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Criminal Macabre: A Cal McDonald Mystery #7
Criminal Macabre: No Peace for Dead Men
Cal McDonald's ex-girlfriend-turned-vampire has been plotting his demise since she was first bitten. After a deadly bout of psychological warfare, the ensuing battle ends Cal's life. But Cal's not done yet, and rises from the grave! The first of three events leading to the War of Darkness. Featuring a crossover with Eric Powell's The Goon!
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
About the author
Steve Niles
841 books482 followersSTEVE NILES is one of the writers responsible for bringing horror comics back to prominence, and was recently named by Fangoria magazine as one of it's "13 rising talents who promise to keep us terrified for the next 25 years."
Niles is currently working for the four top American comic publishers - Marvel, DC, Image and Dark Horse. He got his start in the industry when he formed his own publishing company called Arcane Comix, where he published, edited and adapted several comics and anthologies for Eclipse Comics. His adaptations include works by Clive Barker, Richard Matheson and Harlan Ellison.
Steve resides in Los Angeles in his bachelor pad with one cat. While there's no crawlspace, there is a questionable closet in one corner and no one is quite sure what is hidden in there...but we have an idea.
--from the author's website
Niles is currently working for the four top American comic publishers - Marvel, DC, Image and Dark Horse. He got his start in the industry when he formed his own publishing company called Arcane Comix, where he published, edited and adapted several comics and anthologies for Eclipse Comics. His adaptations include works by Clive Barker, Richard Matheson and Harlan Ellison.
Steve resides in Los Angeles in his bachelor pad with one cat. While there's no crawlspace, there is a questionable closet in one corner and no one is quite sure what is hidden in there...but we have an idea.
--from the author's website
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 22, 2016
This volume isn't a single arc, but a bunch of small stories.
We have:
Die, Die, My Darling! - In which Cal is an idiot and a child.
No Peace for Dead Men - This one is hugely important for on-going series plot. You will be insanely confused in the next volumes if you skip this story. It also contains stupid quotes like the following:
The answer is in issue one? You've always killed monsters for money. I feel like his intention was "When did we stop questioning whether this monster actually deserves to die?" Though I'm not sure the answer is much different. It's an interesting, if 'wtf' story.
They Fight by Night - Introduced a cop that otherwise seems to just appear from nowhere in later volumes. Involves werewolves.
Criminal Macabre/The Goon: When Freaks Collide - This is a crossover issue with someone I've never heard of. The Goon. Like most crossovers, it's fine, but not particularly memorable or important.
Call me Monster - The original Frankenstein's monster comes asking for help, which is an interesting premise, if nothing else.
Overall, these are fine, but required if you're going to read later volumes.
We have:
Die, Die, My Darling! - In which Cal is an idiot and a child.
No Peace for Dead Men - This one is hugely important for on-going series plot. You will be insanely confused in the next volumes if you skip this story. It also contains stupid quotes like the following:
"This ain't sitting too well. When did we become killers for hire?"
The answer is in issue one? You've always killed monsters for money. I feel like his intention was "When did we stop questioning whether this monster actually deserves to die?" Though I'm not sure the answer is much different. It's an interesting, if 'wtf' story.
They Fight by Night - Introduced a cop that otherwise seems to just appear from nowhere in later volumes. Involves werewolves.
Criminal Macabre/The Goon: When Freaks Collide - This is a crossover issue with someone I've never heard of. The Goon. Like most crossovers, it's fine, but not particularly memorable or important.
Call me Monster - The original Frankenstein's monster comes asking for help, which is an interesting premise, if nothing else.
Overall, these are fine, but required if you're going to read later volumes.
September 26, 2014
This is basically a series of one shots starring Cal McDonald.
I really like this character, and so far haven't read a Criminal Macabre story I didn't like.
I really like this character, and so far haven't read a Criminal Macabre story I didn't like.
May 13, 2021
I'm a dolt and read this first accidentally. Immediately began the entire series from the beginning. A Universal monsters meets grungy noir with detached but sincere humour. Right up my alley.
