Review – Basketful of Heads TPB
Review – Basketful of Heads TPB
Writer: Joe Hill
Artist: Leomacs
Cover Art: Reiko Murakami
Publisher: DC Comics – Black Label
Originally Published: 2019
Synopsis
The rain lashes the grassy dunes of Brody Island, and seagulls scream above the bay. A slender figure in a raincoat carries a large wicker basket, which looks like it might be full of melons… covered by a bloodstained scrap of the American flag.
This is the story of June Branch, a young woman trapped with four cunning criminals who have snatched her boyfriend for deranged reasons of their own. Now she must fight for her life with the help of an impossible 8th-century Viking axe that can pass through a man’s neck in a single swipe-and leave the severed head still conscious and capable of supernatural speech.
Each disembodied head has a malevolent story of its own to tell, and it isn’t long before June finds herself in a desperate struggle to hack through their lies and manipulations… racing to save the man she loves before time runs out.
Collects BASKETFUL OF HEADS #1-7.
Writer: Joe Hill
On Brody Island, June Branch meets her boyfriend Liam after he’s been working a summer job as a cop on the tiny resort of Brody Island. She’s excited to see him again but their catchup is interrupted by a prison break from Shawshank. Four convicts are on the loose and Liam offers to help, but Sheriff Clausen tells him he has it under control.
They head to the Clausen house for dinner but things get out of hand when the convicts break in and kidnap Liam. With June on her own, she reached for an antique Viking Axe to fend off one of the attackers.
Hill creates a modern spin on the slasher and final girl tropes with a tale of idiotic men versus a strong female protagonist set against a stormy island full of corruption. June is the only really round and whole human character in the whole book, with bent cops, twisted mayors and sexist and offensive language coming from almost every quarter.
Using each head to narrate flashbacks is an interesting plot device and shows how each person has a slightly different view of the world. The additional comic timing (referenced by an actual clock) adds pace and stress to the comic making it feel like you are reading it in real-time.
Artist: Leomacs
The artwork is perfect for this horror-fest of decapitations and comic timing with each reveal blindsiding you as a reader while keeping the plot ticking over. With June acting as our eyes on the world she proudly takes centre-stage making other characters look like stooges.
Overall Thoughts
In its original episodic format, this must-have kept readers on the edge of their seats each month dying to find out what next happens, in this collective format it adds the ability to greedily read the story without interruption but enjoy the spin on 90s slasher tropes.
[yasr_multiset setid=1]
[yasr_visitor_multiset setid=1]
If you enjoyed our review, look out for Basketful of Heads TPB at your Local Comic Shop
Buy tickets for BGCP Comic-Cons in and around Glasgow Scotland – BUY TICKETS
Check out all of our Comic, Movie, Television and Videogame Reviews HERE and our Podcasts/Interviews HERE
If you want to be part of the BGCP community, Join us on Discord, Twitter, Instagram etc then click HERE
