- Writer and Artist: Ed Piskor
Thanks to David Hyde with Superfan Promotions for the review copy!
RED ROOM is an oversized comic (62 pages) stuffed to the gills with graphic murder. The Red Room refers to a secret dark web site where people pay to watch people get tortured. Yes, RED ROOM is strictly for adults.
The issue starts with two separate threads that become intertwined. Davis is a balding, overweight, middle age guy toiling away at his job at a police station when tragedy strikes. The other storyline involves the red room, told through the perspective of its mysterious owners and screenshots of the video feed – complete with viewer comments. The screenshot technique was an interesting way to break up the story and I felt like the comments were the source of the story’s social commentary. The first issue does a nice job of keeping the site owners shrouded in enough mystery to make you want to keep reading. At first, it isn’t entirely clear how these two stories connect, but the slow reveal pays off in a big way.
RED ROOM is a dark book and it doesn’t pull any punches. The torture leaves little, if anything, to the imagination, save blood because the book is in black and white. This both dials down the gore slightly, but somehow raises the ick factor. The art is incredibly detailed, so if the idea of seeing a knife shoved through someone’s eye socket makes you queasy, this book might not be for you. Violence aside, the art style reminded me a lot of Robert Crumb’s work. It feels like a vintage pulp comic.
RED ROOM is not for the faint of heart (or your children), but horror fans (think the SAW movies) will enjoy it. It’s definitely twisted, and I have to give credit to the creators’ imagination in setting up a whole underground world where this craziness can happen.
RED ROOM #1 is set for release on May 19th 2021.
Check back in a few weeks for my thoughts on the 2nd issue of the series.
Are you going to pick up this issue? Feel free to chat with me on Twitter or leave a comment below!
