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Hack/Slash #0
Hack/Slash: My First Maniac
Exploring Cassie Hack's first case, Hack/Slash: My First Maniac, the sellout Image Comics debut mini-series is collected! 16-year-old Cassie has just been forced to kill her mother, the undead murderer known as the Lunch Lady! Now faced with overwhelming guilt, she must decide if she can make a life with her foster parents and at her new school, or if she should use her new-found slasher-killing skills to save other screaming teenagers! But does the apple fall far from the tree? Includes never-before-seen sketches and an Introduction by Allison Scagliotti, star of SyFy's Warehouse 13.
112 pages, Trade Paperback
First published November 30, 2010
1 person is currently reading
330 people want to read
About the author
Tim Seeley
1,622 books602 followersTim Seeley is a comic book artist and writer known for his work on books such as G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, The Dark Elf Trilogy, Batman Eternal and Grayson. He is also the co-creator of the Image Comics titles Hack/Slash[1] and Revival, as well as the Dark Horse titles, ExSanguine and Sundowners. He lives in Chicago.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
February 5, 2019
So this is a prequel to Hack/Slash. And since the latter is free on kindle unlimited and the prequel was on sale on comiXology I thought I‘d give it a try.
Now, a look at the covers of the single issues alone told me I shouldn’t expect something deep here.
What I did expect was some fun teenage horror. And yes, I’m enjoying those kind of stories. If they’re a) funny or b) creepy or especially c) both of the aforementioned.
But here the funny was only occasionally to be found and the creepy just wasn’t really there.
What we have here is a lot of gore.
Some nudity and some more horny shots. Not sure this term really exists, so I give you an example.
There are many of those.
The exaggerated asses and tits art in general wasn’t really my kinda thing. It just isn’t very sexy when every female character looks like a sex doll. Facial expressions were mostly bad as well. But most of all I think the art is too clean for this kind of story. It has that video game look to it that doesn’t mesh very well with a horror story.
This would just look so much better if it were a little grainy.
Or is it just me?
Anyhow, the story of Cassie Hack who’s killing her dead(!) mother in the first panel and then goes looking for other undead felons which she can hopefully prevent from commiting further crimes was mildly interesting.
She ends up on a farm where teenagers are regularly losing their heads. Figuratively as well as literally. And than it gets weird and bloody and stupid and sometimes even funny. But never really very good.
I’ve read the single issues of this one. And even though I rated all of them three stars, I was generously rounding up most of the time. And overall I couldn’t see enough progress to give the whole thing a three star rating.
Therefore, 2.5 stars rounded down.
Sure, why not?! But only because it's free.
Now, a look at the covers of the single issues alone told me I shouldn’t expect something deep here.
What I did expect was some fun teenage horror. And yes, I’m enjoying those kind of stories. If they’re a) funny or b) creepy or especially c) both of the aforementioned.
But here the funny was only occasionally to be found and the creepy just wasn’t really there.
What we have here is a lot of gore.
Some nudity and some more horny shots. Not sure this term really exists, so I give you an example.
There are many of those.
The exaggerated asses and tits art in general wasn’t really my kinda thing. It just isn’t very sexy when every female character looks like a sex doll. Facial expressions were mostly bad as well. But most of all I think the art is too clean for this kind of story. It has that video game look to it that doesn’t mesh very well with a horror story.
This would just look so much better if it were a little grainy.
Or is it just me?
Anyhow, the story of Cassie Hack who’s killing her dead(!) mother in the first panel and then goes looking for other undead felons which she can hopefully prevent from commiting further crimes was mildly interesting.
She ends up on a farm where teenagers are regularly losing their heads. Figuratively as well as literally. And than it gets weird and bloody and stupid and sometimes even funny. But never really very good.
I’ve read the single issues of this one. And even though I rated all of them three stars, I was generously rounding up most of the time. And overall I couldn’t see enough progress to give the whole thing a three star rating.
Therefore, 2.5 stars rounded down.
Sure, why not?! But only because it's free.
January 8, 2018
Re-Read 2018
So with the new Hack/Slash: Resurrection series coming out, I'd thought I would go back and read some of my older comics in the series! This really is a good jumping on point as it tells not only the origin but Cassie Hack's "First Maniac" she faces. Definitely had a Batman Year One vibe about it, which I really enjoyed. Highly recommend!
So with the new Hack/Slash: Resurrection series coming out, I'd thought I would go back and read some of my older comics in the series! This really is a good jumping on point as it tells not only the origin but Cassie Hack's "First Maniac" she faces. Definitely had a Batman Year One vibe about it, which I really enjoyed. Highly recommend!
