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Criminal Macabre: A Cal McDonald Mystery #1
Criminal Macabre
Steve Niles is the writer of the hit comic 30 Days of Night and the Cal McDonald horror/noir novels, Savage Membrane and Guns, Drugs and Monsters. Niles is also the writer of the monthly comic book Dark Days for IDW Publishing. Steve 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. He has also worked as a writer for Todd MacFarlane Productions and Image comics, creating the series Fused, and contributing to titles such as The Dark Ages, Hellspawn, and most recently 9-11: Artists Respond.
160 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2004
4 people are currently reading
634 people want to read
About the author
Steve Niles
837 books459 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 - 30 of 52 reviews
October 28, 2018
With naught but a glance, I immediately noticed artwork redolent as reminiscent of another comic I particularly enjoyed years ago: Warren Ellis’ (still incomplete) Fell. Indeed, Wikipedia proved my suspicions correct, the talented Templeton showed up on this track as well. Featuring his grimy take on watercolors, an evocative feel became increasingly well nestled in with Niles’ good writing.
As smooth as my kind intro might sound, definite faults prevent this offering from achieving anything beyond that of a 3-star rating. A plot almost as murky as the jet blacks and gooey greys within became overshadowed within its own, admittedly, convoluted vision. Grafting the essence of John Constantine in a more atmospherically inclined work, Criminal Macabre is more derivative than O.C. (original content).
Ultimately this is the first course of many so say what you will about books and covers. Hopefully portending something greater my fingers are tepidly moving toward the next one.
As smooth as my kind intro might sound, definite faults prevent this offering from achieving anything beyond that of a 3-star rating. A plot almost as murky as the jet blacks and gooey greys within became overshadowed within its own, admittedly, convoluted vision. Grafting the essence of John Constantine in a more atmospherically inclined work, Criminal Macabre is more derivative than O.C. (original content).
Ultimately this is the first course of many so say what you will about books and covers. Hopefully portending something greater my fingers are tepidly moving toward the next one.
June 25, 2016
I am extending SPCtYPDKED because I made it up so I can do what I want! Ok, this one is from Dark Horse, so you've probably heard of them if you ever read anything that isn't Marvel/DC, but whatever. Close enough.
Criminal Macabre is a noir comic about an ex-cop, Cal, who attracts monsters in a world that doesn't believe in them. Monsters like vampires, werewolves, zombies, etc. The usual. Cal does what anyone would do if presented with monsters constantly. He drinks. A lot. And pops pills. A lot.
There's a lot of good atmosphere in this one. Cal is a smart-ass and a mostly functional alcoholic. He has an informant ghoul, because why not. And he solves cases for people, usually of the weird variety.
This particular set of five issues is about a series of crimes that don't make sense. There are a group of werewolves acting as thieves instead of murdering people for food. There's a group of vampires assaulting a ghoul, again, not for food. There is collaboration between monsters that just doesn't happen. But Cal doesn't start off too worried, because after all, the old superstitions aren't true, and everything dies to a bullet.
Like any good noir, it has a little bit of cheek to it, but never goes for laugh out loud funny. But the humour fits the tone, and is as snarky as needed.
The art is something a lot of people are going to have a problem with. It's odd in that part of me wants to just say it isn't good. But part of it is certainly just the style, which is done to fit, and help set, the mood of the series. This series shouldn't have clean art. Though perhaps it should have better art than this. I'm not versed enough in the style to know how much "better" art would actually hurt the tone the series is going for. Have a sample....
Overall, this is a solid noir joint. It's not amazing in a "you must go out of your way to read this now!" sort of way. But it's good if you like noir and comics and happen to have it in front of you. There's nothing particularly wrong with it, which is way more than most comics I read have going for them. I'm going to read some more of Cal McDonald's adventures.
3.5 stars
I came to LA following a severed head, and I've been here ever since.
