Man with the Screaming Brain #1
Retail price $2.99
Writer: Bruce Campbell, David Goodman
Cover Artist: Rick Remender, Hilary Barta
Penciller: Rick Remender
Inker: Hilary Barta
Don’t you think that title deserves a nice!! After it? I certainly do. But, I didn’t design the book; I am just here to review it.
Once more, B-movie megastar Bruce Campbell joins Dark Horse Comics as they bring this adaptation of Campbell’s upcoming feature film of the same title. Campbell co-wrote the film with David Goodman, and now working directly from Campbell's script, Hilary Barta and Rick Remender present this "director's cut" version of the film in the form we all know and love.
What is great is we get to find out everything before the snobs who wait for the movie. Man with the Screaming Brain tells the story of rich American businessman out to exploit the crippled economy of a former Soviet now fighting between their ‘pinko’ past and the chance at some fast money.
Gosh, an American who is 1) evil, 2) greedy. Who would have come up with this sort of character? I never heard the like.
Anyway, Campbell's character puts the moves on the wrong Gypsy girl (of course there are Gypsy’s… what is wrong with you?) and winds up getting his head smashed in. While his ‘loving’ wife is fooling around with the hired driver who just happens to be a former KGB killer who still keeps his nose in all the rough spots in town.
Wow! What will happen in the second issue? With Campbell around, who can say?
Here, Hilary Barta and Remender are working with the original script that Campbell wanted to do before he was forced to cut back due to money, so when you see the film, feel free to point out to the ‘snob’ members of film classes that you ‘Know what really happened.’
The book has a cartoon like quality about it that won’t please some, but I found it to work well with what I know of Campbell’s personality. It just fit, know what I am talking about? If they had used Alex Ross, it would have been amazing, but it would not have been ‘real’, it would not have been what you have come to expect from Bruce Campbell.
I have been a fan of Campbell’s for a long, long time. Since about 1987, to be precise, when I watched Evil Dead. The first time, that is. One of my personal goals is to meet him someday and get an autograph. One lousy autograph, is that too much to ask? But no, not with the restraining order.
I digress. The book is fun, colorful and the next issue will probably be a ‘killer’. Also, the series will have random alternate covers by Humberto Ramos, Mike Mignola, and a host of others.