April 9, 2013
There's just something about this series that hooks you. Full on, meat hook under the skin, dragging you across the floor kicking and screaming. Even though I've been ambivalent about the series as a whole for the most part, I couldn't help but have some curiousity for this entry. It's a prequel, which intrigued me. Would we get to see more of Cassie's encounter with her mother? The answer to that is yes, to an extent.
The artwork in this is pretty nice for the most part. It's pretty much your standard comic book artwork, meaning that it's nice to look at but not anything so astronomically amazing that you'd scream to the skies about it. You get a lot of cheesecake shots, which are par for the course, but what does stick out about the artwork is that Leister and Englert do an excellent job of capturing an early Cassie. By this I mean that she's slightly more innocent and less bitter/seasoned than she would be far later in the series. There's just something a little sad about seeing Cassie eagerly write in her diary that someone thought she was cool, knowing that this will likely only end badly for her.
Story-wise this was nice. It does its job, which is to entertain and give a little more information on Cassie and her starts as a Slasher slayer. The only downfall is that at times the story just didn't seem to live up to the expectations it had for itself. There were one or two points where I felt the story could have been shortened just a tad or used something to flesh itself out with a little more. Perhaps if the comic had delved a little more into Cassie's Lunch Lady slaying? It was fun seeing the shout out to Polybius, though. Then again, that's an urban legend that really could spawn an entire series of comics and movies all on its own.
Overall I liked this. I'd read it again, if that's any judge of its merit. I would potentially recommend this to people who haven't read the main series, as you don't have to have read the main series to really know what's going on here for the most part. However, this isn't as good as the main series can sometimes be, so this is really aimed more towards the long-time fans of the series more than newer readers.
The artwork in this is pretty nice for the most part. It's pretty much your standard comic book artwork, meaning that it's nice to look at but not anything so astronomically amazing that you'd scream to the skies about it. You get a lot of cheesecake shots, which are par for the course, but what does stick out about the artwork is that Leister and Englert do an excellent job of capturing an early Cassie. By this I mean that she's slightly more innocent and less bitter/seasoned than she would be far later in the series. There's just something a little sad about seeing Cassie eagerly write in her diary that someone thought she was cool, knowing that this will likely only end badly for her.
Story-wise this was nice. It does its job, which is to entertain and give a little more information on Cassie and her starts as a Slasher slayer. The only downfall is that at times the story just didn't seem to live up to the expectations it had for itself. There were one or two points where I felt the story could have been shortened just a tad or used something to flesh itself out with a little more. Perhaps if the comic had delved a little more into Cassie's Lunch Lady slaying? It was fun seeing the shout out to Polybius, though. Then again, that's an urban legend that really could spawn an entire series of comics and movies all on its own.
Overall I liked this. I'd read it again, if that's any judge of its merit. I would potentially recommend this to people who haven't read the main series, as you don't have to have read the main series to really know what's going on here for the most part. However, this isn't as good as the main series can sometimes be, so this is really aimed more towards the long-time fans of the series more than newer readers.
April 29, 2012
I've loved Hack/Slash from the beginning and this 4-part mini series serves as a great intro following the move to Image comics without feeling like a retread for the older fans.
We get Cassie in her early days, still unsure of who she is and how she wants her life to proceed. There's a lot of humour, great writing, while the art remains fantastic and sexy in equal measure. We also get a fun and interesting slasher this time round, proving more imagination than most slasher flicks out there today.
Well worth reading; make sure you pick up the ongoing.
We get Cassie in her early days, still unsure of who she is and how she wants her life to proceed. There's a lot of humour, great writing, while the art remains fantastic and sexy in equal measure. We also get a fun and interesting slasher this time round, proving more imagination than most slasher flicks out there today.
Well worth reading; make sure you pick up the ongoing.
June 29, 2021
3.5 stars
The artwork in this graphic novel is top notch. Beautiful to look at. The story line was intriguing and kept me interested. The dialogue lacked though and seemed kind of cheesy. Enjoyed it enough to want to continue.
The artwork in this graphic novel is top notch. Beautiful to look at. The story line was intriguing and kept me interested. The dialogue lacked though and seemed kind of cheesy. Enjoyed it enough to want to continue.
January 26, 2015
Nice little story here. Folksy. Yep, just settle in and tucker up for a unique take on slasherdom. Also, I like at the end of the trade Tim Seeley briefly describes some of his influences for Grinface being Polybius and Splatterhouse. I never got to play Splatterhouse, but man, it always looked cool to me as kid. Anyway, check out this piece of gnarly if you dare!
