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Dr. Horrible and Other Horrible Stories
Based on the Emmy Award-winning web series "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog," this collection of stories written by Zack Whedon ("Deadwood," "Fringe") chronicles some of the earliest adventures in the lives of archenemies Captain Hammer and Dr. Horrible.
This anthology solves many unanswered questions left over from the show. For instance: What event inspired Dr. Horrible to become the world's greatest criminal mastermind? Why is Penny, the beautiful girl from the Laundromat, still single? How can you, the reader, be like blustering do-gooder Captain Hammer? And why is Horrible's sidekick, Moist, so... um... well, you'll find out!
* Collects the first issue of "Dr. Horrible" with all three digital comics from "MySpace Dark Horse Presents."
* Includes a never-before-seen sixteen-page story, about the "top secret" organization The Evil League of Evil.
* Dark Horse's "Dr. Horrible" iTunes app rose to number one in twenty-four hours, beating out the Bible and Dr. Seuss!
This anthology solves many unanswered questions left over from the show. For instance: What event inspired Dr. Horrible to become the world's greatest criminal mastermind? Why is Penny, the beautiful girl from the Laundromat, still single? How can you, the reader, be like blustering do-gooder Captain Hammer? And why is Horrible's sidekick, Moist, so... um... well, you'll find out!
* Collects the first issue of "Dr. Horrible" with all three digital comics from "MySpace Dark Horse Presents."
* Includes a never-before-seen sixteen-page story, about the "top secret" organization The Evil League of Evil.
* Dark Horse's "Dr. Horrible" iTunes app rose to number one in twenty-four hours, beating out the Bible and Dr. Seuss!
80 pages, Paperback
First published September 10, 2010
11 people are currently reading
6049 people want to read
About the author
Zack Whedon
58 books111 followersZack Whedon (born August 14, 1979) is an American screenwriter ('Deadwood', 'Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog' and 'Fringe') and Comic Book writer ('Dr. Horrible and Other Horrible Stories', 'Terminator: 2029 to 1984' and Firefly/serenity's 'The Shepherd's Tale').
He graduated in 2002 with a film degree from Wesleyan University where he served as president of the Eclectic Society. Zack is from a family of writers: he is the son of screenwriter Tom Whedon, grandson of screenwriter John Whedon, and the brother of screenwriter/musician Jed Whedon and producer/director/writer Joss Whedon.
His first professional work in television was as a production assistant on his brother Joss Whedon's series, 'Angel'.
He is best known for his work, alongside his brothers Joss Whedon and Jed Whedon, on the parody musical 'Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog' which he co-created and co-wrote.
Credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zack_Whedon.
He graduated in 2002 with a film degree from Wesleyan University where he served as president of the Eclectic Society. Zack is from a family of writers: he is the son of screenwriter Tom Whedon, grandson of screenwriter John Whedon, and the brother of screenwriter/musician Jed Whedon and producer/director/writer Joss Whedon.
His first professional work in television was as a production assistant on his brother Joss Whedon's series, 'Angel'.
He is best known for his work, alongside his brothers Joss Whedon and Jed Whedon, on the parody musical 'Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog' which he co-created and co-wrote.
Credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zack_Whedon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 319 reviews
November 10, 2015
3.5 stars
Kneel before the world's greatest criminal mastermind, the only man that has a PhD in Horribleness, Dr Horrible!!!
First of all if you haven’t watch yet the Dr Horrible’s Sing Along Blog then stop everything you are doing and go watch this right now. Seriously what are you waiting for, go! Dr Horrible and other Horrible Stories is a worthy, if imperfect, prequel to the amazing web miniseries but unfortunately not so entertaining. Don’t get me wrong I liked the stories and I found them charming and enjoyable but they were obviously missing Joss Whedon’s touch. But there is a huge although justifiable problem with the comic: the absence of the singing of the web series. Yes of course I know that it’s a little impossible to create a musical graphic novel but the musical style was one of the things that made the miniseries so great and special. Still Zack Whedon manages to keep some of the series ridiculous but remarkable and unique concept. It’s so fun to see the inception of Horrible’s partnership with Moist and the rivalry with Captain Hammer and to learn more about Horrible’s personal history. In this anthology we finally see the Evil League of Evil with its fearsome leader Bad Horse in action! Bad Horse became definitely one of my personal favorite’s super villains! He is a real thoroughbred of sin;). We also sympathize more the poor Penny. Too bad all of these stories were so short. I believe that they would be much better and the character development more efficient if they were bigger.
