REVIEW: GLITTERBOMB #1 Explores Horror in Hollywood

With a title like Glitterbomb, a crossover between the volatile nature of the Hollywood life and Lovecraftian horror is the last thing you would expect. But when you think about it, the title conveniently fits the theme of Jim Zub’s new comic book.

Judging from the big opening shocker, it would appear as if it’s going to be a monster based horror book. It goes deeper than that, however. While it’s partly true, Zub immediately transitions into the real horror – the problems women face behind the scenes in the film industry. This book is as much of a horror story as it is an exploration of the real horrors that go on in a very youth-obsessed Hollywood environment.

It’s a big departure from what Zub is mostly known for, but Glitterbomb displays his ability to write a well paced intriguing plot with compelling characters. The story follows Farrah Durante, a middle-aged actress struggling to land an acting gig in an industry that glamourizes being youthful, especially for women. Zub showcases the ugly truth in different scenarios involving Farrah’s failed casting auditions by having characters repeatedly take jabs at her age.

Obviously feeling lost, Farrah wanders into the beach where a tentacled monster takes her as host. The origins of the tentacle monster is a mystery at this point, and from the looks of it it’s going to probably take a while before it develops. One of the strengths of Glitterbomb is even without the monster, Farrah’s story is very interesting as it is. The addition of Holly Raychelle Hughes‘ essay on her personal experiences in Hollywood gives the main plot much significance.

Another strength of the book is Djibril Morrissette-Phan‘s art. The thick inks add a much needed dread to his pencils. Plus the creepiness just comes alive in Farrah’s face whenever she gets taken over by the monster. Morrissette-Phan’s expressive style gives the characters emotion, and helps them pop out from every panel. Cosidering this is his major comic book debut, it certainly looks like Morrissette-Phan is going to be a big name in the comics industry. K. Michael Russell‘s colors complement Morrissette-Phan’s art really well. The flat colors add to the horror element, while at the same time it has enough vibrance to make every page a treat to look at.

Glitterbomb #1 marks Jim Zub and Djibril Morrissette-Phan strong debut into the horror genre. The character work is solid and the plot is intriguing. Although the involvement of a monster clearly adds to the horror aspect, the dirty world of Hollywood is as much of a contributor to that, which Jim Zub breaks down really well. Glitterbomb #1 is fresh and original, and has great potential to be a horror hit this year.