First published back in September of 2019, HellBound Books’ ‘Bound For Hell!: Issue 1’ offered up three comic strip stories from three separate indie authors.
An Ancient Breed – David Owain Hughes - 10 Pages
Despite what the local residents said, he knew the cannibal breed were hiding out within the apartment block. He’d tracked them down through the woman who kept them safe and hidden. Now it was time for justice. He wasn’t worried about his own life. He knew he had to do this. Break in and reap bloodthirsty revenge on those who’d claimed so many innocent lives. It was time the cannibal breed paid for their sins…
Here we have a short comic strip adaptation of the short story ‘Experiment Of An Ancient Breed’ which original appeared as a bonus story at the end of David Owain Hughes’ novel ‘Man Eating F*ckers’ (2017) and was later became Chapters 4 and 5 within the third novel in the series ‘Man Eating F**s: The Legacy’ (2019).
It should be noted this isn’t a full adaptation of the original short story but instead captures the majority of the story. Unlike the original short, the comic version starts out with Tokyo contemplating his next move. Then within a matter of a few frames, he’s inside Liz’s apartment and taking on the cannibals. Yeah, it’s not identical to the original short, but the general thrust of the story’s the same.
The accompanying artwork is absolutely superb. The illustrations are high quality with plenty of graphic gore splashed across the pages whenever the story calls for it. The comic strip is black & white, however, it doesn’t suffer from this. It’s a fast paced and action rich adaptation, that jumps straight into the action without a moment’s thought.
The comic strip was later reprinted within David Owain Hughes’ special 10th Anniversary Hardback omnibus ‘All The F*cks’ (2025).
Road To Ruin – Frank Martin - 10 Pages
He was driving along the long stretch of desert road at night when his car decided to pack up for good. Trying his mobile phone, he finds he has no signal. Thankfully he spots the headlights of another car driving his way along the otherwise deserted desert road. However, the car approaching isn’t his rescue. In fact, it’s far from the friendly aid he’s seeking…
This one’s a good old fashioned horror story like you’d come across in the likes of ‘The Twilight Zone’ or a ‘Creepshow’ (1982) style offering. It’s pretty much taken the idea behind Stephen King’s ‘Christine’ (1983) and flung it into the desert. It’s a fun, short and fast read, with some excellent accompanying artwork that really makes the piece as gripping as it is entertaining.
Trophy Wife – James Longmore & Kaye Terrelonge - 7 Pages
Emily was getting tired of her oppressive husband’s constant demands. Her existence was pretty much now just to wait on him and serve him his godforsaken tea each day. Emily was at breaking point. And then it happened. She accidentally knocked over a jar containing a specimen of butterfly he was waiting to preserve. A butterfly that was now able to escape its fate and bring a new life to Emily…along with the deliciously fitting demise of her oppressive husband…
This final comic strip story is fucking excellent! A slow burner to start with, setting the scene of this horrifically oppressive marriage. It’s a gradual build up until the dramatic ending bursts onto the page. And holy fuck is it dramatic! We’re thrown straight into the realms of wild pulp-cum-extreme horror. Think the creation of ‘Spiderman’ and then leap into far darker and more twisted territory! Reminds me of Robert Essig’s short story ‘Buggin’ Out’ that appeared in the ‘The Joke Is On Mankind’ (2025) anthology. This one takes insect pinning to a whole new messed up level. An absolutely brilliant read!
The comic book runs for a total of 27 pages.
© DLS Reviews