So in a few words although Dr Horrible and other Horrible Stories isn’t so good as Dr Horrible’s Sing Along Blog surely deserves reading
Ps: Am I the only one that was singing the main theme of Dr Horrible’s sing along blog before every story?
Kneel before the world's greatest criminal mastermind, the only man that has a PhD in Horribleness, Dr Horrible!!!
First of all if you haven’t watch yet the Dr Horrible’s Sing Along Blog then stop everything you are doing and go watch this right now. Seriously what are you waiting for, go! Dr Horrible and other Horrible Stories is a worthy, if imperfect, prequel to the amazing web miniseries but unfortunately not so entertaining. Don’t get me wrong I liked the stories and I found them charming and enjoyable but they were obviously missing Joss Whedon’s touch. But there is a huge although justifiable problem with the comic: the absence of the singing of the web series. Yes of course I know that it’s a little impossible to create a musical graphic novel but the musical style was one of the things that made the miniseries so great and special. Still Zack Whedon manages to keep some of the series ridiculous but remarkable and unique concept. It’s so fun to see the inception of Horrible’s partnership with Moist and the rivalry with Captain Hammer and to learn more about Horrible’s personal history. In this anthology we finally see the Evil League of Evil with its fearsome leader Bad Horse in action! Bad Horse became definitely one of my personal favorite’s super villains! He is a real thoroughbred of sin;). We also sympathize more the poor Penny. Too bad all of these stories were so short. I believe that they would be much better and the character development more efficient if they were bigger.
So in a few words although Dr Horrible and other Horrible Stories isn’t so good as Dr Horrible’s Sing Along Blog surely deserves reading
Ps: Am I the only one that was singing the main theme of Dr Horrible’s sing along blog before every story?
March 9, 2011
I am obsessed with Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along-Blog. The songs are pretty much in a constant loop in my head, I watch the DVD on a regular basis, and as any devoted fan, I will take any bit of Dr. Horrible I can get until Joss Whedon hopefully decides to bring us more. So of course, I had to check out the Dr. Horrible and Other Horrible Stories comic.
The stories are perfect for fans. Since they are written by Zack Whedon, who was also one of the writers of the webisodes, so I trusted he could give us some fun insight into these characters. We get a look at Captain Hammer and his view on heroes (Captain Hammer: Be Like Me!), some background info on Moist (Moist: Humidity Rising), and a look into Penny's life before that fateful day with the van (Penny: Keep Your Head Up). While these three comics were good and I enjoyed reading about the characters, there were two comics that stood out and had the feel of the web series.
Dr. Horrible starts with an early look at Billy as a child and gives us a glimpse at what might have sparked his interest in supervillinay. It also gives us an early encounter between Dr. Horrible and Captain Hammer and goes well with the series as it sets up Captain Hammer as Dr. Horrible's nemesis.
The story about the ELE (The Evil League of Evil) was my favorite of the collection. The league characters cracked me up and I thought the story was full of the quick-witted jokes that are one of the reasons I love Dr. Horrible in the first place. This story is worth picking up the collection for!
Overall the stories go well with the web series and it's a great addition for Dr. Horrible fans. While the artwork at times isn't my favorite, the stories make up for it. If only it too came with a soundtrack, the comics would be perfect! Highly recommend to any Dr. Horrible fan and will leave you wanting more Dr. Horrible. Please Joss, give us more?
The stories are perfect for fans. Since they are written by Zack Whedon, who was also one of the writers of the webisodes, so I trusted he could give us some fun insight into these characters. We get a look at Captain Hammer and his view on heroes (Captain Hammer: Be Like Me!), some background info on Moist (Moist: Humidity Rising), and a look into Penny's life before that fateful day with the van (Penny: Keep Your Head Up). While these three comics were good and I enjoyed reading about the characters, there were two comics that stood out and had the feel of the web series.
Dr. Horrible starts with an early look at Billy as a child and gives us a glimpse at what might have sparked his interest in supervillinay. It also gives us an early encounter between Dr. Horrible and Captain Hammer and goes well with the series as it sets up Captain Hammer as Dr. Horrible's nemesis.
The story about the ELE (The Evil League of Evil) was my favorite of the collection. The league characters cracked me up and I thought the story was full of the quick-witted jokes that are one of the reasons I love Dr. Horrible in the first place. This story is worth picking up the collection for!
Overall the stories go well with the web series and it's a great addition for Dr. Horrible fans. While the artwork at times isn't my favorite, the stories make up for it. If only it too came with a soundtrack, the comics would be perfect! Highly recommend to any Dr. Horrible fan and will leave you wanting more Dr. Horrible. Please Joss, give us more?
