PopCultHQ received a review copy of FOUR GATHERED ON CHRISTMAS EVE from Dark Horse Comics. Released on December 19th in bookstores & December 20th in comic book shops, the creators in this collected edition features writing by Eric Powell, art from Eric Powell, Mike Mignola, Becky Cloonan, and James Harren, colors by Dave Stewart, and letters courtesy of Comicraft.
Here’s PopCultHQ’s spoiler-free review of…
FOUR GATHERED ON CHRISTMAS EVE HC
Credits:
Written by Eric Powell
Art by Eric Powell, Mike Mignola, Becky Cloonan, James Harren
Colors by Dave Stewart
Letter by Comicraft
Format: FC, 72 pages; HC; 6″ x 9″
ISBN-13: 978-1-50674-087-4
ISBN-10: 1-50674-087-1
Genre: Horror
Age range: 14+
SRP: $24.99
Bookstore release date: 12/19/23
Comic shop release date: 12/20/23
Four of the top creators in comics gather to continue
the Victorian tradition of ghost stories on Christmas Eve.
Four tales of the bizarre and terrifying to keep you company on the cold yule night. A unique approach to the ghost story format where the creators themselves become part of the story in this deluxe edition hard cover designed by the award-winning Phil Balsman.
PopCultHQ’s Comic Book Review:
Christmas is a time of love, goodwill, peace on Earth… all those lovely things. It is also a time when, in the past, the wheels came off the imagination wagon, and everyone, from authors and illustrators to musicians and other artistic individuals, flexed their creative muscles to new heights. Songs, books, movies, and yes, comic books all come out at a steady and fantastic rate, each formed around the familiar feel and concept of the Christmas season. This delightful book from Dark Horse, with a team of people who are all well-known names in the comics industry, will stand out because of everything from the writing, the art, the colors, and most of all, the overall tone and feel of the book. It’s a chilling adventure, all wrapped up in a holiday bow.
Writing: Eric Powell is most well-known for the world of guns, adventure, and gore with The Goon. So, reading his script for a twisted Christmas-based HC was an exciting and refreshing change of pace. The book’s structure is like an old anthology collection, consisting of a series of different stories, all penned by Powell but interconnected via the artwork from the talented team of creatives (which includes Powell in the lot). What I found most intriguing was while each of the stories was of the variety that will have you checking under the bed before going to sleep, they are dark adventures that give a callback to works published by EC during the halcyon days of horror comics during the 1950s, which checks a lot of boxes for me as a lover of stories, just as much as the artwork checked a lot of boxes for me as well.
Art: An ensemble book like this calls for an ensemble cast of artists. These individuals are gifted with the ability to capture the imagination through pen, brush, and stylus in ways the average person can only dream of. Everyone who contributed artwork to this book did a spectacular job. Powell, Cloonan, Mignola, and Harren are all big names on their own, having worked on comics over the years that have propelled them to heights of recognition worldwide. To have all of them attached to a singular project like this was an absolute treat and a veritable feast for the eyes that everyone will appreciate.
Colors: Dave Stewart crops up a lot whenever I’ve done reviews of various graphic novels for PopCultHQ. The one thing I always appreciate about his work is the dedication and care he puts into the color choices for these volumes. And with an ensemble cast working together to create this holiday horrorfest, said colors are spectacular and varied. Some of the options that Dave provides are shades that add a touch of classic fright-fest nostalgia throughout, mainly because each vignette reminded this reviewer of material one would have seen on the hit TV series Tales from the Darkside—a tip of the cap and a hearty huzzah for Dave’s efforts for the entire HC.
Letters: At last, we come to the lettering, a component of any comic, TPB, or HC that is just as important as the script, art, or colors. Like Dave Stewart, Comicraft has been in the business of providing specialized services to the comic book community, offering excellent lettering that always brings a high level of excellence to any project. In the case of this collection, a fine example is the story ‘Eyes in the Primordial Dark.’ The title letters alone are rendered in a delightful style, like something from a volume of science fiction out of the 19th century, which fits with the overall tone of that specific story. The rest of the book is full of lettering that elevates and uplifts the efforts of the other group members.
***From the Editor: Given the wintry holidays this time of year,
Josh delivers his assessment as a poetic carol.
Overall Assessment
Gather round’ the fire now for a dark and sordid tale
One of murder, mayhem, and misery that will make you shake and wail.
For ‘pon one Christmas Eve, a dark and snowy night,
Four friends, quite wretched, did gather together to share stories before the firelight.
Though within their hearts, a blackness dwelt, thicker than pitch or tar,
The stories told shine out brighter than even the most glorious star.
This fabled foursome has produced a book like none I’ve read so far.
And indeed, it would make a fine addition to any home, be it prince, pauper, or rockstar.
So do thyselves a favor gentle folk, and without hesitation or delay,
Go forth and pick up a copy, throughout these holidays.
PopCultHQ’s Rating:
5 out of 5 Stars
About Dark Horse Comics:
Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson, Dark Horse Comics is an excellent example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and transform a company with humble beginnings into an industry giant. Over the years, Dark Horse has published the work of creative legends such as Yoshitaka Amano, Margaret Atwood, Paul Chadwick, Geof Darrow, Will Eisner, Neil Gaiman, Dave Gibbons, Faith Erin Hicks, Kazuo Koike, Matt Kindt, Jeff Lemire, Mike Mignola, Frank Miller, Kentaro Miura, Moebius, Chuck Palahniuk, Wendy Pini, Richard Pini, and Gerard Way. In addition, Dark Horse has a long tradition of establishing exciting new creative talent throughout all of its divisions. The company has also set the industry standard for quality licensed comics, graphic novels, collectibles, and art books, including Stranger Things, Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra, Minecraft, The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario, Dragon Age, James Cameron’s Avatar, Game of Thrones, Mass Effect, StarCraft, The Witcher, and Halo. Today, Dark Horse Comics is one of the world’s leading entertainment publishers.
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