by Marc Andreyko, Mike Huddleston, Fiona Staples, and Grant Bond
Trick R Treat is easily one of the best films ever made about Halloween and though it is major league sad to see it get a measly DVD release the decision to shelve the film for awhile has meant fans could get their hands on a variety of nifty collectibles that were originally timed for a wide theatrical release. Sideshow sent me their 15 inch Sam way before I had any inkling how cool this movie was and I was able to get that and the fabulous hardcover movie book signed months ago by director Michael Dougherty and star Dylan Baker at Fangoria Weekend of Horrors in New York. When I finally saw the film those items meant all the more to me. A graphic novel version t go with them? Yes, please.
Meet Sam. He may seem like a harmless trick or treater in his cute if somewhat ragged costume. But as a group of errant Halloween celebrants are about to find out neither Sam nor anyone or anything else is quite what they seem when the jack o' lanterns burn and the last gasp escapes the dying lips of those who seek treats but find only tricks. As each of four stories unfold Sam meets out all hallows justice and characters discover the multi-layered meaning behind the masks they wear and the masks they didn't even know they had on.
Being an anthology Trick R Treat is a natural for the comic medium and it gets the A list treatment here, offering great art, and solid adaptation of it's cinematic source material. Each story arc gets a different artist and it was surprising to see how well these stories maintain their sense of suspense and pacing in the comic form. Heck they're so strong I'd love to read them in book form. The only thing missing here are some Eerie or Creepy or FM styled ads to lend a sense of nostalgia. Trick R Treat may very well be the best horror anthology since fans were walloped by the double teaming of George Romero and Stephen Kings Creepshow. The fact that Trick R Treat is the brainchild of only one person makes it all the more remarkable. Whether you grew up watching Creepshow or reading Tales from the Crypt, odds are you'll find yourself feeling sweetly surprised by this narrative bit of dark chocolate.
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