Geek Syndicate Issue 5 | Page 57

Geek Syndicate
COMIC REVIEW

Hoax Hunters Vol 1: Murder, Death, And The Devil
Image © Image Comics, 2012

uating the myth that the world is full of crazy folks who aren’t really seeing UFOs and Bigfoot. Our story starts with a prelude, explaining the origin of the character called Murder, who appears to be a NASA space-suit full of crows. Nicely original. This balances all the cryptids found within the pages of Book One: Murder, Death and the Devil. Famous creatures featured include the Jersey Devil and Chupacabra. The team are introduced as TV stars, debunking the very real events which are occurring surrounding Murder’s appearance in Russia. Issue 1 then takes us to the Bayou in Louisiana where something has been killing the sentient monsters, monsters who know of our heroes’ existence. The team of inversigators include Jack, whose father introduced him to the world of the paranormal; Regan, the telekinetic who was rescued by Jack after being exposed on TV as a child; and Ken Cadaver who, as his name suggests, is dead (and psychic). Lauren is back at the team’s headquarters, manning the computers and carrying out research. They all have interesting back stories that are fleshed out throughout the series. So, who is the bad guy? What is going on? Why are people in a church revival dousing themselves with fuel and setting fire to themselves? What’s going on at the circus? And who is the guy with the goat’s head? This adventure is neatly wrapped up long before the collected edition finishes, which gives us time to examine Lauren’s story in the final installment and her rather touching encounter with the “devil”. This series gives the impression that it was a lot of fun to write;

almost like a greatest hits of cryptid hoaxes and conspiracies. For once, there’s nothing wrong with this idea because it’s written with an obvious zeal and a knowing wink. There’s even a warehouse scene which could be out of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Writers Moreci and Seeley have come up with an interesting twist, although there’s nothing earth-shattering about the writing or story (with th ????????????5????????????????????????Q????????????????????????????????????????????!????M?????!????!??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Q?????????%??????????????????????)4?I????????????????????????????Q???????????????]??????????????!???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????5??????????????????????????????1?????!????M??????]??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????9???????????????????????????%??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????1????????????????????????????????????????????!????!?????????????????????????????????????%???????????????????????????????????????????()M??????5???????5???????M???M???????? ???)4?I????????5????????????????1????
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