Detroit Folklores #1 is a comic created by Dave Brown Jr. and Terrell Culbert. There are two horror stories here with different art so I’ll be doing some mini-reviews!

            The Shadow of Rashida Crossing is a crime horror comic with heavy drama and violence. The leading lady for this tale is Rashida, she is a determined and sneaky woman who isn’t afraid to get dirty to get what she wants. The story begins with Rashida angry as the car she is driving in has just broken down. This forces her to take the backpack full of money and proceed on foot. The violence here is bloody with some gore but the violence isn’t too rough. There are many intense horror and scary moments with a sense of dread and a steady pace. The dialogue is modern with more narration from Rashida than spoken words. There aren’t any word-heavy pages. The art here is drawn in a slightly cartoonish but realistic style with a color palette of mainly dark/faded colors and strong shading. This takes place in inner-city Detroit so the scenery is close buildings and light poles. There isn’t a central location as Rashida is travel along the street though some flashbacks go back to a singular spot. The backgrounds are usually dark or a faded color, either red or yellow. The expression level here is high especially when the scares kick in. Fear is the main emotion here with some evil looks thrown in. The faces have strong features from the teeth to the eyelashes so the expressions come across clearly. The violence here is usually physical with scratching and biting leading to blood. The action scenes come in bursts with no more than a few panels at a time showing what’s going on. There are some scenes where Rashida is wearing little to no clothing.

            The Daughter of No One is a horror comic with strong drama and creepiness. The leading lady for this tale is Lyric, she is a little girl who appears to be in elementary school and there are a few things in her life that regularly make her sad. She lives with her single mother. The story begins with Lyric and her mother walking home in the rain when they see a booth along their path. The lady that runs the booth senses that Lyric needs something and she gives her a doll named Mr. Goodbar. There is only one instance of violence and it is bloody and a bit gruesome. The pace is steady and the tone is like that of a doll-based horror with creeping dread and unease. The dialogue is all conversational with decent back-and-forth and no word-heavy pages. The art here is detailed with thick outlines, in black-and-white, and semi-cartoonish with strong lighting and shading. For scenery we get some leafless trees and the sidewalks and lawns of the average American neighborhood. The primary location is the home of Lyric and her mother. The backgrounds usually show the immediate surroundings. The expression level here is high as the emotions these characters show play major roles in the story. The emotions go from somber sadness to happiness to sinister anger. The faces are decently detailed with some sharpness and cane get a bit animated which helps the expressions come across clearly. The violence her is bloody with gruesomeness and involves a sharp object. The action scene is only one page in length.

“Is this worth reading?”

Yes, if this is up your alley.

“Would I like this?”

If you like horror stories that star either a woman or a little girl and feature crime and violence or dread and creepiness then this is for you.

“What would this comic’s film rating be?”

R overall. Blood, violence, and lewdness for the first story, blood and violence for the second.

“Could I get a quote from the comic?”

“Well, you jus gonnat stand there? Come here.”

“What’s with the long face, my dear?”

 

Kickstarter Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lastsoncomics/detroit-folklores-horror-fantasy/description

***IN-DEPTH COMIC STATS BELOW***

Probably Contains Spoilers

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Actual Pages(not counting covers and credits): 33

Violent Pages: 5, for 15% of the comic

Sexy Pages: 3, for 9% of the comic

 

**The levels below aren’t necessarily maintained throughout the whole comic, but they were definitely reached**

 

Violence Level – 3

“Wasn’t no tussling at all.”

“Sometimes you gotta hit somebody.”

“I’m getting charged with how many counts of assault?”

“This was a tournament arc.”

“All my life I had to fight.”

 

Gore Level – 3

“The only thing leaking out your face is tears.”

“Looks like somebody spilled some ketchup.”

“Might need to soak that up with a bath towel.”

“That isn’t supposed to be outside the body.”

“This is a slaughterhouse.”

 

Death Level – 2

“And everybody lived happily ever after.”

“We might have gone to a couple funerals.”

“It just LOOKS like a serial killer was here.”

“Yeah this was a tragedy.”

“Think Gettysburg.”

 

Porn Level – 2

“Everybody kept their clothes on.”

“I guess it was too hot for a bra.”

“Sometimes you got to let everything air out.”

“This is like late night Cinemax in the early 2000’s.”

“Oh. This is porn.”