Comic Corner: Not as good as the movie

‘Trick ’r Treat: Days of the Dead’ review

By Brittney MacDonald, Life & Style Editor

2/5

October is the perfect time to break out the popcorn and your favourite horror flicks. For me, a late night showing of Trick ’r Treat with Anna Paquin and Dylan Baker is always a must. Unfortunately, the graphic novel, meant to be set in the same world and featuring the menacingly adorable movie icon, Sam, is a little bit of a miss.

Days of the Dead is a collection of four short stories that span various time periods. “Seed” is set in the 17th Century and concerns a witch and her lover. “Echoes” is set in the ’50s, making an attempt to be some sort of supernatural crime noir. “Corn Maiden” takes place in the Old West, adding some cowboy flare to the book. And lastly, there’s “Monster Mash,” the contemporary addition, and the one that feels the most akin to the movie.

Written by Michael Dougherty, the original writer and director of the film, the graphic novel lacks cohesion. A vain attempt is made to link the four stories with the use of Sam, a toddler-sized scarecrow creature that fans will recognize as the homicidal trick-or-treater from the movie. But even Sam couldn’t save this mess. The stories seem rushed, and don’t seem Halloween-y enough to warrant such a specifically themed title. Overall, they’re pretty generic.

Each story features a different artist, and, while I can’t say I’m displeased with any of the art, the artists are so varied in style that the aesthetics of the novel mimic the literary incoherency. Having different artists merely makes the problems with the novel worse.

In my professional opinion, as someone who’s read a lot of horror comics, as well as a great lover of all things spooky—I’d say pass on this.