's coloring is evocative with blue and dark colors predominating. There are some striking variants at the end, especially Rafael Albuquerque's covers.

While this first of a planned trilogy didn't grab me as much as the first volume of Bone Parish did, I am still intrigued enough to find out what happens to the killers and their followers and hope that Hannah gets the revenge she craves. (Actual review 3.5/5)

Review can also be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2023/05/1...

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This easily could have gotten 4 stars if it weren’t so short. I have not been a fan of some of these publishers doing these small 4 issue trades. I feel like 6 issues should be the minimum unless it’s a mini series that’s only 5 issues. 6 issues gives me a enough story to chew on and digest while waiting for the next volume. 4 issues feels like a big single issue. It’s not enough to satisfy you, only leave you frustrated waiting for the next volume. Anyway, how was the story? Actually pretty good. 5 people have acquired these awesome powers up in the mountains and wondered down to the towns without control of said powers. They end up killing just about everyone there. Four of them enjoyed it and continue killing people. However, one of them wasn’t feeling it and leaves to be alone. Unfortunately, she is being followed by someone who was wronged by them when they first got their powers. She plans to kill all five of them. Cool concept that was executed well and had some good artwork. Plus there was enough mystery and set up that has me interested in what’s to come.

[Benji Glaab · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5er🌟 Since it's so light on dialogue it needs to make me feel some kind of emotion. Great art work, but feels very flat. I like the vibe of the book and there are some dece ideas. Could be some potential for a rebound.

[Rory Wilding · Rating 3 out of 5]

In case you don’t know what a basilisk is, it is a legendary reptile reputed to be a serpent king, who can cause death with a single glance. With abilities, you might as well be a god, which is one of the themes of Cullen Bunn and Jonas Scharf’s comic book, published by Boom! Studios.

Deep in rural America, five people known as the Chimera terrorised small towns with their horrifying supernatural powers, leaving death and destruction in their wake. When Regan, one of the Chimera, escaped her brethren, and has been hiding in cheap motels and dive bars crippled with the guilt of her past, she reluctantly teams up with the vengeful Hannah, who wants to take down the five.

Over the course of four issues, Bunn doesn’t do anything groundbreaking with the narrative that is both a simple tale of revenge, and an exploration of humanity at its worst, feeling they are above everyone else. Whilst Hannah’s backstory gets unveiled throughout, her motivations are clear from the ground up and is perhaps the least compelling character, whilst the dynamic between the Chimera is more interesting.

Based on how the Chimera can walk into a diner and cause havoc, you wonder if Bunn had read The Sandman or watched Near Dark, the latter feeling more apparent in how some of the Chimera are just gleeful in their killings. Each of the five Chimera has their own persona and how each one of them bounce off one another. Regan is the most interesting of the bunch and she’s the most guilt-ridden, though curious to be reunited with her fellow buddies.

The best thing about Basilisk is Jonas Scharf’s art, which is so expressive that you probably wouldn’t need any word balloons to get across what the story is about or how a character is feeling. With Bunn known for his horror writing, it allows Scharf to show off his nasty side, from moments of gore, to Hannah’s vengeful side where she goes full-blown Rambo. A special shout-out to colourist Alex Guimarães, particularly with his use of watercolours in the flashback pages, which are gorgeous.

Considering how basic the overall narrative is, Basilisk is an above-average horror read that is saved by great art, though I’m curious where the story could go.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Individual issue reviews: #1 | #2 | #3 | #4

Total review score: 2.94

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting start. I'll have to read more to see if I like it.

[Sem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decently intriguing with a rather grisly tone to it, cautiously optimistic to see where this goes.

[Valéria. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cullen Bunn a jeho hororové veci ma nikdy neomrzia. A táto fakt vyniká. Plus kresba je tu neskutočná. Teším sa čo viac to prinesie v ďalších zošitoch. 5/5

[Diana-christie Biancardi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the art more than the story.

[47Time · Rating 5 out of 5]

This mystery sure is action-packed. A group of people with special, deadly abilities are at the center of the story. They killed people in the past and are wanted dead by a woman who lost their family to them. But how can she even approach them when they can kill her with a thought? She gets a valuable ally for this purpose. If you are easily upset by graphic imagery, then this story might not be for you.

Years ago a group of five individuals came down from a mountain into a small community. They were unaware at that time that each possessed an ability related to one of the five senses - sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell. Many townfolk died until the group, hunted by regular the army, retreated to a secluded location. They are called the Chimera by their zealous followers, the Faithful.

