Author: Joe Hill
Artists: Leomacs, Riccardo La Bella, Dave Stewart, Deron Bennett
Series: Hill House Comics #1
Publisher: DC Black Label
Release: September 8^th, 2020
Received: NetGalley
Issues: Basketful of Heads 1-7
Rating:

I received a copy of Basketful of Heads in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Basketful of Heads is the first graphic novel/series from Hill House Comics, a new line from DC Comics. As the title of both this graphic novel, and line might imply, the focus is all about horror. It’s a whole new world, and at the forefront, you’ll find Joe Hill (writer), Leomacs (artist), Riccardo La Bella (artist), Dave Stuart (colorist), and Deron Bennett (letterer).

All June Branch wanted was one lovely summer with her boyfriend. One summer to spend time with on Brody Island, enjoying the sun and free days. Unfortunately, that was not to be. Much of Liam’s time was spent on his job, being a police officer.

Then there’s the crime, and series of events that pull both June and Liam into it all. It all started when a group of convicts escaped, and before she knew it, June was in for a fight for her life. Literally.

Basketful of Heads is a dark and fantastical horror series – exactly what you’d expect to come from the mind of Joe Hill. It’s twisted, gory, and unafraid to dive into the worst that humanity has to offer. With a supernatural twist, naturally.

I have to admit, I really love the idea of DC diving into the world of horror, and that they’re hiring known authors in that genre to do so. It’s this sort of thinking that can help them to stand out, as well as to diversity their series, even if just a little bit more.

So in that sense, maybe I’m a bit biased and thus inclined to enjoy this series. It’s everything I expected from a horror series titled ‘Basketful of Heads‘, with a few dark twists along the way.

There are plenty of things to enjoy about this series. The tone, the aesthetic, and then there’s June’s character. She started out as a two-dimensional character, but by the time the seventh issue came around, she felt more real. Even with dealing with some things that are pretty out of this world.

I’ll confess that there are probably a few things I would have liked to see done differently, but on the whole, I really did enjoy the writing and overall design of this series. The artwork matched the story perfectly, with sharper edges and colors to bring it all home.

As for the conclusion? I can’t say that I was expecting it, but in a way that made it all the better. Who wants a horror story with a predictable ending? I can’t wait to see what other stories show up from this line! Here’s hoping it continues for a good long while.