We must ask again to what exogenous potent the pseudofigure of Shem Shelley has access, such that it can pull so many multifarious nightmares together in a single feuilleton? This issue has an astounding opener, a classic bit of sequential romance, slathered in bitrot and oozing “just desserts”. What a fable for our times! Shem is a fan of coloured entities and their foibles (see Tux and Fanny) and this little graphical substance adventure falls into the same disquieting mode, covering themes of romance, nutrition, and escape. We hope to see more!
Meanwhile Romonde does anything but keep us grounded with a meta-nauto-physical adventure aboard the DICTATOR SHIP. Overall a very VERNEAN sequence, complete with Professorial authority and canine dispositions. Magnificent.
The track promoted by VIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN might just be the final tour of Syd Barrett reincarnated as a trash compactor with a NES going through it. Strangely listenable, enjoyable even, this digestive adventure. FLAMES IN THE MORGUE is a dark way to end a dark issue, evoking equal parts folk horror in the page design with a micro-apocalyptic SF paragrapheme. KEEP AWAY!