War on Flesh Vol. 1

Four centuries ago an evil voodoo witch doctor conducted vile, forbidden experiments in reanimating the dead and was eventually killed by a local tribe. But not before he blessed his bloodline with his sorcerous powers, powers to eventually be wielded in furthering his "war on flesh." Five generations later, one of the doctor's descendants is gunned down on the street during a gang war, and his grief-stricken father enters into an unholy alliance with a voodoo healer in hope of reviving his son. The father pays a terrible price to accomplish his goal, abandoning all morality and making a personal sacrifice that is guaranteed to make male readers cringe. Out of sheer horror at these proceedings, his wife attempts suicide, an event that sets the macabre wheels once more into motion. This first volume ends with a cliffhanger and only vague explanations of just what the "war on flesh" is. Since the script amounts to much pointless gore and misery without any real payoff, the reader may be left unsatisfied. The inappropriately cartoonish artwork tries to ape the storytelling techniques found in Japanese manga but appears rushed and falls flat in spots. (Oct.)