Criminal Macabre is a noir comic about an ex-cop, Cal, who attracts monsters in a world that doesn't believe in them. Monsters like vampires, werewolves, zombies, etc. The usual. Cal does what anyone would do if presented with monsters constantly. He drinks. A lot. And pops pills. A lot.
There's a lot of good atmosphere in this one. Cal is a smart-ass and a mostly functional alcoholic. He has an informant ghoul, because why not. And he solves cases for people, usually of the weird variety.
This particular set of five issues is about a series of crimes that don't make sense. There are a group of werewolves acting as thieves instead of murdering people for food. There's a group of vampires assaulting a ghoul, again, not for food. There is collaboration between monsters that just doesn't happen. But Cal doesn't start off too worried, because after all, the old superstitions aren't true, and everything dies to a bullet.
Like I said, you can kill a vampire with a bullet. But you better damn well be sure your gun's loaded.
Like any good noir, it has a little bit of cheek to it, but never goes for laugh out loud funny. But the humour fits the tone, and is as snarky as needed.
I thought vampires were cursed?
They just like to think they are. You know, for the drama.
The art is something a lot of people are going to have a problem with. It's odd in that part of me wants to just say it isn't good. But part of it is certainly just the style, which is done to fit, and help set, the mood of the series. This series shouldn't have clean art. Though perhaps it should have better art than this. I'm not versed enough in the style to know how much "better" art would actually hurt the tone the series is going for. Have a sample....
Overall, this is a solid noir joint. It's not amazing in a "you must go out of your way to read this now!" sort of way. But it's good if you like noir and comics and happen to have it in front of you. There's nothing particularly wrong with it, which is way more than most comics I read have going for them. I'm going to read some more of Cal McDonald's adventures.
3.5 stars
Do you trust me?
Well... yeah.
Do you think I'm crazy?
Of course.
November 8, 2016
At the heart of Criminal Macabre is a conceptually clever notion: take the hardboiled detective archetype epitomized by Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe and recast him as a contemporary occultic detective à la Alan Moore's John Constantine. Cal McDonald is the story's cynical, hard-drinking antihero with friends in low places (and they don't come much lower than the underworld!).
The story's central mystery -- which I won't spoil here -- turns out to be quite clever, and anchors Steve Niles' take on monster mythology in a catalyzing event right out of the ancient-history books. That, for my money, was one of the coolest aspects of the story.
Now, Cal himself is a pretty cool customer, but I ultimately don't think taking the archetypal hardboiled gumshoe and making him an investigator of the supernatural was enough to distinguish him -- to make him a truly memorable character. He doesn't have a transformational arc, or even any appreciable emotional investment in the case. Now, one could certainly argue Philip Marlowe never had much of an arc -- he was a serialized hero like James Bond, who solved one case and then moved on to the next -- but if you look at more modern reinterpretations of that archetype, like Jake Gittes in Chinatown and Joe Hallenbeck in The Last Boy Scout, those detectives served plots that tied directly into their traumatic backstories and gave the stories themselves real emotional resonance. If nothing else, Marlowe was at least given to profound philosophical reflection ("What did it matter where you lay once you were dead? ... You just slept the big sleep, not caring about the nastiness of how you died or where you fell. Me, I was part of the nastiness now."), and we don't get much of that from Cal, which seems like a wasted opportunity to endow Criminal Macabre with some thematic depth.
And there's no reason even a paranormal investigator can't have an emotional stake in his case, be it a serialized hero (like Fox Mulder from The X-Files) or one-off protagonist (think Frank Bannister in Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh's The Frighteners). Stories about crime (the work of Richard Price, for instance), as well as those about the supernatural (Stephen King, for starters), are fertile ground to explore themes of morality and mortality; Criminal Macabre is about both crime and the supernatural -- it's right there in the title! -- yet lacks the kind of philosophical heft one might expect from a genre hybrid like this. Ultimately what we're left with is a "cool" story without a lot of genuine heart.
