Ben Templesmith

A wonderfully humorous, horror comic.

Wormwood, the Gentleman corpse has a problem, someone is flooding the city with sexually enhancing drugs, ones that leave a demonic seed in their partners belly..

This is a stunning piece of dark comedic horror, filled with a cool collection of oddballs (a zz-top look alike robot, a demonic tattooed dancer) and bristles with a wry dead pan yet humane humour. The dark, surreal, dreamy art is gorgeous by itself (so much so I own some prints!). If that’s show more not enough praise for you it has the best Leprechaun scene ever. Period. show less

This might just be the oddest and most macabre graphic novel that I've ever read, and yet it might also be one of the most satisfying. Temple smith is known for his off-kilter protagonists (see his knock-off of John Constantine in Fell), but a re-animated corpse, driven by a talking worm (who lives mostly in the eye socket) is a whole other level of weird. And yet, Wormwood lives up to his titular monicker, as he spews ascerbic monologues, flirts with the ladies, and uses his prep-school show more connections to save the day. Jolly good form, I say!

To make this book even more astounding is the quality and unique stylings of the artwork. If this story (and these characters) had been done in any other way I doubt that it would have worked even half as well as the vivid splashes of tone and stylized linework portaryed here. I absolutely can't wait to feast on eyes on more of Wormwood and his pals! show less

It’s been a while since I’ve read a graphic novel, but delving back into the strange and macabre world of Wormwood, Gentleman Corpse was a perfect re-entry. It was only a matter of time before Wormwood had to be dug out of his self-imposed retirement to save the world again, and considering the state of the world during the current American administration it was about time. Obviously the story is set in an alternate universe, but it’s clear that the story is based on and inspired by show more the Tr*mp administration and its poor behaviour. I mean how else can you explain the psychotic and unacceptable policies, except that the government has been taken over by an alien spore fungus bent on ruling the human world? It doesn’t seem that outlandish to me (lol)! In true fashion, Wormwood puts together a team and in the most haphazard way possible manages to rid the world of the fungus, but he (and we) are left wondering if he actually did the world a favour or if the fungal overlord was a better option…

Added into the collection was a macabre take on a Christmas story - which is perfect timing, since it’s just about Christmas now! The North Pole is in chaos since the capitalists have taken over, so Wormwood allies with the pagan originator of the winter holiday, Saturn, to set things right. I particularly liked this story not just because it’s a cynical but truthful depiction of how far Christmas, Yule, and the Winter Festival have come from their origins, but also because the artwork was absolutely stunning. Sure, Templesmith tends towards the dark and grisly, but I found his dark take on the North Pole and its denizens unique and wholly enjoyable. I hope that he continues working on the Wormwood universe, because it’s one that I highly enjoy coming back to time and again, especially in short but pithy snippets like this. show less

A great second volume in what is still the weirdest graphic novel series that I've ever read - and trust me when I say that I've read some weird stuff. This volume is slightly more disturbing than the first, if only because the leprechauns in this universe are incredibly disgusting little creatures. Not only do they speak in a ridicule-laced gibberish, but the lone female of the species, the Queen, is really a whole other level. So of course, Wormwood and company have to track her down so show more that she can give him a magical restorative kiss (eughhh) to cure a leprechaun bite. To make matters more complicated, while on thnis quest for the Leprechaun Queen, the crew run afoul of the squidders - beings hell-bent on colonizing the universe. The crew manages (just barely) to evade capture and to shut down the portal to Earth, but I have a distinct feeling that the swiod-men have set their gaze on anywhere that dares to house our esteemed protagonist... show less