CBR Friday the 13th

You like Friday the 13th?
No? Too bad for you cause here's more of it!

'Hope this will change your mind on the series then :P

(and if yes, you like it, well here's a lesser known entry in the franchise!)

Comic title: Friday the 13th (Book 1)
Story by Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray
Art by Adam Archer and Peter Guzman

Published by Wildstorm
From 2007
Lineup Friday the 13th
Format: Trade paperbacks collecting the first six issues of the Friday the 13th miniseries.


Around 2007, DC wanted to produce more "franchised" comics under the Wildstorm inprint.
Which resulted, amongst others, in the Chuck comics, the Fringe comics and this Friday the 13th one in question.

On the writing, my favorite duo of Palmiotti and Gray, the creative minds behind the fabulous Power Girl reboot and the recent Jonah Hex comics. They've got a real sense of epic writing, great timing and synchronicity with the artist they work with and know how to write fun realistic dialogues. That's what characterize them the most, and what would be perfect to bring in an original fresh look at Jason Voorhees.

The art team, Archer and Guzman, have a quite stylized overlook, but for an horror and quite graphic comic, it works well.

What about the plot itself?

Jason's back baby!

The story is about some investors who want to reopen the Camp Crystal Lake once again (again? really? come on guys, stop trying, you see how it always ends up!?). For this they decide to have a new group come by, check out the installations and conditions. Take temperature.

But this is his place. They're on Jason's turf there.

Jason starts to get them one by one while we follow the point of views of our happy campers.
While they act as any pre/post-adolescent in any horror flick, we get to follow one of the girls who seems to have some very special visions of Jason and the Lake.
What is really happening in Crystal Lake? Is she only going crazy? Is Jason back once again...or isn't he?

We are treated to a nice development of characters unlike most usual slasher flicks. The characters start typical horror movie clichés, but all get the chance to evolve a bit over the story and actually be interesting. The clichés introduced at the start are actually used here to make the reader lose from sight some aspects and follow some other ones. Grey and Palmiotti are masters of illusions and deceptions. Like they would do in a thriller/mystery comic, they play with our perceptions.

The story is actually sort of deconstructed. It starts with a girl screaming, running from the woods.
And then...

There's even some nice plot twists.

The comic doesn't base itself upon all the Friday movies. It could as easily happen around the first couple of ol' movies or around the later one. (nut due to Jason's looks, it probably takes place around Jason Vs. Freddy)
There's only some sligh allusion to events from the movies, but it could as easily by your introduction to the series!

Overall, it's a fun read.
It really surprised me. I wasn't expecting something like how this story turned into. Not from the first issue only.

Check it out if you're a Jason Voorhees fan, an horror fan or simply want to read something other than a superhero comics for once.

Jason doing what he does best, people trying to survive and being themselves the real threat around amongst them.

Everyone's favorite slasher.under his best light!

I give it:

  2 / 3 ManThings!