One other criticism: The story is set in Los Angeles (where I've lived for fifteen years), but feels like it could take place just about anywhere: St. Louis, Gotham City -- wherever. It doesn't feel specific to its chosen location the way The Big Sleep and Chinatown did. Why set it in L.A. if you're not going to explore those particular Tinseltown tropes? A lot of it, actually, is spent underneath the streets of Los Angeles, and I'm not altogether sure such a network of subterranean passages even exists below the pavement here as it does in, say, New York.
Given that this is a graphic novel, I should briefly address the illustrations: Ben Templesmith's moody, atmospheric artwork has a certain "sketchbook" quality that really suits Niles' script. There's something vaguely seedy about it, and despite often minimal details and a limited color palette, Templesmith compels the reader to take a close look at each panel, same way you might study the frame of a horror movie for monsters lurking either in shadow or off-camera. It's almost as though he forces your eyes to readjust to each new panel, same as they would if you stepped into a darkened cellar. It's minimalistic but very effective.
In summary, Criminal Macabre is a quick read, and worth it if you like this kind of material, but it is too narratively underdeveloped to ever be considered a classic of the genre. Too bad.
The story's central mystery -- which I won't spoil here -- turns out to be quite clever, and anchors Steve Niles' take on monster mythology in a catalyzing event right out of the ancient-history books. That, for my money, was one of the coolest aspects of the story.
Now, Cal himself is a pretty cool customer, but I ultimately don't think taking the archetypal hardboiled gumshoe and making him an investigator of the supernatural was enough to distinguish him -- to make him a truly memorable character. He doesn't have a transformational arc, or even any appreciable emotional investment in the case. Now, one could certainly argue Philip Marlowe never had much of an arc -- he was a serialized hero like James Bond, who solved one case and then moved on to the next -- but if you look at more modern reinterpretations of that archetype, like Jake Gittes in Chinatown and Joe Hallenbeck in The Last Boy Scout, those detectives served plots that tied directly into their traumatic backstories and gave the stories themselves real emotional resonance. If nothing else, Marlowe was at least given to profound philosophical reflection ("What did it matter where you lay once you were dead? ... You just slept the big sleep, not caring about the nastiness of how you died or where you fell. Me, I was part of the nastiness now."), and we don't get much of that from Cal, which seems like a wasted opportunity to endow Criminal Macabre with some thematic depth.
And there's no reason even a paranormal investigator can't have an emotional stake in his case, be it a serialized hero (like Fox Mulder from The X-Files) or one-off protagonist (think Frank Bannister in Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh's The Frighteners). Stories about crime (the work of Richard Price, for instance), as well as those about the supernatural (Stephen King, for starters), are fertile ground to explore themes of morality and mortality; Criminal Macabre is about both crime and the supernatural -- it's right there in the title! -- yet lacks the kind of philosophical heft one might expect from a genre hybrid like this. Ultimately what we're left with is a "cool" story without a lot of genuine heart.
One other criticism: The story is set in Los Angeles (where I've lived for fifteen years), but feels like it could take place just about anywhere: St. Louis, Gotham City -- wherever. It doesn't feel specific to its chosen location the way The Big Sleep and Chinatown did. Why set it in L.A. if you're not going to explore those particular Tinseltown tropes? A lot of it, actually, is spent underneath the streets of Los Angeles, and I'm not altogether sure such a network of subterranean passages even exists below the pavement here as it does in, say, New York.
Given that this is a graphic novel, I should briefly address the illustrations: Ben Templesmith's moody, atmospheric artwork has a certain "sketchbook" quality that really suits Niles' script. There's something vaguely seedy about it, and despite often minimal details and a limited color palette, Templesmith compels the reader to take a close look at each panel, same way you might study the frame of a horror movie for monsters lurking either in shadow or off-camera. It's almost as though he forces your eyes to readjust to each new panel, same as they would if you stepped into a darkened cellar. It's minimalistic but very effective.
