![]() The theme itself starts with full-on guitar riffs slowly melding itself into a catchy synth-rock classic. POSER’s musical accompaniment by Joel Grind (Toxic Holocaust) is an astounding mix of punk rock meets John Carpenter with a dash of Tangerine Dream thrown in for good measure. People who have availed themselves of other offerings in Waxwork’s comics line know that each issue comes with a companion coloured 7-inch vinyl soundtrack. Clay McCormack has expertly illustrated this issue with a gritty punk rock feel to the characters and just the right amount of gore to catch the eye of horror fans. In this first issue, the story by Matt Miner is engaging and sets out a great blueprint for upcoming issues, hopefully expanding more on the backstory of the “Poser” himself. Has the killer returned to slash his way through Redondo or is this just a copycat? A night of music and fun takes a turn for the worse as a clubgoer is found murdered in the washroom with the words “Poser” written in blood on the wall. The story then flash forwards to the present, when Ashley, who works at her dad’s record store, is talked into attending a free concert with at a club called “Deep Red” (a nod to the horror film classic by Dario Argento). A mob forms which eventually tracks the killer and chases him to the edge of a pier, where he ends up in the water below. Later that night, two punks are found hung to death with their innards out and “Poser” written in the pool of their blood. Written by Matt Miner and illustrated by Clay McCormack, POSER starts with a group of punk rockers partying on the beach who are approached by a kid who wants to hang with them, earning him their derision and a catcalls labeling him a poser. Long thought to be an urban legend, a killer is back to make a slash in the heart of Los Angeles. ![]() Now the company has returned with an all-new original story called POSER, a horror and punk rock-themed multi-issue comic book series set in the underground music scene of Redondo Beach. I want to go back and re-read this series with new eyes, as I'm sure there is some foreshadowing along the way that I missed.Waxwork Records are starting to build up their comic book line, which so far includes the anthology based comic House of Waxwork. While I don’t entirely get the killer's reveal, I still got a lot out of this series. Poser is a wild ride full of bloodshed and chaos. Letterer Taylor Esposito makes this single word feel so impactful, like the moment it's uttered, anyone that hears it has a clock ticking until their doom. Instead, he begins with a haunting word, taunting his victims by calling them posers. He's not completely silent like Michael Myers or Jason. The Poser killer works like the other classics of the slasher genre in that he has this big and intimidating presence. It's this sickening almost unnatural shade, adding to the overall chaos of this climactic battle royal of blood. It stands out, even among the gorgeous California sunset. These are so very brutal and they only get more so with each turn of the page.Ĭolorist Doug Garbark makes this blood pop on the page in a brilliant red. ![]() The killer's knives have to be razor sharp, as they cut through flesh like butter, sending blood spraying every which way. Poser gets the award for some of the most creative kills outside of Jason X. It has this sick grin on it that contrasts with the bloody carnage he's dealing out.Īnd oh, how sweet the carnage is. The cold, dead look of the Poser killer's mask is chilling. There's a gritty realism to it that puts you right into the action. Much of that comes from Clay McCormack's artwork. I didn't become that invested with all the characters over the course of the series, so it was tough to distinguish their unique traits and personalities, especially since they all had a target on their backs. Since each chapter was released a month apart, some of the clues and hints were lost along the way. I think it would have clicked more if Poser was presented as a graphic novel instead of monthly installments. Now, this shouldn't be taken as a criticism of the series. That being said, the big reveal as to the killer's identity in Poser #4 hit me out of nowhere and I don't entirely get it just yet. If I'm ever stuck in one of those escape rooms, I'd just start living there. This could be because I'm horrible at mysteries. I had absolutely no idea who the killer would be as we approached the final issue of Poser. At long last we learn who is behind the mask and wreaking all this havoc. With all these people in one place, it's like shooting fish in a barrel for the Poser killer, who strikes without warning and leaves a pile of bodies in his wake. They've organized a protest and everyone, including Ash and her friends, have turned out. The Poser killer has put everyone in town on edge, but they're not taking this menace laying down.
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