March 13, 2015
***Indie 500 Buddy Read with the Shallow Readers! Indie Publisher this time: Dark Horse Comics***
Was there any doubt that I'd give this one million stars? The Whedons' are far too talented. Zack has drawn my heart back to Dr. Horrible.
This was short but so hilarious. It tied into the web series perfectly, giving origin stories, backgrounds on certain characters, and highlighting Captain Hammer's "awesome" lifestyle. But with it being so short, I don't have a lot to say about it. The artwork was legit, and I was sucked in during every story arc.
If you're a Dr. Horrible fan, this is a must. Seriously. You even get some Dark Horse, and he's a major dick.
September 19, 2012
This is a collection of short comics, all leading in to the events of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. It shouldn't come as a surprise that the writer understands the characters- Zack Whedon was one of the co-writers on the original webseries. Many of the comics are short enough to serve as character sketches, especially Captain Hammer's. Best was a tie between the Evil League of Evil's adventure and Dr. Horrible's origin story. Least favorite was Moist's origin story. Overall, great fun for Dr. Horrible fans, and something to tide us over until Dr. Horrible 2.
November 13, 2017
Short stories set before the beginning of Dr. Horrible's Sing-along-Blog. We get to see how Moist became so moist. We see Penny dating some boring dude. We see Bad horse and his gang doing their evil deeds. We also see the first encounter between Dr Horrible and Captain Hammer.
The art is so so and the stories are short and sweet. I feel this is simply for the fans who want more.
The art is so so and the stories are short and sweet. I feel this is simply for the fans who want more.
March 11, 2016
I'm really not sure what I was expecting to get out of this. More of the movie that I like so much? More of that complexity and level of hilarity?
...ha.
There's a reason I don't read spin-offs of works I like in other mediums, and that reason is that they usually suck. Dr. Horrible is such an excellent movie that it didn't leave me wanting more; despite its brevity, it was just enough to satisfy me with a complete story. That makes this graphic novel completely unnecessary on a whole bunch of levels.
But I could've been able to put up with this if it was, y'know, good. This was surprisingly and consistently mediocre throughout.
I think the biggest problem, writing-wise, is Zack's decision to make it so short. This thing is really really concise, at less than eighty pages. In those eighty pages, we get stories about Captain Hammer, Moist, Penny, the Evil League of Evil, and Doctor Horrible. As you can imagine, everything was packed incredibly densely. Nothing was fleshed out - nothing felt developed. With the sole exception of Penny, we didn't really get any meaningful insights into any of the characters. (And even then, hers was basically a natural extension of what we already knew.) This also forces Zack to resort to cliche in all of the stories: Moist got his powers from a radioactive humidifier (I think it was meant to be funny?), Billy admired supervillains growing up, ect. They never felt complete or fleshed-out enough to be worth seeing. The length also forced Zack to completely abandon any idea of giving Captain Hammer a story, even though I wanted insight into his character most of all. Instead, we just sort of got an introduction to his character - nothing you couldn't have picked up from watching the movie.
If the graphic novel had to be this length, why not make it into a real story, focused just on Captain Hammer and Dr. Horrible? Based on the dialogue and humor, Zack certainly has the skill to pull it off. That could've been what I was hoping for (but not expecting) from this book. That could've provided more insight into the nature of good and evil, it could've fleshed out Captain Hammer's attitudes, it could've... yeah, I guess it would start to border on sexism if it didn't focus on Penny's nature as well. But that's fine - there would be time for that as well. Instead, Zack made the unwise decision to focus on lighting-quick stories and humor. There were some genuinely funny moments, particularly in Penny's story, but it wasn't good enough to make up for everything else.
So, yeah, that's about all I have to say on the matter. I won't be acknowledging this as canon, because I don't want anything this horrible (see what I did there?) to taint my image of the story. As for the artwork,it ranged from pretty good (ELOE, Dr. Horrible) to atrocious (Penny). If you're a fan of the movie, you might as well read this - it seems to have been pretty well-received by everyone except me - but this just isn't nearly as good as the movie.
...ha.
There's a reason I don't read spin-offs of works I like in other mediums, and that reason is that they usually suck. Dr. Horrible is such an excellent movie that it didn't leave me wanting more; despite its brevity, it was just enough to satisfy me with a complete story. That makes this graphic novel completely unnecessary on a whole bunch of levels.
But I could've been able to put up with this if it was, y'know, good. This was surprisingly and consistently mediocre throughout.