In summary, Criminal Macabre is a quick read, and worth it if you like this kind of material, but it is too narratively underdeveloped to ever be considered a classic of the genre. Too bad.
March 11, 2015
With a supernatural world that's totally unique, and eerily dark, beautiful, and blurry artwork, this tale of a PI investigating a vampire sighting quickly devolves into a crazy monster summit that Cal finds himself involved in. Interesting, and certainly not for everyone, this was a slice of some dark pie indeed.
February 15, 2011
I really liked the story here: hardboiled detective, monsters, legends, plague... The concept and overall plot were great. However, it started off a bit slow, with mostly text, and not that much need for images - although I enjoy reading, I was starting to wonder why this wasn't a prose novel. It did pick up, the last two thirds or so were really good, up until the very end - the climax seemed to resolve a bit suddenly, but part of this feeling may have been from the art.
How I felt about the art changed from panel to panel. The spooky horror atmosphere was fantastic throughout, but sometimes the style of drawing characters just threw me - in some panels they were so distorted I wasn't entirely sure who the character was (usually I could pick it up from dialogue or context, but couldn't visually recognize them), or what was happening. This was especially apparent in a few panels during the climax, where I'm still not entirely sure what happened. On the other hand, there were also panels where characters looked fantastic - I especially liked the stylized and very scary shadowy version of werewolves.
Overall, I like the concept, the story, the feel, but was thrown in a couple of places by pacing and distorted art style. I still enjoyed the story, and would try another Cal McDonald book.
How I felt about the art changed from panel to panel. The spooky horror atmosphere was fantastic throughout, but sometimes the style of drawing characters just threw me - in some panels they were so distorted I wasn't entirely sure who the character was (usually I could pick it up from dialogue or context, but couldn't visually recognize them), or what was happening. This was especially apparent in a few panels during the climax, where I'm still not entirely sure what happened. On the other hand, there were also panels where characters looked fantastic - I especially liked the stylized and very scary shadowy version of werewolves.
Overall, I like the concept, the story, the feel, but was thrown in a couple of places by pacing and distorted art style. I still enjoyed the story, and would try another Cal McDonald book.
February 23, 2009
Wonderfully fun graphic novel. The artwork takes an already cool story and makes it even better. Because the drawings are often blurred, you have to take extra effort to follow the story, which makes it more involving and scary -- an effect that worked equally well in 30 Days of Night. Cal McDonald is an awesome character who's wisecracks add a much-needed dose of humor to the generally dark story.
February 23, 2009
This is the best god-damned comic of the decade so far....and I'm not exaggerating. Niles and Templesmith's masterpiece.
BUY IT NOW, IT WILL OWN YOU BITCH!
BUY IT NOW, IT WILL OWN YOU BITCH!
October 2, 2019
Trenta e qualcosa anni fa i DNA di Richard Matheson e Raymond Chandler devono essersi inevitabilmente incrociati, quello che ne è venuto fuori è l'autore di questo volume, Steve Niles, conosciuto ai più per quel capolavoro che è "30 Giorni di notte".
Niles riesce nell'intento di creare un mondo con atmosfere da film noir, oscure ed evocative, pullulante di mostri e altre bestiacce immonde.
Al centro di questo vero e proprio inferno ci piazza Cal McDonald. Questo tipo vive per sfondare a calci il fondoschiena delle bestie.
Per chi non lo conosce farò un breve riassunto: Mr. McDonald è una stracazzuta combinazione di Sam Spade, Steve McQueen e Charles Bukowski, tutti rollati in un unico pacchetto allucinato-fastidioso-spaccapalle e da "Non ti do un cazzo, fanculo".
Questo tipo fa sembrare i normali, ordinari, tipi tosti dei fumetti alla porto-le-mutande-rosse-sopra-la-tuta-blu come una di quelle fottutissime superchicche.
