Instead of going for a subtle, gothic horror style finale, Strnad goes obvious. The entire issue–from Lovecraft-type tentacle monsters fighting with dinosaurs and giant living rock people–is oversized, but those scenes work in their context.

The epilogue, which features a somewhat grounded Ragemoor, is just plain cheap. It did require me to look back and confirm some events, but it’s not thought provoking. Actually, it would have been a better setup for a sequel than anything else.

There’s a lot of gross stuff in the issue, beautifully illustrated by Corben. But two big visual surprises in such an otherwise restrained comic are a little much….

The series peaked relatively early and, for the most part, the ride downhill is okay (except the final drop). A four issue series isn’t enough for all Strnad’s ideas. He does manage to make the unlikable protagonist sympathetic though.

Ragemoor‘s okay enough.

CREDITS

Writer, Jan Strnad; artist, Richard Corben; letterer, Nate Piekos; editors, Daniel Chabon and Scott Allie; publisher, Dark Horse Comics.

Strnad moves things along with unexpected haste this issue. I suppose he feels the need for a big finale and uses this issue to set it up. It’s a good issue, continuing–with less showmanship–the grandeur of the previous issue, but there’s something missing.

The tragic romance, which turns out to be more like tragic lusting for the protagonist, gets some closure here. Only none of it makes any sense, since the object of the protagonist’s affections is all of a sudden competent to some degree. Previously she was portrayed as a scatterbrained at best.

A month passes (or three weeks, I can’t remember) between the previous issue and this one, so she might have just gotten better. But Strnad never explains. He doesn’t have to explain, it just would have been nice if he had.

It’s a good issue, with some unexpected developments, but it’s constrictive, not expansive.

CREDITS

Writer, Jan Strnad; artist, Richard Corben; letterer, Nate Piekos; editors, Daniel Chabon and Scott Allie; publisher, Dark Horse Comics.

While the first issue of Ragemoor was competently written gothic stuff from Strnad and great art from Corben, the second issue is something else entirely. It reveals this wondrous–albeit horrible and sometimes disgusting–world, something Strnad would’ve been better to do the first issue.

The weird orangutang of the first issue are actual weird orangutangs, not just the embodiment of the castle’s evil. There’s also the suggestion of the world immediately surrounding the castle, which plays in a little.

As for the protagonist, Strnad develops him in a tragic gothic fashion. His butler is a little more interesting, just because the protagonist is the dumb young manor gentleman.

Strnad gives Corben some great things to draw, from the basement battlegrounds to the walls of Ragemoor. They unexpectedly teem with life.

The finale is exciting, touching and a little sad. Strnad heaps on the foreshadowing, in a true gothic fashion.

CREDITS

Writer, Jan Strnad; artist, Richard Corben; letterer, Nate Piekos; editors, Daniel Chabon and Scott Allie; publisher, Dark Horse Comics.

Ragemoor is, unfortunately, the story of a haunted castle. Hence the rage. It may be situated on a moor, but no one establishes it in this issue.

Jan Strnad’s script feels a little like he intentionally took a backseat to Richard Corben’s artwork, which is fine. Strnad’s script does its job. He introduces the setting, introduces the characters, introduces a crazy old man who wanders around naked peeing everywhere.

It’s a haunted house story, with only a couple surprises and those surprises don’t have much bearing. If they do, that bearing is in a later issue. Here, it just seems like Strnad is trying to keep the reader on his or her toes.

With the exception of one panel, the Corben art is fantastic. It’s moody, it’s scary, it’s grandiose. It’s hard to even imagine a better-looking haunted castle comic book.

Ragemoor doesn’t reinvent the wheel, just rolls beautifully.

CREDITS

Writer, Jan Strnad; artist, Richard Corben; letterer, Nate Piekos; editors, Daniel Chabon and Scott Allie; publisher, Dark Horse Comics.