Description
Evil Cast is a love letter to horror, its conventions, and its fans. Think Evil Dead meets Scooby Doo. Created by writer, podcaster, and horror super-fan Kyle Stück (The Night Shift, Humming Fools) and illustrated by Enrico Orlandi, creator of Dark Horse’s The Flower of the Witch, this comic bathed in blood and self-awareness follows fictional versions of Kyle and his longtime collaborator Noah Baslé (Ominous Media) as they find themselves caught up in a horror adventure filled with all the monsters and evil they previously thought to just be stories.
Overview
Title – Evil Cast: Volume 1
Author(s) – Kyle Stück (Writer); Enrico Orlandi (Illustrator)
Publisher – Markosia Enterprises Ltd
Genre – Horror/Fantasy/Action/Adventure/Comedy [Adult Fiction]
Chapters – 6
Pages – 164 (Print)
Cover – 9/10 (A pretty nice cover!)
Release Date – 10 April, 2023
Get your copy – Amazon
“Received a ‘Review Copy’ from BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.”
Review
NO Spoilers
I happened to come across ‘Evil Cast’ while browsing through the ARCs over at BookSirens. It was available instantly, and after looking at both the cover and the description, I couldn’t have hit the ‘Get Book’ button any faster! And for this, I would like to thank BookSirens, the publisher – Markosia Enterprises Ltd, and the authors for making this amazing graphic novel available for readers and comic book nerds alike (myself included!).
Well then, let’s dive into what ‘Evil Cast’ is all about –
Meet Kyle Robertson and Noah LeBlanc, the duo who we follow in this adventure. Both of them love coffee (who doesn’t?!), singing songs in the car at the top of their voices (especially related to the horror genre), and share a mutual fascination for all things mystery and horror. Kyle is the more “funny/comedy/don’t really care” type, while Noah is more of the – “play by the rules” guy. But it is safe to say, the duo has some nice banter, chemistry, and bromance going on throughout (which is a major highlight). What really binds them together (apart from their top notch banter, of course) is the podcast show that they both host together, conveniently called –
But it is much more than just any other podcast –
You and I started this show ‘cause of a shared interest in the world and its mysteries. True crime, the supernatural, dark matter and quantum entanglement—whatever. If there was a mystery out there, you and I covered it. We even solved a few ourselves.
Life is going pretty okay for the both of them, until one “Man-Day” (where it’s just the duo having fun together – shopping, watching movies, and doing all the nerdy stuff) … things are about to change… for the worse.
Oh, I’m beyond nervous! When I woke up today, I thought the worst of my problems was bad dreams and poor judgment in women, and that was pretty bad, but now… I’m straight up terrified!
Kyle
In a horrifying turn of events, our duo gets entangled with something that is… not quite natural. Oh, and they are gonna need some help if they are to get out of this alive. Ruby Spears, a psychic and a palm/tarot card reader, seems like their only hope. But can the old man be trusted after they busted his “fake” business via their podcast and left him out to dry? As they face a threat which is “too hot to handle”, there is no choice but to form an unexpected alliance… and run for their dear lives! Kyle describes their situation rather too well –
This is insane! I’m shaking, my ears are ringing, my heart’s beating like crazy, I gotta pee, and I might need to vomit too!
A pretty accurate reaction, don’t you think? From here on, things will be getting crazier by the second, and as the story progresses, we the reader, along with Kyle and Noah, will find out what “Evil” is well and truly all about… and as the saying goes…
‘When you gaze long into the abyss…’ ‘… the Abyss gazes also into you.’
Nietzsche
Gear up for an adventure quite unlike any other, filled with action, loads of humor, multiple Easter eggs/references thrown in for good measure, black magic users, some truly crazy people, and even crazier plotline twists and turns. Trust me… you won’t be able to guess what’s around the corner, and you certainly ain’t ready for it! (you better be though!).
What I really enjoyed about it
- First up, the characters – all of them! Not only very well-written, but also not easily forgettable, and will leave you wanting for more!
- The duo of Kyle and Noah was just too good! As I’ve mentioned above, their banter/chemistry/bromance was top notch!
- The plot was really engaging and truly excellent! And it doesn’t end there too…
- The artwork/illustrations were great as well. Loved the style of it.
- The humor was actually pretty solid, and I enjoyed it very much.
- The ending was near perfect, and sets up the next volume very nicely.
What was off the mark?
- NOT A THING! (at least in my personal, honest opinion).
Here’s a quick glance at what you can expect…
Wow.
A nun and a cop smoking pot… there’s a joke in there somewhere.
Yep.
Just a normal Kyle and Noah conversation (had to put this one in!)
Other info.
- There are loads of Easter eggs/references present throughout! (posters for ‘Evil Dead 2’, ‘Jaws’, ‘Amityville Horror’, etc. + ‘Friday the 13th’+ ‘Silence of the Lambs’… and many, many more!).
- Each chapter has a really great illustration/artwork to go alongside it. Loved that!
- Note: – Mature themes are present throughout (foul language, blood/gore, death/violence; not suitable for younger audiences).
Final thoughts
Had an absolute BLAST with it! What an amazing graphic novel it turned out to be; definitely surpassing my initial expectations too! The characters are memorable and very well-written. The plot is excellent, and will leave you wanting for more. The humor is top notch, and the horror/thriller elements are pretty good as well. Honestly, LOVED it, and ENJOYED it to the fullest. Can’t wait for Volume 2, seriously. HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you check it out!
Rating: – 9.6/10 (AWESOME!)