One of the Chimera is named Regan. She has the power of sight and is the only one haunted by the people she killed. She separates from the group and is found by Hannah who lost her family to the Chimera. She has ways to negate their abilities so she can close in for the kill. Regan agrees to help Hannah draw the others out of hiding. Only Manny, the one with hearing powers, is killed in the first encounter. Now both sides know what they are dealing with. Hannah and Regan need a new plan, while the remaining trio return to their destructive ways, revelling in the deaths of innocents like they did before.

[William O’Pomegranate · Rating 3 out of 5]

So Bunn is mainly known for his horror, but this ain’t horror (at least not primarily. It does have minor horror elements). This is a supernatural action story. It follows a woman seeking revenge on a group of 5 supervillains whose powers relate to the ‘5 senses.’

For a fast-paced action comic with a lot of boom boom pow pow scenes it’s alright, but if you’re looking for an original comic with deep lore and character building, keep on looking.

Edit: The issue holding this series back finally became clear to me in the last volume, but I thought it would be best mentioned in my first review. Bunn can’t make up his mind if he’s writing a dark action comic you’re supposed to take seriously or a campy, tropey Schwarzenegger-type action story we’re supposed to be laughing at. And as a result of this discordant tone results in a mildly unsatisfying story.

[Abbe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was something new for me! I usually don’t gravitate towards graphic novels, but I picked this one up when I was in a comic book store to try out. I really enjoyed the artwork, story premise, and character design, but I would’ve loved more about the characters and a bit more from the plot as well. When the second volume comes out, I’ll definitely buy it, and I can see myself reading more graphic novels in the future!

[Kurt Lorenz · Rating 5 out of 5]

The art in this series is absolutely fantastic and the story, although extremely open ended, is intriguing throughout. I really really hope Cullen Bunn continues this one.

[Octavia Cade · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read and reviewed the four comics collected here separately, so this is really just for my own records. The collection rating is an average of the individual ratings: issues one and four earned three stars from me, whereas both middle issues only got one star. It's a rating, I think, that's directly related to the villains. They're monstrously violent and it's shown in horrible detail and sometimes I feel, when I read comics, that the creators are trying to outdo each other in a race to portray the most sadism. It's awful to say, but as the horror went on, I was actually surprised to see no sexual assault, because usually that's the next rung on the misery ladder. That's how low my expectations have fallen for certain types of horror, which is a shame. When Basilisk focuses on the hero, and the once-villain who is clearly repentant, I'm interested. When it's gleefully cataloguing the depredations of its nasty antagonists, however, I sincerely don't give a damn.

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know what to expect with this book as Cullen Bunn is hit or miss for me but this was a definite hit. Five people with extraordinary powers do whatever they want until one has a change of heart. The ramifications of their actions affect everything in this book. The book doesn't reveal all the whys or hows but there is enough to fully understand what's happening. I thought the plot was intelligent and the dialogue seemed natural. I'm intrigued by almost every character. Scharf's art was a great match for book and his action scenes were on point. Overall, a surprisingly good read that has been ready to read more.

[Will · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s a solid concept but coupled with a revenge plot, and little to no storytelling, just makes me not care as much. It’s like it rushed through its own idea and didn’t want us to know too much. Why should I care about these 6 characters? Six with no backstory!

How did they get their powers?
What was it like for them?
Why did we skip almost 2 years afterwards?
What happened to the revenge girls family?
What was it like for her?
How did she track them down?

I’m willing the bet the next few volumes has all of the backstory since it ends on a cliffhanger.

[Travis Duke · Rating 2 out of 5]

a group of people with powers kill a bunch of people. Then one of them defects and joins a vigilant bent on revenge. The story is OK but the writing is very flat and uneventful. Art is nothing special really. Doubt I will read vol.2

[RubiGiráldez RubiGiráldez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cullen Bunn vuelve a reunirse con el dibujante Jonas Scharf para otra historia de fantasía urbana oscura tras su tragedia de una familia de narcotraficantes sobrenaturales en Bone Parish. Basilisk se propone como algo más al grano, descubriendo una terrible masacre en un pueblecito tras irrumpir un grupo de extraños individuos que emergieron de lo profundo del bosque exhibiendo extraños pero devastadores poderes asociados con los sentidos. Este grupo que se conocerá como La Quimera, está siendo perseguido por la única superviviente de aquella matanza. Aprovechando que una de las integrantes de La Quimera parece "ir por libre", la vengativa mujer inicia de verdad este desesperado plan para poner bajo tierra esta inexplicable amenaza. Pero La Quimera es algo más que cinco individuos dando rienda suelta de forma arbitraria a sus instintos de muerte y destrucción. A su alrededor se ha conformado una especie de culto que de una u otra manera ven en estos actos una manifestación de lo Divino. Y este músculo humano será lo primero en interponerse en el camino de Hannah y Reagan antes de poder encarar los poderes sobrenaturales de La Quimera.

