Dark Horse Presents (1986) #71

The Bacchus makes up for any other possible deficiencies this issue. Campbell (and Bacchus) retell the story of the Minotaur and it’s simply wonderful. I’m not sure it’s historically accurate, though I don’t know. I’ve never read such an in-depth Minotaur story.

The other two stories aren’t bad, but they really don’t even come close to Bacchus.

The Dominique story is pretty dumb. I didn’t even realize it was Jim Balent and I don’t think I’ve ever read a story he’s drawn before. The art’s fine. It’s better than the writing. The Moores have an ex-CIA agent called back in to deal with a Japanese diplomat. It’s derivative and xenophobic. But whatever.

Jordorowsky and Moebius do better with the Madwoman this time–some great art from Moebius. The awkward humor is gone, but Jordorowsky is at least pacing the narrative a little more creatively. Still, it’s nothing special.

Dark Horse Presents 72 (April 1993)

What a disaster.

Madwoman is probably the best entry overall and even it’s pretty weak. Moebius is drawing a melodrama–it’s a soap opera and not a visually interesting one. Once the talking heads section passes, there’s some nice design at least. He’s always capable, but it’s sort of pointless. Jordorowsky has one rather excellent scene, but he immediately follows it with a lousy one.

Nelson’s Highlander with monsters epic, Eudaemon, has decent enough art and terrible writing. Dark Horse Presents hasn’t published such bad writing in a while–it’s hard to get through a page without snickering. Nelson’s exposition is particularly bad.

The final story, Dominique, finishes the issue on a low point. Balent starts fine, but then gets weaker and weaker. First his anatomy goes, then his faces. It starts, visually, fine and ends bad. The writing is somewhere between weak and dumb.

It’s a very bad issue.

CREDITS

The Eudaemon, Night of Fear, Part One; story and art by Nelson DeCastro; lettering by Steve Dutro. The Madwoman of the Sacred Heart, Part Three; script by Alexandro Jordorowsky; art by Moebius; lettering by Dave Cooper. Dominique, The Hardest Part, Part Two; story by Charles Moore and Lisa Moore; script by Charles Moore; art and lettering by Jim Balent. Edited by Randy Stradley.

Dark Horse Presents 71 (March 1993)

The other two stories aren’t bad, but they really don’t even come close to Bacchus.

CREDITS

Dominique, The Hardest Part, Part One; story by Charles Moore and Lisa Moore; script by Charles Moore; art and lettering by Jim Balent. Bacchus, Bullshit; story, art and lettering by Eddie Campbell. The Madwoman of the Sacred Heart, Part Two; script by Alexandro Jordorowsky; art by Moebius; lettering by Dave Cooper. Edited by Randy Stradley.