Dark Horse Presents (1986) #128

Dhp128

Wow. Dave Cooper’s Dan & Larry might be the most horrifying thing I’ve ever read. Cooper is creating this psychotic, awful version of the standard cartoon buddies. One’s a duck, the other’s a… something or other. And he does awful, awful things. Great art, amazing ideas… it’s awful and strange and wonderful.

Metalfer is a bit better this installment. Manoukian and Roucher spend their pages doing an action scene. The art carries the story and it even gets amusing towards the end. I wish every installment were this good.

Oakley outdoes himself on Stiltskin (once again). This installment covers some more of his protagonist’s formative years. Oakley’s does a lot with just the narration and the story really affects the reader. His art, like before, is solid, good work… but it’s his writing where he’s phenomenal. An excellent installment.

Weissman’s Phineas Page one page strip is great as usual; very funny.

Dark Horse Presents (1986) #127

Dhp127

The issue opens with Brereton’s finish for The Nocturnals. It’s charming and light, which is totally at odds with the visuals. I guess if I’d known more about it, I would have had an idea where it might go. Some great art.

Metalfer does not get any better this issue—Manoukian and Roucher somehow make their protagonist unlikable, even when he’s being unjustly pursued. But the art is excellent, especially here, where they’re setting big action sequences in a future city.

Then there’s Oakley’s Stiltskin, which reminds a little too much of A Prayer for Owen Meany for it to be original, but it’s still a rather good story. Oakley’s a fine artist, but his writing—especially his first-person narration from the titular character, a dwarf growing up in the sixties—makes the whole thing work beautifully.

A mildly amusing one page Blue Monday from Clugston closes the issue.

Dark Horse Presents (1986) #126

Dhp126

It’s another big issue of Presents and a decent one.

Brereton’s The Nocturnals looks real nice and reads well. He introduces a bunch of characters, but the protagonist’s plot is compelling. It’s often very funny.

Schutz has a one page thing (art by Mireault and Bottenberg); it’s okay, if not special.

Hedden and McPhillips have an excellent story with Snipe, about a monster hunter on a talk show. Great art, great script.

Watson’s Skeleton Key is… fine. It’s a page.

On the other hand, Weissman’s Phineas Page is only a page too; it could have been a feature story. Awesome little strip.

Reprinted from Europe, Manoukian and Roucher’s Metalfer starts. Superb art, confusing, kind of dumb story. It might get better.

Strnad and Edwards cover Starship Troopers. Nice art, competent writing for filler.

DeMos and Gillis close with a story a guy obsessed with holes (the shape). It’s quite good.