Basilisk, por tanto, es una historia de venganza de manual, añadiéndole el interés de una road movie femenina con esa superviviente convertida en una suerte de "Sarah Connor" rural y una de sus enemigas juradas de la que debe de valerse como rehén y aliada activa en el futuro enfrentamiento. Y de la que empieza a establecerse una dinámica más personal. pues Reagan realmente se ha desligado de sus demás compañeros. Sus capacidades quizás sean de las que más obligan a aislarse. Sus ojos influyen de forma dolorosa y hasta mortal en quien mira, por lo que siempre lleva un velo. Su arrepentimiento por la masacre en el pueblo de Hannah se ve presumiblemente sincero. Y estos primeros números ya marcan una relación más profunda que la que Reagan tiene con La Quimera. Liderada de forma vil por una mujer que emite una especie de pestilencia por los restos de su brazo pútrido que disuelve carne humana.

Cullen Bunn tiene bien trabajado el estilo de acción antes que el terror que termina permeándose totalmente. A lo que Jonas Scharf vuelve a dar imagen de forma cuasi cinematográfica (aunque aquí se suben más revoluciones que en Bone Parish que dejan a Basilisk algo menos pródiga a ser material de una adaptación audiovisual potencial).

Aunque indudablemente se espera de que se presente un trasfondo interesante tras ese origen de La Quimera. Basilisk ha dejado bien claro en este arranque que lo importante aquí es la consumación de la venganza de Hannah y el papel de Reagan en todo esto. Por lo que el conjunto sobrenatural es un gustoso añadido pero que no tiene por qué terminar de fagocitar la propuesta.

[Ya Boi Be Reading · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 rounded down though eagerly awaiting the next volume. Cullen Bunn, from my admittedly small reading of his, sticks close to telling good spooky stories with a message or idea that is explored subtly (at times nearly a whisper or not enough imo) and always delivers on that admittedly to varying degrees of success but still a success. And this is no different with a strong hook of a first trade begging you to get the next one. The stage is set with all the players and the hint of something larger past the immediate revenge plotline. This does suffer from the four issue trade length problem where there isn't really just enough to sink into. I love what's here but it's still a slim trade that leaves you wanting more (in a positive way).
The characters sort of remind me of The Wicked + The Divine mostly due to their singular thematic focus on the five senses and how they're seemingly driven by their own wants. But this is definitely much darker and compared to the gods of TW+TD the ones in Basilisk are definitely aware of their power and feel free to use it to their gain with only some reservation to not gain too large of attention and stay enough in the shadows. I hope the big secret has to do something with stoning or losing their powers. There is an undercurrent of redemption and dealing with your power/ consequences that I'm eagerly hoping is explored considering the various goes and personalities of the five super-powered individuals.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the premise of BASILISK, but I think the length of the book plays a factor in how much world building it can do. Volume 1 could have easily been at least forty or more pages longer to set the ground rules for what, exactly, is happening. I can think of other first volumes in series I've read that have at least given more for the reader to expect.

Instead, volume 1 of BASILISK is more of a smash and grab from the get go. Five people have deadly powers focused on one of the human senses: sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch. The reader is thrown into the bloody landscape about three pages in without much insight into anything. Who are these people? It's eluded that they're all a tight knit group because of their abilities, even when Regan, the woman with sight powers, leaves them. But everyone involved is given surface level motivations. At least give the reader a crumb of context as what the hell is going on.

But in spite of my gripes, I did like the book to want to continue reading the series. I would like to think that the reader will (eventually) be given more world building. At least, I hope so.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gratuitous gore with not enough hints of motivation or backstory. Five people of largely derivative character design (one is Michonne from Walking Dead, one is clearly evil-Wolverine, one is clearly Ragnar from Vikings, one is a cutesy childlike hippie with a possibly Gelfling-derived look) each have deadly powers related to a different one of the five senses. We don't know why or how they got them, but they got loose (from SOMEWHERE) and started accidentally, then purposely mass-killing people. One of them has left the group, which now has a cult-like following bent on tracking her down, and is taken hostage by a woman out to destroy them all for revenge.
With no hints as to origins, motivations, or purpose (just lots of gory killing apparently just for fun), I found this dull. They tried to hint at a relationship between two of the five, but that wasn't enough to carry the rest of the generic murder/revenge story. I doubt I'll pick up the next volume.