I think the biggest problem, writing-wise, is Zack's decision to make it so short. This thing is really really concise, at less than eighty pages. In those eighty pages, we get stories about Captain Hammer, Moist, Penny, the Evil League of Evil, and Doctor Horrible. As you can imagine, everything was packed incredibly densely. Nothing was fleshed out - nothing felt developed. With the sole exception of Penny, we didn't really get any meaningful insights into any of the characters. (And even then, hers was basically a natural extension of what we already knew.) This also forces Zack to resort to cliche in all of the stories: Moist got his powers from a radioactive humidifier (I think it was meant to be funny?), Billy admired supervillains growing up, ect. They never felt complete or fleshed-out enough to be worth seeing. The length also forced Zack to completely abandon any idea of giving Captain Hammer a story, even though I wanted insight into his character most of all. Instead, we just sort of got an introduction to his character - nothing you couldn't have picked up from watching the movie.
If the graphic novel had to be this length, why not make it into a real story, focused just on Captain Hammer and Dr. Horrible? Based on the dialogue and humor, Zack certainly has the skill to pull it off. That could've been what I was hoping for (but not expecting) from this book. That could've provided more insight into the nature of good and evil, it could've fleshed out Captain Hammer's attitudes, it could've... yeah, I guess it would start to border on sexism if it didn't focus on Penny's nature as well. But that's fine - there would be time for that as well. Instead, Zack made the unwise decision to focus on lighting-quick stories and humor. There were some genuinely funny moments, particularly in Penny's story, but it wasn't good enough to make up for everything else.
So, yeah, that's about all I have to say on the matter. I won't be acknowledging this as canon, because I don't want anything this horrible (see what I did there?) to taint my image of the story. As for the artwork,it ranged from pretty good (ELOE, Dr. Horrible) to atrocious (Penny). If you're a fan of the movie, you might as well read this - it seems to have been pretty well-received by everyone except me - but this just isn't nearly as good as the movie.
May 18, 2011
In 2008, I fell in love with "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog," an Emmy winning musical webseries about wannabe supervillain named Dr. Horrible. Unfortunately, it was a very short series. Fortunately, Dark Horse has published, Dr. Horrible and Other Horrible Stories, a collection of Dr. Horrible-themed short comics that have appeared previously in print, or online. Written by one of the writers of Dr Horrible (Zack Whedon), Dr. Horrible and Other Horrible Stories succeeds by perfectly capturing the humor of the webseries. Perhaps it's because we're already used to consuming the stories in small bites (the show had 15 minute episodes), but I found that the short comic format suited the Dr. Horrible Universe quite well. I also liked the fact that all of the stories (save one) were connected by a single event. I only wish that we had been given more stories. For reviews of each comic, read further.
The first comic, “Captain Hammer: Be Like Me” is Captain Hammer's personal manifesto. My favorite part of this story is just how well Zack Whedon managed to capture Captain Hammer's voice and attitude. The artwork here by Eric Canete is more cartoon-y, and obviously not meant to capture the real-life actors, but I found that I didn't mind at all. In fact, I found it to be a lot of fun. This was one of my favorite stories in the collection. 5 stars
“Moist: Humidity Rising” is the origin story of Moist, whose super ability comes from the fact that he's constantly damp. I like how the comic pokes fun at science accident-themed origin stories by giving us one that's completely ridiculous (super-power humidifier?). I found that I didn't like the artwork (by Farel Dalrymple) for this story quite as much as the other ones, but it was still pretty solid. 4 stars
While the first couple of stories in the collection embrace the humorous tone of Dr Horrible, it's also true that the series had it's fair share of more serious moments. “Penny: Keep Your Head Up” recognizes this by giving us a story that's not all fun and games. I came out of the comic feeling incredibly sorry for Penny, a well meaning young woman that gives so much of herself to others that she often ends up alone, and with nothing. I also really enjoyed the artwork of this comic (done by Jim Rugg), which reminded me of the Archie comics. 4.5 stars
During the webseries, a big deal was made over The Evil League of Evil, but we only got a brief glimpse of the members at the end. The short comic, “The Evil League of Evil” shows us a lot more. Although the story feels a little overstuffed, I loved getting to know the members, and the fact that they're just as ridiculous as I hoped they would be. As a nice bonus, we get to finally see Johnny Snow (who's mentioned in the series, but never seen). I found him to be very similar to Dr Horrible, just on the other side of the law. Although Scott Hepburn's artwork wasn't my favorite out of this collection, I felt he did a pretty good job. 4 stars.
