The world’s weirdest heroes, The Skeleton, The Witch, The Devil, The Ghost, and Autumn the black cat, banded together to protect the world from harm. In this case, the threat comes from an alien invasion of Goblins. First, the writing. Any book dealing with the subject of Halloween has me curious. When that book goes on to thank Ray Bradbury in the dedication, it has me motivated. Throwing occult heroes against threats such as zombie mummies, possessed crocodiles, and goblin extra-terrestrials pleases me like a full bag of candy after a night of trick ‘r treating.
Each character has his or her own unique ability. The Devil, a young woman who happens to be the center of the story, possesses pyrotechnic abilities. The Witch, Grimalkin, naturally does magical based earth spells. Freddy the Ghost is just a kid learning the ropes of his new state in the afterlife. The Skeleton, the powerhouse of the team, boasts immortality. And Autumn the cat can scratch the heck out of furniture. Well, she also has what could be equated to as extrasensory powers.
The Goblins are pretty effective villains, for they render one of the Legion powerless, which results in a terrible loss. My only complaint would be that the team’s powers and limitations don’t get properly defined, so a sense of threat was hard to find in this book. But what I did find was some good old-fashioned Halloween themed fun.
If you have a leaning towards books like Witch Doctor or Goon, you will want to pick up this inexpensive trade paperback or hardcover. The back-up story, “Once Upon a Halloween,” is a quaint little tale of how the idea for the Halloween Legion came about. No, it doesn’t really feature the Legion at work. But as I said, it’s a great little wrap up to the volume.
As far as the art goes, I had no problem with Michael Boatwright’s illustration. In fact, his unique style added to the overall enjoyment of the book. Not once did I look at something and think that he was ripping off another property. Additionally, the blacks, purples, and oranges included in the coloring added a subtle and delightful to the hues seen around the 31st of October.
The book drops early enough that you can pick it up to start your Pre’Ween celebrations. Don’t wait too long on this one because Halloween Legion: The Great Goblin Invasion will be the perfect read on a dark fall night to curl up next to the fire with some cider and candy corn.
Score: 4/5
Writer: Martin Powell
Artist: Thomas Boatwright, Diana Leto
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Price: $14.99
Release Date: 9/11/13