You know the old saying “Never judge a book by it’s cover”? I absolutely did that with this one. I have been approved as an automatic reviewer for Oni Press on NetGalley so as i was browsing the options for a digital ARC This one hit me with strong “This is Spinal Tap”, “Detroit Rock City”, and “Deathgasm” vibes. Thank you to Oni Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this for a review.
I love Heavy Metal but I’m not a big fan of Death or Black Metal. Big Black Sabbath (The Ozzy Years) fan and I enjoy some of Judas Priest and Pantera. The premise of this had me laughing reading the synopsis.
From the honestly pretty impressive mind of multi-hyphenate writer-comedian-actor-musician Dave Hill (Tasteful Nudes) and breakout artist Artyom Topilin (I Hate This Place) comes the SHOCKINGLY TRUE, TERRIFYINGLY HILARIOUS, AND ONLY MODESTLY EXAGGERATED tale of how one stand-up comedian forged a secret online identity as America’s first true black metal icon . . . and accidentally started an international incident that almost wiped Gary, Indiana, off the map!
Two decades ago, Dave Hill and his first band set out to rock their high school auditorium in a fury of heavy metal hellfire. They failed miserably. Years later, Dave has made a new life for himself as a rising star in the New York comedy scene—a career where getting laughed at on stage is the entire point and not just a tragic consequence. But when Dave’s metal ambitions are reawakened by the über self-serious “satanic” genre of Norwegian black metal, Dave creates a ridiculously hyperbolic alter ego and a band to match that, together, reignite the spark of his forgotten rock ’n’ roll fantasy. But when Dave’s internet-fueled rumors of Witch Taint—a metal band “so extreme that you must remove all sharp objects from the immediate area” when their music is played—spreads all the way to Europe, his story will spiral dangerously out of control as Norway’s most extreme black metal butchers come to reap their revenge . . . and put everything and everyone Dave holds dear in the crosshairs (of their axes, which, truth be told, don’t actually have crosshairs, but hey, it’s a metaphor).
This was just a fun adventure of a metal nerd turned slightly hero. The artwork by Artyom Topilin is just perfect for the story. The style kind of made me feel like I was reading comics from the days when I was a kid and where the panels may not have been massively detailed, every one had just the right detail to still bring me into the story and keep reading. Here are some of my favorite alternate covers that were included in this Deluxe Edition:
With this being a graphic novel and collecting issues 1-4 there is no waiting for the resolution to the story. This was very well developed and doesn’t leave us hanging at the end. Each character gets their own little panel for where are they now which I really enjoyed. This was the perfect amount of funny, and action that made it a very fast read and fun.
If you are at all curious about this it is well worth the read. this edition will be hitting bookshelves and readers on March 24. I you would like to get your pre-order in now follow this link.
Overall it was a fun read. I would add this to my collection. Solid 🥃🥃🥃🥃 read and highly recommended to my fellow metal brothers and sisters 🤘🏻🤘🏻
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