On Friday we brought you some information about Samurai Slasher a Kickstarter project lead by writer/creator Mike Garley that is running for just 13 days. The project is an anthology of stories all written by Garley, but with different artists and often different tonality to the stories. In addition to the comic there’s also a soundtrack which I had the chance to check out along with a preview sampling of what to expect from the completed Samurai Slasher. The first thing to cover is that if you’re not a fan of the “Slasher” genre then there’s a slight chance this could still be for you. For the most part though this story is going to attract people that are already fans of the horror subgenre and that’s okay, because they’re the fans that this material will resonate with the most.

There is a sequential nature of the stories as they all take place one after the other keeping almost a fake movie timeline. It’s one of the best things about this made up slasher film; the fact that it’s thought of every angle and nuance of the genre.

The first story is the typical slasher type film, but on speed! A group of college kids make their way to the woods for the weekend and all but one are cut down by the Samurai. There’s plenty of bad 80s style sex jokes that really sell the story and overall it’s quick and fun. The art actually looks like old EC horror comics which is a nice touch. The coloring has that three color dot matrix look to it and it drives the atmosphere of the story home.

The second story is the Samurai’s origin and it’s told by an old man that’s spent his life trying to debunk the Samurai as a myth. This was definitely one of the best stories of the book and I won’t ruin it by telling you anything about it. But I will say pay close attention to the picture they show because it’s hilarious. It just goes to show that while taking the genre seriously Garley sprinkles in humor and elements that are associated with the genre good or bad. The art again on this story was very solid. It takes place in Feudal Japan and really captures the era. It was a great switch from the first story and added to the presence of it being a sequel of sorts.

I read two other stories, but by now you should get the gist of what to expect. All four stories were delightful and added something to the overall lore of the Samurai Slasher.

The sound track was spot on perfect. If you listen to it while reading it really is what you’d expect from something titled Samurai Slasher. It really is just stereotypical samurai music mixed with slasher horror music. When you hear it your first thought will likely be, “Yes this is the only thing it could be.” Definitely worth checking out and the production quality was very professional.

Overall I would read more Samurai Slasher. It’s an idea that could be explored in a longer format or just continue to be a series of great shorts. Either way, it’s entertaining as hell and does exactly what it sets out to do, create a retconned slasher film character in comic book format. Be sure to check out the Kickstarter project before it’s over!

Score: 4/5

Writer: Mike Garley Artists: Various Kickstarter Link