Il mio consiglio, dopo aver ascoltato queste parole, un po' mie un po' di Mr.Rob Zombie, è quello di alzare il culo dal divano o dal computer e volare in fumetteria a comprare questo fumetto, perché Niles è giunto a noi e ha reso i fumetti di nuovo fichi.
Ah si, quasi dimenticavo. Il tutto illustrato da Ben Templesmith, un fottuto eroe.
Niles riesce nell'intento di creare un mondo con atmosfere da film noir, oscure ed evocative, pullulante di mostri e altre bestiacce immonde.
Al centro di questo vero e proprio inferno ci piazza Cal McDonald. Questo tipo vive per sfondare a calci il fondoschiena delle bestie.
Per chi non lo conosce farò un breve riassunto: Mr. McDonald è una stracazzuta combinazione di Sam Spade, Steve McQueen e Charles Bukowski, tutti rollati in un unico pacchetto allucinato-fastidioso-spaccapalle e da "Non ti do un cazzo, fanculo".
Questo tipo fa sembrare i normali, ordinari, tipi tosti dei fumetti alla porto-le-mutande-rosse-sopra-la-tuta-blu come una di quelle fottutissime superchicche.
Il mio consiglio, dopo aver ascoltato queste parole, un po' mie un po' di Mr.Rob Zombie, è quello di alzare il culo dal divano o dal computer e volare in fumetteria a comprare questo fumetto, perché Niles è giunto a noi e ha reso i fumetti di nuovo fichi.
Ah si, quasi dimenticavo. Il tutto illustrato da Ben Templesmith, un fottuto eroe.
November 28, 2019
Steve Niles horory psát umí a i ty béčkové kterým je Criminal Macabre. Příběh na drogách závislého soukromého detektiva kterého si nadpřirozené případy hledají sami
Je to vtipný, dobře napsaný, místy atmosférický, jen to zesírá Templesmithova kresba, u Fellu jsem takový problém neměl, ale tady to nešlo.
Postavy kreslí stejně, akční pasáže mu nejdou vůbec a vy nevíte na co koukáte a i normální úkony jako otevření dveří u něj vypadají jakoby hlavní hrdina prstil mimozemskou hmotu.
Občas tam má vtipné nakreslenou postavu jak někam padá či nějakou fakt hezkou a atmosférickou kresbu, jinak tady je jeho kresba velký špatný.
Pro fanoušky Béčkových Hororů povinnost.
Je to vtipný, dobře napsaný, místy atmosférický, jen to zesírá Templesmithova kresba, u Fellu jsem takový problém neměl, ale tady to nešlo.
Postavy kreslí stejně, akční pasáže mu nejdou vůbec a vy nevíte na co koukáte a i normální úkony jako otevření dveří u něj vypadají jakoby hlavní hrdina prstil mimozemskou hmotu.
Občas tam má vtipné nakreslenou postavu jak někam padá či nějakou fakt hezkou a atmosférickou kresbu, jinak tady je jeho kresba velký špatný.
Pro fanoušky Béčkových Hororů povinnost.
December 14, 2025
Criminal Macabre: A Cal McDonald Mystery #1 is a brutally stylish fusion of horror and noir that grabs you from the first page and never lets go. Steve Niles writes with confidence and bite, crafting a world where monsters lurk in every shadow and sarcasm is a survival skill. Cal McDonald is a fantastic lead jaded, sharp tongued, and oddly relatable. Ben Templesmith’s art is dark, abstract, and perfectly unsettling, making this comic feel more like an experience than just a story. A must read for horror fans.
January 21, 2025
I like all the characters. Has some funny moments. Not a fan of the art style. The art style is very particular and oftentimes makes it difficult to figure out what is happening. The paranormal investigator concept is cool - but the concept isn't pushed far enough in my opinion. Unsure if I will check out later installments.