November 25, 2018
This was a lot fun! I’ve never read anything with Cassie Hack before, so this was a perfect starting point. It was a great origin story. I’m curious to see how her character in the main series differs from the one in here since most of this was before she actually killed her first slasher - well, after she started her hunt for them - so she had no experienced with it and at the start she is still unsure of what she really wants. SPOILERS: Cassie is a badass!
I thought the slasher was pretty cool too. I need to check more comics similar to this. This comic made me interested enough to check the main series at some point. I loved this!
I thought the slasher was pretty cool too. I need to check more comics similar to this. This comic made me interested enough to check the main series at some point. I loved this!
December 22, 2019
Th is took twenty minutes. The gore is crazy. I’m
Not usually into such gore but my bf owns it so I read it. Now I want to know more about Cassie Hack and follow her very gruesome adventures.
Also just FYI this is for adults only for violence, sex, swearing etc. It is bloody ya’ll.
Not usually into such gore but my bf owns it so I read it. Now I want to know more about Cassie Hack and follow her very gruesome adventures.
Also just FYI this is for adults only for violence, sex, swearing etc. It is bloody ya’ll.
October 3, 2017
Pretty good, good pics and violent story, good!
December 20, 2022
i actually really liked this
March 5, 2025
Sequel to the Hack/slash series, about hot goth girl and her pet himbo drive around america killing slasher movie villains.
Huh.
3/5 exactly as advertised.
Can't say I quite see the appeal.
Huh.
3/5 exactly as advertised.
Can't say I quite see the appeal.
April 3, 2016
If you like your action horror a little more on the horror side, this one is for you. Here we get to see the first case that got Cassie Hack going in the world of Slasher killing.
It doesn't exist in a bubble, though. We start out with a brief recap of what we have seen in other versions with Hack's mother killing students who are mean to her and serving them for lunch. She eventually kills herself and Cassie must put her down when she comes back as a Slasher.
Here, we see her having been taken in by a foster family and starting life at a new school. It doesn't take long for the kids to find out what happened where she was from and to start bullying her. One day she takes a heavy beating from a group of popular girls and she eventually understands that things have to change.
She is once again confronted by the girls and decides to fight back. This leads her down a path where she runs away and decides to start fresh in a new town and go after slashers.
She has a slow start, working at a bar while trying to ferret out any local slashers. During this time, she stands up and helps a set of kids against a couple of bullies and ends up making friends.
She begins to finally feel like she fits in when rumors start to kick up about kids disappearing at a run down farm where the local kids party.
She is told the story of a farmer and his daughter and the murder suicide that happened there. However, we soon discover how stories can change and have a life of their own.
Eventually, Cassie ends up at the farm where we get the real story and a showdown with her first real Slasher.
This was a fantastic story. After having read the first Omnibus, I was expecting good stuff here, but got even more than I had hoped for. The story is told with a ton of emotion about this outsider that wants nothing more to fit in. However, no matter how close she comes, it seems she will never quite get there.
The level she feels she has to go to in order to protect those around her is extreme, but feels right for the character.
Once we get to the farm, this turns into a flat out horror comic, which may have hit me harder on that front than any other comic I have read to date.
It was extremely well written and some of the images are haunting. The way they change the art for flashbacks was interesting and made it incredibly easy to tell between the two times.
The end was super dark and then gives you a bit of hope as we see the introduction to the other side of the Hack/Slash title.
I am a big fan of the art here. It is brutal at times and bright and flashy at others. Also, the characters just seem to fit. They are interestingly written as well as drawn, which pulled me further and further into the story.
I am incredibly excited to read more and more from this series.
It doesn't exist in a bubble, though. We start out with a brief recap of what we have seen in other versions with Hack's mother killing students who are mean to her and serving them for lunch. She eventually kills herself and Cassie must put her down when she comes back as a Slasher.
Here, we see her having been taken in by a foster family and starting life at a new school. It doesn't take long for the kids to find out what happened where she was from and to start bullying her. One day she takes a heavy beating from a group of popular girls and she eventually understands that things have to change.
She is once again confronted by the girls and decides to fight back. This leads her down a path where she runs away and decides to start fresh in a new town and go after slashers.
She has a slow start, working at a bar while trying to ferret out any local slashers. During this time, she stands up and helps a set of kids against a couple of bullies and ends up making friends.
