Vault Comics Pubwatch: Nightfall 2019

Vault Pubwatch banner - image of Aydis from Heathen, art by Jen Bartel

What’s going on in the Vault this month? As always, they seem to be busy with several different projects. Though they haven’t released too many comics since my last Pubwatch, they still have enough on the shelf to keep readers’ attention.

Looks like filming for Vagrant Queen has wrapped and Money Shot gets more black bag variant covers, including this sexy little number by Jenny Frison as a Big Bang comics exclusive.

Always looking to innovate, Vault Comics has teamed up with ComicHub to tap into the latter’s direct-to-reader marketing and pre-order tools to spread the Money Shot love internationally.

Paul Tobin is over at Doomrocket talking about The Heist #1, and Tim Daniel and Michael Moreci share their thoughts on The Plot.

Also, I would like this on my walls:

This Month’s Reads

Vault Comics kicks off the spooky season with its Nightfall lineup, which features all the icky and scary stuff you’d expect for October. Scroll down for my review of The Plot #1 and the other creepy titles they have out this month. But this month isn’t only about the frightening and the monstrous so far. Actually, yes, yes it is.

The Plot #1

Jordan Boyd (colourist), Jim Campbell (letterer), Tim Daniel (writer, designer), Joshua Hixson (artist), Michael Moreci (writer)
October 30, 2019

Cover for The Plot #1 - Jordan Boyd (colourist), Jim Campbell (letterer), Tim Daniel (writer, designer), Joshua Hixson (artist), Michael Moreci (writer), Vault Comics October 30, 2019 - A rotting body sits on its knees against a red full moon
“In order to receive, first you must give.” This is how Charles Blaine opens the story, speaking about his father’s legacy as a man who was always giving to others. This seems like a good thing, but perhaps it spoke to something missing in his life. Add the disturbing cover, and that phrase takes on a far more sinister meaning as the story slips from troubled memories to a brutal and monstrous murder that leaves two children orphaned. They must return to the old Blaine home with their uncle to find a new life, but this clearly does not promise to be a good one.

The story starts off with a somewhat rote setup. The emotional, dark legacy that rests on Charles’ shoulders seems like a straightforward opening… until something leaps from the shadows. Every time this story seems to settle into careful rhythms, the false sense of security is immediately torn away, such that I know better than to doubt the shivers in my spine that will surely come the moment I pick up the next issue.

These Savage Shores #5

Vittorio Astone (colourist), Aditya Bidikar (letterer), Tim Daniel (designer), Sumit Kumar (artist), Ram V. (writer)
October 9, 2019

Cover for These Savage Shores #5 - Vittorio Astone (colourist), Aditya Bidikar (letterer), Tim Daniel (designer), Sumit Kumar (artist), Ram V. (writer), Vault Comics October 9, 2019 - A dark monstrous winged figure hovers over another monster rising, struggling, from bloody waters
Confession: I did not read this issue, but not because I don’t want to. I read the first issue, re-released in exquisite black and white, and loved the dark, classic style that hearkened back to the kind of stories Doris V. Sutherland documents in her The Vampyre’s Legacy series. But, having missed the subsequent issues, I certainly cannot simply jump in at number five. But I will be back to savour this series in its entirety when a trade is released.

Cult Classic: Creature Feature #1

John Bivens (artist), Tim Daniel (designer), Taylor Esposito (letterer), Hannah Jerrie (colourist), Iris Monahan (colourist), Eliot Rahal (writer)
October 16, 2019

Cover for Cult Classic: Creature Feature #1 - John Bivens (artist), Tim Daniel (designer), Taylor Esposito (letterer), Hannah Jerrie (colourist), Iris Monahan (colourist), Eliot Rahal (writer), Vault Comics October 16, 2019 - A man stands in front of a ’50s diner, protectively holding five young children
Eons ago, aliens left a care package in the swamps of what would become King Lake on the edge of Whisper, USA. Flash forward to now, when a passing comet wakes up the tentacled monstrosity that is going to ruin a whole lot of lives. The story starts with seventeen-year-old Jarrod Parker dropping his little brother off at a friend’s gathering that is none too inviting to the awkward and somewhat timid boy. He’s bullied throughout the visit until their adventures take them to the lake where they discover what lies within.

Meanwhile, Jarrod gets to show us what kind of a person he is: a genuinely good guy who stands up for what he believes in, encourages his little brother, and does his best to de-escalate violence. As the hero of this story, it’s going to be interesting to see how he talks down this monster, or the zombie skeletons it creates.

Okay, look, the truth is, I’m not much of a horror fan, so thanks a lot, Vault Comics, for all the sleepless nights I’ll be having this month after reading these books.

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Wendy Browne

Wendy Browne

Publisher, mother, geek, executive assistant sith, gamer, writer, lazy succubus, blogger, bibliophile. Not necessarily in that order.

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