April 17, 2019
I’m not going to review it - if you love bad ass shit, freaks, monsters, drugs and bad language, excellent art work and simple but superb writing - that a is your poison!
I fucking love Steve Niles for creating Criminal Macabre. It rocks so bad! And foreword by Rob Zombie - just excellent shit
I fucking love Steve Niles for creating Criminal Macabre. It rocks so bad! And foreword by Rob Zombie - just excellent shit
April 17, 2023
A can't miss hard boiled tale that just so happens to have a ghoul and a few vampires in it.
Great premise of course, but even without it this would still be a page turner and five stars.
But of course - the great premise does not hurt. Regardless, I highly recommend this one.
Great premise of course, but even without it this would still be a page turner and five stars.
But of course - the great premise does not hurt. Regardless, I highly recommend this one.
June 4, 2020
A história é divertida e os desenhos são bons.
September 23, 2020
This feels a lot like the Dresden Files set in the 30 Days of Night universe. I enjoyed it.
October 18, 2021
Like the story, but only somewhat impressed by the artwork.
February 14, 2024
I tried...
But I can't stand his comics.
He also only works with terrible artists.
It is a combo of awful.
But I can't stand his comics.
He also only works with terrible artists.
It is a combo of awful.
November 26, 2013
Having never read Criminal Macabre, knowing anything about Cal McDonald or even what the series was about except for something to do with the supernatural, it made it intriguing to delve into. Our protagonist, our hero – sort of – is quite the complex character. He is a little Sam Spade and a little Donald Lam, a little Sam Durell and a little Sam and Dean Winchester with some Constantine sprinkled in. He’s brash, sarcastic and tough with hints of vulnerability that might come to pass in future issues yet to be explored. As it stands, he is a complex man with a little problem – he attracts the occult and the superordinary like a magnet, whether he wants to or not.
The series opens up with our reluctant gumshoe, and he is reluctant as it is soon explained later on, sitting in a police station and trying to describe to some unwilling detectives just what happened to cause so much property damage and why there were bodies to be found and he along with them. The problem is the story involves vampires, werewolves, the undead and a plague from hundreds of years ago. Simple enough, but no one is buying – much to Cal’s chagrin. During his story we are introduced to Cal and the world he lives in and it is far from normal. Because the book was named Criminal Macabre, it should be expected to be a little different.
Even though Cal had appeared in a couple of comics beforehand as well as two prose novels, this first miniseries from 2003 would be the start of Cal’s run in the four colour world up until this day all written by Steve Niles. It is a good start being both funny, engaging and daresay, macabre featuring appropriately moody artwork from Ben Templesmith. The series is gritty and gruesome under Templesmith’s pencil and is a good fit for the book, much like he was on 30 Days of Night for IDW with Niles.
There have been a lot of follow-up series to this first mini, and if they are half as good as this one, then it looks to be good reading moving forward. Niles has proven himself many times over on many titles and his creation, Cal McDonald, can stand proud among many of literature’s great detectives.
4 out of 5
http://thetelltalemind.com/2013/11/24...
The series opens up with our reluctant gumshoe, and he is reluctant as it is soon explained later on, sitting in a police station and trying to describe to some unwilling detectives just what happened to cause so much property damage and why there were bodies to be found and he along with them. The problem is the story involves vampires, werewolves, the undead and a plague from hundreds of years ago. Simple enough, but no one is buying – much to Cal’s chagrin. During his story we are introduced to Cal and the world he lives in and it is far from normal. Because the book was named Criminal Macabre, it should be expected to be a little different.
Even though Cal had appeared in a couple of comics beforehand as well as two prose novels, this first miniseries from 2003 would be the start of Cal’s run in the four colour world up until this day all written by Steve Niles. It is a good start being both funny, engaging and daresay, macabre featuring appropriately moody artwork from Ben Templesmith. The series is gritty and gruesome under Templesmith’s pencil and is a good fit for the book, much like he was on 30 Days of Night for IDW with Niles.
