Twisted dark volume 1
Neil Gibson
A couple of weeks ago I was contacted to do a review on Twisted Dark volume 1. After reading this wonderful anthology, I am more than happy to break it down for my intrepid readers. From the mind of Neil Gibson, and published by the UK company T Pub, this anthology doesn’t drag you down into some dark hole and bash you over the head with despotism like many horror comics. The beauty here is that each of these twisted shadows are rooted in reality. That is where the real horror comes from. So without further adieu, I bring you a brief thought on each of the stories in Twisted Dark volume 1.
Suicide: Dark with a fun little twist at the end. This story doesn’t have a lot of shock factor but hits the “twisted” mark after consideration from the reader.
Routine: While the end of this story was predictable, it is framed and told in an interesting way. I particularly liked the full page of black, as a kind of interlude between the story and the twist.
A lighter Note: Wow. I absolutely loved this story. It was just long enough to begin to drone, which I can only assume was part of the writer’s plan. It is easy to almost read over the reveal without noticing it, but when you notice the words not adding up, you’ll go back and the smile will play across your face. Excellently done, Mr. Gibson.
Windopayne: I like the idea of a pseudo celebrity, someone who is famous mostly just because they are rich, being sought after by the paparazzi. What makes it better is the fact that this one has something worth hiding. This story touches on the ultimate sociopath and it is an incredible idea.
“Some men just want to watch the world burn.”
The Game: Reality TV has become a staple of our television line up. Radio channels have “live in it to win it” contests with fancy cars crammed full of people. This story really feels like Big Brother meets 1984 and it truly has a chilling theme, if you consider it.
Blame: These days nothing is anyone’s fault. We don’t blame the serial killer, we ask where he went wrong. This particular short story offers this empathy in a new light. I love it.
A Heavenly Note: Rajeev, with his second appearance in the book, is shaping up to be the star. We saw his wicked ambition in A lighter Note, but it brought about change for the better. Here we see how power corrupts and our gentle souled revolutionary has slipped through the cracks.
Cocoaina: This story was a lot more straight forward and didn’t really hit the bullet points for fitting the “twisted dark” portion of the anthology. That said, it was heartwarming despite the subject matter and in the end it was a nice intermission from the bleak stories in the book. Good show.
The Pushman: Evil in the mundane. The idea of the misdemeanor version of a serial killer, this petty pain and rage story makes the reader uneasy because it is a mere shadow of something far more sinister. It is like seeing a rose poking out of the ground, long before it’s thorns grow sharp. Excellent.
Munchausen’s Little Proxy: Ha Ha! Continuity! This story is fantastic if only for the connections it reveals between several of the other stories. This was a masterstroke of storytelling, and the framing of such an insidious mental disorder was just…best story in the book.
The Last Laugh: absolutely excellent denoument. That is all that needs said.
My rating: 4.5 / 5
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I;m not into horror – at all – but this looks intriguing.