DEAD EYES OPEN (2005 - )

[3+ Issues]

www.deadeyesopen.com

#1 - #2 - #3 - #4 - #5

ISSUE #1

Publisher: Slave Labor Graphics Date: July 2005 Writer: Matthew Shepherd Artist: Roy Boney, Jr. Cover: Roy Boney, Jr. Format: 24 pages; B&W Cover Price: $2.95 ORDER AT:

SYNOPSIS:

Meet John Requin -- therapist, humanitarian, loving family man... corpse. John's suffering from a strange and unique affliction -- while he's walking and talking, he is most definitely dead. But is his curse as unusual as it seems? And why does the government want him dead?

DEAD KEV SAYS:

What if you died? But you didn't really die. You stuck around. With no need for sleep anymore. No ability to feel. No ability to smell...though no amount of deoderant is covering up the fact that you do smell to everyone else. That's what therapist John Requin is dealing with. John's attempting to "live" a normal existence, but having to comfort a wife (who's apparently very understanding) and a daughter (less so with her). He's even still seeing patients. Though his time to figure out what's happened to him may be running out. After the first several pages of Dead Eyes Open, I wasn't quite sure how I was going to like it. It doesn't really start off with a bang, but it got my attention midway through, and finished off with a nice little cliffhanger. It turns out that Dead Eyes Open has an actual plot to it. I've been numbed by the same lot of stories churned out in zombie comics lately, so it's a welcome contrast. This concept of self-aware zombies is usually attempted (mostly poorly) in movies, but it's still fresh fodder for comics. Writer Matthew Shepherd also weaves an element of mystery into it so it's not as if you're getting hit over the head with a leaden story line. Again a nice change. And as is usually the case, black and white artwork lends itself well to this genre. Roy Boney, Jr. has a style that probably won't blow your socks off, but is capable of nice detail, from backgrounds to character close-ups. The story's the star here and the artwork doesn't distract from that. At 24 pages, it's not quite as thick as a normal 32-page issue, but keep in mind there are no ads in entire thing! The last two pages are reserved for some character sketches of Boney's and a cut-out pattern for your very own toe tag! I'm sure every fan has said once or twice, "You know what would look nice on me? A toe tag!" Well, now you've got one. In fact, I think we should all wear them and save some work for the coroner when we kick the bucket. Dead Eyes Open #1 is a very enjoyable debut, with its own unique spin, and is easily recommendable.

ISSUE #2

Publisher: Slave Labor Graphics Date: October 2005 Writer: Matthew Shepherd Artist: Roy Boney, Jr. Cover: Roy Boney, Jr. Format: 24 pages; B&W Cover Price: $2.95

SYNOPSIS:

John falls into the hands of a Returner terrorist cell -- which then falls afoul of the government's new anti-Returner squad, led by the enigmatic Hamilton Ellard. But they want John alive, for reasons that surprise even them...

DEAD KEV SAYS:

This second issue, while the same amount of pages, is much heavier than the first. Lots more bubbles filled with more words. Politics is introduced in a way that I don't think I've ever seen when it comes to zombies. The government has a job for John. The numbers of "returners" continues to grow, so much so that the government has to take action to alleviate fears from its citizens. On the other side, the returners are leading a fearful, confusing existence and are beginning to take things into their own hands. Shepherd does a great job going back and forth between the two groups' perspectives. Can they co-exist? I don't know, but Dead Eyes Open has such an interesting slant on zombies, you can't help but want to read more.

ISSUE #3

Publisher: Slave Labor Graphics Date: January 2006 Writer: Matthew Shepherd Artist: Roy Boney, Jr. Cover: Roy Boney, Jr. Format: 24 pages; B&W Cover Price: $2.95

SYNOPSIS:

The reluctant government administrator in "charge" of the Returner portfolio, John fights to restore basic rights to the living dead, explores the weird world of Returner internment camps, and sees his splintered family finally fall apart. Meanwhile, the General's terrorist movement starts to gain popular appeal... and Ellard is keeping a horrific secret in the sub-levels of the Pentagon...

DEAD KEV SAYS:

If you have a short attention span, you may not want to tackle issue #3. There are so many things going on it gets a shade confusing at a couple of points, but all of it is very intriguing. You've got a human rights attorney taking up for the returners, while some of them have resorted to terrorism. Internment camps are popping up to control the undead population. John Requin's family is falling apart. A hockey-masked bank robber is unleashing a mysterious gas. And just wait until you see what Dr. Fulci is working on. Roy Boney Jr. has a few more interesting backdrops to work with in this issue, and really shows his chops.

ISSUE #4

Publisher: Slave Labor Graphics Date: April 26, 2006 Writer: Matthew Shepherd Artist: Roy Boney, Jr. Cover: Roy Boney, Jr. Format: 24 pages; B&W Cover Price: $2.95

SYNOPSIS:

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DEAD KEV SAYS:

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ISSUE #5

Publisher: Slave Labor Graphics Date: July 2006 Writer: Matthew Shepherd Artist: Roy Boney, Jr. Cover: Roy Boney, Jr. Format: 24 pages; B&W Cover Price: $2.95

SYNOPSIS:

TBA

DEAD KEV SAYS:

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