There have been a lot of follow-up series to this first mini, and if they are half as good as this one, then it looks to be good reading moving forward. Niles has proven himself many times over on many titles and his creation, Cal McDonald, can stand proud among many of literature’s great detectives.
4 out of 5
http://thetelltalemind.com/2013/11/24...
November 19, 2012
This is pretty good. Templesmith is right on here, as usual, so not much needs said there.
Steve Niles often doesn't do much for me - I basically bought this because it was super cheap and I knew I'd at least like the art - but it's not a bad read.
There's definitely no new ground being broken, and the main character is that same wisecracking degenerate supernatural private eye character that pops up all over these days, but eh... It's still okay.
Just about everything in this book is super obvious, but even with that, there were still a few parts that made me chuckle. I dunno - it's not going to be on my all-time favorite list, but I won't pass on any other stuff I see around either (as long as it's the stuff Templesmith).
Steve Niles often doesn't do much for me - I basically bought this because it was super cheap and I knew I'd at least like the art - but it's not a bad read.
There's definitely no new ground being broken, and the main character is that same wisecracking degenerate supernatural private eye character that pops up all over these days, but eh... It's still okay.
Just about everything in this book is super obvious, but even with that, there were still a few parts that made me chuckle. I dunno - it's not going to be on my all-time favorite list, but I won't pass on any other stuff I see around either (as long as it's the stuff Templesmith).
March 18, 2013
This could easily be someone's five star read, but it ended up being out of my comfort zone. Steve Niles has created a character who is both sarcastic and vile, which resulted in some seriously magical moments. Cal MacDonald is not your typical gumshoe. He attracts the bizarre. We're talking werewolves, vampires and ghouls. In fact, his partner Mo'Lock is a member of the undead. Is it any wonder Cal turns to drugs and alcohol on an hourly basis? Original, yes, but overall, I found the stories to all be relatively the same.
I received a copy of Criminal Macabre from Netgalley, although I don't think this is the one I read. There doesn't seem to be one here on Goodreads that fits it. It had the same cover, but was over 500 pages long.
I received a copy of Criminal Macabre from Netgalley, although I don't think this is the one I read. There doesn't seem to be one here on Goodreads that fits it. It had the same cover, but was over 500 pages long.
February 1, 2017
I really like the idea of this book and the noir type vibe it gives off. It's just really a shame that I can't tell what the Hell is going on because of the art. I understand it's a particular style, but seriously it's just so dark and scratchy that I can't make things out! There's a part where Cal is in the Evidence Warehouse and there's a guy in there and apparently he turned into a werewolf, but then he just died and I couldn't tell how!
It's really frustrating at times!
The good thing is that this book introduced me to Cal McDonald and I found out that not only are there other graphic novels, but there are also novels written about him. So maybe reading a Cal novel might be a better fit than one of these trades.
It's really frustrating at times!
The good thing is that this book introduced me to Cal McDonald and I found out that not only are there other graphic novels, but there are also novels written about him. So maybe reading a Cal novel might be a better fit than one of these trades.
July 30, 2011
Wow, Sam Spade meets Supernatural!
What a cool collection. I bought this book after meeting the fabulous Steve Niles at a comic convention in Calgary a couple of weeks ago.
And I'm glad I did. Cal McDonald is a hard-boiled detective who investigates monsters and has a ghoul for a partner.
McDonald is a pill-popping, coke-snorting, chain-smoking, whiskey-chasing cynic who's our last line of defence against the paranormal.
Brain-sucking weasel? Check.
Alien zombies? Check.
Vampires? Check.
Anybody who loves Carl Kolchak or Sam and Dean Winchester should check out this collection.
Cal's a keeper.
What a cool collection. I bought this book after meeting the fabulous Steve Niles at a comic convention in Calgary a couple of weeks ago.
And I'm glad I did. Cal McDonald is a hard-boiled detective who investigates monsters and has a ghoul for a partner.