May 21, 2013
I love Cal MacDonald and was so excited to read this new collection! And, wow! the plot sure goes to some new and unexpected places! First up was a really fun one-shot featuring the real Frankenstein monster as a client who is being hounded by the current "Frank" family descendants. Then comes a crossover with The Goon, whom I'd never heard of before, nevermind haven't read, but again I truly enjoyed it and thought The Goon was amazing. It made me look the comic up and it looks like something I'd like so I've added it to my tbr list. Funniest thing is the story ends with the appearance of another very familiar Dark Horse character, which was a hoot to see in this volume! At this point is where the title story "No Peace for Dead Men" starts and the next three issues follow this continuous plotline which is quite remarkable with an amazing plot turn in the middle which completely changes everything as Cal has known it. Riveting. Just loved the entire volume. These are great noir private eye detective stories that run along the Angel monster hunter/paranormal variety of cases. While the characters are dark, weird and foul-mouthed, Cal and Mo'Lock are one of my favourite teams, and the secondary characters can easily have the reader feeling empathy for them while the villains are deliciously wicked. The book ends with an OMG moment making me anxious for the next volume in this series. Great read!
November 9, 2013
I gave this book 4.5 stars in reality; I posted 5 because I thought the 3.8 posted wasn't quite fair. My rating won't bring it up much but it'll be closer to my 4.5 because of it.
A Detective-Police Noir style book, except the lead, Cal McDonald, is of the dead; Cal is a "pill-popping, alcoholic, reprobate" and a chain smoker. His helper (sidekick(, is Mo'lock, a ghoul, who had many ghouls at his command, an army 'for good', if you likelll Cal also has a Nova, hunted by the guy who died in it (Spivey), which interacts at times with the living.
Populated by zombies, werewolves, vampires, and monsters, the author's take on these beings is a bit different than the current canon.
There's a story of Frankenstein's Monster, still around after all these years; one is a cross-over with The Goon, where Hellboy makes an appearance; one is a story about how Cal became a part of the ghoul crowd; a man who carries his sister in his belly.
There are TENTACLES, a great deal of violence, and gore - not for the faint of heart!
_________
Steve Niles, the writer, wrote "30 Days of Night" (and others); his writing works well with the need of the tales of Cal McDonald and the artist knows just how to illustrate Niles's writing.
Christopher Mitten's loose art style works very well with the depiction of Monsters of all kinds and the Action that always accompanies Cal McDonald's adventures.
A Detective-Police Noir style book, except the lead, Cal McDonald, is of the dead; Cal is a "pill-popping, alcoholic, reprobate" and a chain smoker. His helper (sidekick(, is Mo'lock, a ghoul, who had many ghouls at his command, an army 'for good', if you likelll Cal also has a Nova, hunted by the guy who died in it (Spivey), which interacts at times with the living.
Populated by zombies, werewolves, vampires, and monsters, the author's take on these beings is a bit different than the current canon.
There's a story of Frankenstein's Monster, still around after all these years; one is a cross-over with The Goon, where Hellboy makes an appearance; one is a story about how Cal became a part of the ghoul crowd; a man who carries his sister in his belly.
There are TENTACLES, a great deal of violence, and gore - not for the faint of heart!
_________
Steve Niles, the writer, wrote "30 Days of Night" (and others); his writing works well with the need of the tales of Cal McDonald and the artist knows just how to illustrate Niles's writing.
Christopher Mitten's loose art style works very well with the depiction of Monsters of all kinds and the Action that always accompanies Cal McDonald's adventures.
January 2, 2012
Cal MacDonald, the alcoholic, pill-popping, wise-cracking, hard-boiled monster slayer of Los Angeles has a problem. The vampiress Salem wants to push him over the edge by killing anyone who talks to him. That just doesn't sit well with Cal...at all.
If you are a Criminal Macabre fan or a casual acquaintance, than you will enjoy this story by Steve Niles and pencils by Christopher Mitten. It's a pivotal story in the development of Cal MacDonald.
If you enjoy anti-heroes, pick this comic up or grab one of the Criminal Macabre graphic novels.
If you are a Criminal Macabre fan or a casual acquaintance, than you will enjoy this story by Steve Niles and pencils by Christopher Mitten. It's a pivotal story in the development of Cal MacDonald.
If you enjoy anti-heroes, pick this comic up or grab one of the Criminal Macabre graphic novels.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews