Grim Death and Bill the Electrocuted Criminal

December 5, 2016
In this eerie illustrated horror novel set in an unspecified American city during the early days of the Great Depression, author Sniegoski and author and artist Mignola combine words and black-and-white illustrations to creepy effect in the tale of a man who has been given a new life, with a twist. His real name is Bentley Hawthorne, heir to a munitions magnate, but when he puts on the skull mask and goes to work, he is the Grim Death. His task is to avenge those who’ve died untimely, and his orders come to him in the form of ghosts who need retribution. Bentley battles injustice with the aid of his trusty servant, Pym, and a pair of .45-caliber pistols from his father’s factory. Mignola and Sniegoski have created a comic book–style character who rights wrongs in a sinister, hair-raisingly enjoyable way, with an open ending that leaves room for more episodes. The illustrations are bland and generic, but the straightforward writing style will appeal to teen readers. Agent: Howard Morhaim, Howard Morhaim Literary.

December 15, 2016
When he's saved from an early death by a mad scientist, an orphan takes up the mantle of death in Prohibition-era America. Imagine Batman's origin story by way of H.P. Lovecraft and you'll be well on your way to enjoying this phantasmagorical pulp thriller by Hellboy creator Mignola (Joe Golem and the Drowning City, 2012, etc.) and Sniegoski (The Demonists, 2016, etc.). When we first meet our hero, Bentley Hawthorne, he's being patched up by his faithful servant, Reginald Pym, after a nasty battle with a mad scientist's murderous capuchin monkeys--yes, it's that sort of story. We quickly learn that as a sickly boy, Bentley's parents committed a supernatural trespass that saved his life but cost their own. Later, the newly hearty Bentley is visited by Roderick (a talking raven, naturally). In a bit ripped from the pages of Edgar Allan Poe, Bentley is to become an avatar of death itself. "It will be your purpose...your job, to avenge those who have had their lives brutally torn away," says the bird. To that end, Bentley has taken up the visage of Grim Death, a pistol-wielding, skull-masked superhero cast in the pulpy tradition of throwbacks like Doc Savage and The Shadow. Add in sparky reporter Gwendolyn Marks and a host of campy villains and we're a few strokes away from a Frank Miller movie. Grim Death is pitted, among other challenges, against a family of cannibals and a "Circus of Unearthly Wonderment" led by the evil Doctor Nocturne. But the heart of the story finds Bentley charged with finding the killer of Tianna Hoops, a murdered trapeze artist whose ghost implores Bentley to free her wrongly imprisoned paramour, Bill Tuttle, now on death row. If you're wondering if this is the title criminal, it is, and the book makes good on its promise. A thrilling, imaginative, and lurid illustrated novel that lovingly embraces the genre that inspired it.

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July 1, 2017

Bentley Hawthorne isn't your typical superhero, but he's serving as death's avenger. Wearing a skull face, he enacts justice by putting murderers to death. Like Batman, Bentley was raised by loving and rich parents and relies on a butler. His parents took a risk by trusting an inventor who promised to ensure that their sickly son would live a long life. Deals with the devil (or with new technology) are never without payment, and as a result of his parents' decision, Bentley must avenge ghosts who visit him. In this pulp fiction-style novel, the action is fast and the plot a bit far-fetched (knife-wielding gorillas, mind-controlling mermaids, evil clowns). Bentley is a relatable character who has the exhausting task of assuming the guise of Grim Death. Flashbacks to Bentley's childhood depict his transformation, and funny quips and moments temper what could have been a dark tale. The book's wide trim size and the occasional, bland black-and-white illustrations give it a unique look. VERDICT A solid horror addition for high school libraries-perfect for readers who enjoyed Neal Shusterman's Scythe or Gina Damico's Croak but also for fans of paranormal mysteries or superhero comics.-Sarah Hill, Lake Land College, Mattoon, IL

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