She begins to finally feel like she fits in when rumors start to kick up about kids disappearing at a run down farm where the local kids party.
She is told the story of a farmer and his daughter and the murder suicide that happened there. However, we soon discover how stories can change and have a life of their own.
Eventually, Cassie ends up at the farm where we get the real story and a showdown with her first real Slasher.
This was a fantastic story. After having read the first Omnibus, I was expecting good stuff here, but got even more than I had hoped for. The story is told with a ton of emotion about this outsider that wants nothing more to fit in. However, no matter how close she comes, it seems she will never quite get there.
The level she feels she has to go to in order to protect those around her is extreme, but feels right for the character.
Once we get to the farm, this turns into a flat out horror comic, which may have hit me harder on that front than any other comic I have read to date.
It was extremely well written and some of the images are haunting. The way they change the art for flashbacks was interesting and made it incredibly easy to tell between the two times.
The end was super dark and then gives you a bit of hope as we see the introduction to the other side of the Hack/Slash title.
I am a big fan of the art here. It is brutal at times and bright and flashy at others. Also, the characters just seem to fit. They are interestingly written as well as drawn, which pulled me further and further into the story.
I am incredibly excited to read more and more from this series.
July 18, 2013
This is a great jumping on point for people who wanted to try out Hack/Slash since it has been such a long running series. This story is very accessible because it starts at the beginning. There isn't a great big mythology of back story to catch up on.
The art is great in this edition of Hack/Slash which was important for me. If you read the rest of the series, they change artists quite often and the art ranges from amazing, to terrible and cartoony.
As is often the case with slasher horror, the story is relatively simple. That's part of the appeal though.
Definitely read this volume if you are considering getting into this series. It will make the best first impression possible.
P.S. It makes a good Halloween present (for people old enough to read it).
The art is great in this edition of Hack/Slash which was important for me. If you read the rest of the series, they change artists quite often and the art ranges from amazing, to terrible and cartoony.
As is often the case with slasher horror, the story is relatively simple. That's part of the appeal though.
Definitely read this volume if you are considering getting into this series. It will make the best first impression possible.
P.S. It makes a good Halloween present (for people old enough to read it).
May 20, 2012
I've never read a Hack/Slash story as lengthy as this collection as I've only read FCBD (Free Comic Book Day) or otherwise inexpensive single issues. Like its namesake it's slasher, horror genre fiction and luckily it's a great jumping on point because I didn't feel lost in gaping holes of missed continuity.
February 14, 2013
UTTER GARBAGE. There is nothing redeeming in this title, no matter what standard you bring to it - the storyline, the art, the themes, the ideas, none of it. God-awful from beginning to end. Whoever made this should stop doing comic art and start doing serious therapy.
Absolutely awful on all levels and you'll hate yourself for having read it.
Absolutely awful on all levels and you'll hate yourself for having read it.
April 22, 2013
This was pretty interesting book, full of gore and teenage impulses. But mostly a girl trying to find her niche as the killer of killers in a world that probably doesn't accept that. Very interesting, cool artwork. The story line was a bit relaxed but it flowed together brilliantly towards the end. I look forward to more from the Hack/Slash series.
February 28, 2011
Just a great idea. Instead of being chased by horror-movie-esque slasher, Cassie Hack chases them. There was also a surprising amount of heart in this comic. Can Cassie give up chasing monsters and just lead a normal life?
Just an all-around great book.
Just an all-around great book.
August 19, 2011
Great story, feels in keeping completely with the overall storyline - and gives us teenage debauchery and evil teens to boot.
Great to see Cass as someone other than indestructible and all-knowing. Makes it easier to swallow to slasher-weary wonder.
Great art as always.
Great to see Cass as someone other than indestructible and all-knowing. Makes it easier to swallow to slasher-weary wonder.
Great art as always.
August 27, 2016
Very much enjoyed my first encounter with Cassie Hack, female version of Dexter. Excellent storyline by Tim Seeley and awesome art by Daniel Leister. Also reminiscent of my fave female avenger Razor. Very highly recommend this page turner.
Read
February 16, 2011a graphic novel with horror, pain and self questioning. you won't want to put it down till cassie shows you how to kill a slasher
November 30, 2021
collects new "My First Maniac" prequel series 4-issue miniseries
March 20, 2013
A great first appearance for the graphic novel character Cassie Hack in this brilliant series called Hack/Slash.
November 14, 2013
Very compelling.
March 9, 2011
this is a great way to start your intro with cassie and find out how she meets Vald
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews