Anno Dracula: 1895: Seven Days In Mayhem #1
Written by Kim Newman
Art by Paul McCaffrey
Colors by Kevin Enhart
Letters by Simon Bowland
Cover A: Paul McCaffrey
Cover B: Tom Mandrake
Cover C: Brian Williamson
Cover D: Jeff Zornow
Cover E: Mike Collins
Cover F: Ben Oliver (Forbidden Planet/Jetpack Comics Variant)
Cover G: Ben Oliver (“Phoenix Event Exclusive” Variant)
Titan Comics
Release Date: March 22, 2017
Cover Price: $3.99

I loved the original 1992 Anno Dracula novel by British writer Kim Newman. Let’s just get that out of the way, okay? So it stands to reason that I would jump at the chance to review the new comic book Anno Dracula: 1895: Seven Days In Mayhem #1, right? Well, you would correct. And for a fan like me, the comic was pretty much what I would want and expect. But for the first-time reader, not so much.

Satanic Hell, Vol. 1
Written by Grigoris Douros
Art by Kevin Enhart with Newel Anderson
Colors by Jimmy Kerast
Letters by E.T. Dollman
Covers by Kevin Enhart, Jimmy Kerast
Alterna Comics
Release Date: March 23, 2016
Cover Price: $9.99

I want to be forthright here, I only chose to review this comic because I thought the title was the verbal equivalent to exhibitionism. With a title like Satanic Hell, Vol. 1, your expectations are pretty narrowed. The fact that it was based in Texas? Well, that was just icing on the proverbial cake since I live in the Lone Star State, too.

The story is about a time in the not too distant future where things in Texas have gotten so bad that the local and state governments have been privatized. And in Texas, the wealthiest folks also happen to be the clergy. With millions of followers tithing weekly and having diversified their financial holdings, the fundamentalist churches in Texas found themselves able to actually purchase the rights to govern the entire state. having taken that bold step, they began to change laws and rules, ensuring that their ways were the only legal ways. Free will is a thing of the past, people are rated according to their attendance of religious services. In effect, the idea was to create a heaven on earth. Unfortunately, even heaven has a dark side.