McDonald is a pill-popping, coke-snorting, chain-smoking, whiskey-chasing cynic who's our last line of defence against the paranormal.
Brain-sucking weasel? Check.
Alien zombies? Check.
Vampires? Check.
Anybody who loves Carl Kolchak or Sam and Dean Winchester should check out this collection.
Cal's a keeper.
October 2, 2012
Cal MacDonald is an ex-cop, who became a private investigator after he spectacularly failed the department's drug test. He has a nose for the weird, and this collection features a mystery that starts with some strange behavior by local monsters and takes Cal to the sewers and other odd places.
The writing was absolutely superb, and I intend to read every issue of the various miniseries and novels Steve Niles has penned about Cal. Templesmith's art was great, although occasionally I had to stop and really study a panel to figure out what was going on. Still, it was worth it for the dark tones it gave the story.
Wonderful book.
The writing was absolutely superb, and I intend to read every issue of the various miniseries and novels Steve Niles has penned about Cal. Templesmith's art was great, although occasionally I had to stop and really study a panel to figure out what was going on. Still, it was worth it for the dark tones it gave the story.
Wonderful book.
July 15, 2014
It was a very good read, but what mostly drew my attention were the superb Ben Templesmith's drawings. They add to the scariness so much! Cal is strong, complex protagonist, a mix of Sam Spade and Winchester brothers, a tough sarcastic detective with a ghoul for a partner. They are up against monsters like alien zombies and vampires and meanwhile Cal turns to drugs and alcohol every now and then to help him get through the day. The storyline was flawless since it had everything in it, perhaps a bit dense because at moments it felt like I was reading a novel.
July 30, 2008
Steve Niles recycles plot elements from prose and graphic stories. But I don't mind, because it sort of creates a mythology around this weirdly compelling set of characters.
I wish I knew why I give a shit about his detective duo, Cal McDonald and ghoul sidekick Mo'lock. I think it's the partnership dynamic. Their energies are so opposite but their situations are so perversely similar... the comedy and pathos are both right at the surface.
I wish I knew why I give a shit about his detective duo, Cal McDonald and ghoul sidekick Mo'lock. I think it's the partnership dynamic. Their energies are so opposite but their situations are so perversely similar... the comedy and pathos are both right at the surface.
February 22, 2013
The art, while interesting a graphic, is a bit hard to comprehend at times and as interesting as the characters are, I feel like I'm missing some details and background information by not having read the novel prior to the comic series. It reads like I've come in to the story, already in progress.
I intend to read the original novels, in time, at which point I may change my opinion on this series.
All in all, though, it's a nice concept and a fun read. It just feels incomplete.
I intend to read the original novels, in time, at which point I may change my opinion on this series.
All in all, though, it's a nice concept and a fun read. It just feels incomplete.
January 5, 2014
Love the story and love Steve Niles' writing. Cal McDonald is everything that I want in an antihero. The artwork was provocative, innovative and good, but in my mind was too disoriented. It was nebulous enough that it caused unnecessary difficulty in flow and clarity. I will be reading the other collections, though.
April 19, 2018
I almost gave up on this one, but once the "mystery" is revealed and the plot gets some traction it gets a whole lot better, so I was glad I didn't. I would say they really got the Horror aspect right, it's just the L.A. Noir detective stuff felt a bit hackneyed, in my opinion. Not so much that it ruined it. I still liked it, you know, 'cause it has Werewolves and stuff.
February 12, 2011
It took be a little bit to get into this one. It didn't start slow, I just didn't find it interesting. Then a little plot twist happened and I got caught up and started being interested. It's a good monster hunting story with plenty of investigation and interesting ideas.
May 17, 2011
The art is nice (though it kind of gets grating towards the end) but the story is not compelling. Dialogue and characterization are so-so. Overall not very memorable -- a disappointment after the high praise I've seen for it.
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