The final comic in the collection is a reprint of the one short “Dr Horrible.” This is Billy's/Dr. Horrible's origin story. I really enjoyed the artwork done by Joelle Jones, as I thought it did a great job of capturing the spirit of the actors without going for a photo realistic look. The story also does a good job at reexamining the old “evil scientist vrs. strong/muscular hero” cliche. “Dr. Horrible” does a great job of capturing humor of the webseries while providing some more action-packed scenes that the series couldn't deliver due to budget restrictions. “Dr. Horrible” is also a great place to end the collection, as it leads into the webseries very well. 5 stars.
Dr. Horrible and Other Horrible Stories is a great collection for those who are fans of Dr. Horrible. It's also a nice selection for those who may be curious about the series but have not seen it yet, as it requires no previous knowledge of the webseries to enjoy it.
The first comic, “Captain Hammer: Be Like Me” is Captain Hammer's personal manifesto. My favorite part of this story is just how well Zack Whedon managed to capture Captain Hammer's voice and attitude. The artwork here by Eric Canete is more cartoon-y, and obviously not meant to capture the real-life actors, but I found that I didn't mind at all. In fact, I found it to be a lot of fun. This was one of my favorite stories in the collection. 5 stars
“Moist: Humidity Rising” is the origin story of Moist, whose super ability comes from the fact that he's constantly damp. I like how the comic pokes fun at science accident-themed origin stories by giving us one that's completely ridiculous (super-power humidifier?). I found that I didn't like the artwork (by Farel Dalrymple) for this story quite as much as the other ones, but it was still pretty solid. 4 stars
While the first couple of stories in the collection embrace the humorous tone of Dr Horrible, it's also true that the series had it's fair share of more serious moments. “Penny: Keep Your Head Up” recognizes this by giving us a story that's not all fun and games. I came out of the comic feeling incredibly sorry for Penny, a well meaning young woman that gives so much of herself to others that she often ends up alone, and with nothing. I also really enjoyed the artwork of this comic (done by Jim Rugg), which reminded me of the Archie comics. 4.5 stars
During the webseries, a big deal was made over The Evil League of Evil, but we only got a brief glimpse of the members at the end. The short comic, “The Evil League of Evil” shows us a lot more. Although the story feels a little overstuffed, I loved getting to know the members, and the fact that they're just as ridiculous as I hoped they would be. As a nice bonus, we get to finally see Johnny Snow (who's mentioned in the series, but never seen). I found him to be very similar to Dr Horrible, just on the other side of the law. Although Scott Hepburn's artwork wasn't my favorite out of this collection, I felt he did a pretty good job. 4 stars.
The final comic in the collection is a reprint of the one short “Dr Horrible.” This is Billy's/Dr. Horrible's origin story. I really enjoyed the artwork done by Joelle Jones, as I thought it did a great job of capturing the spirit of the actors without going for a photo realistic look. The story also does a good job at reexamining the old “evil scientist vrs. strong/muscular hero” cliche. “Dr. Horrible” does a great job of capturing humor of the webseries while providing some more action-packed scenes that the series couldn't deliver due to budget restrictions. “Dr. Horrible” is also a great place to end the collection, as it leads into the webseries very well. 5 stars.
Dr. Horrible and Other Horrible Stories is a great collection for those who are fans of Dr. Horrible. It's also a nice selection for those who may be curious about the series but have not seen it yet, as it requires no previous knowledge of the webseries to enjoy it.
September 4, 2016
This was a pretty good read. If you are a fan of dr. Horrible's singalong blog movie, you'll enjoy this graphic novel with characters from the film including penny, captain hammer, bad horse, and dr. Horrible. Definitely check it out.
July 3, 2019
Hilarious! Perfect for fans of Doctor Horrible's Sing Along Blog!!
June 25, 2015
I think there might be some vague spoilers in here if you haven't watched Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog... which you should totally
drop everything and watch right now
watch, by the way.
So, I've had this in by TBR for awhile now... and then I saw it. Just sitting there on the shelf of the library.
How could I not check it out? I mean, it's Dr. Horrible.
I was really hoping it would be amazing...
But, alas, I mainly just enjoyed the final story in the set.
I mean, the intro was fun and sassy, and the colours were spot on and beautiful, and I quite liked the lettering, most of the time, but the art just wasn't what I personally like. Some people may totally disagree, and that's fine.
I was wholly disappointed at the art of the first story (especially Captain Hammer's proportions... what was happening with his head/hair?) and the art of the second story was just vaguely creepy and made me feel kind of uncomfortable. Penny's story was mostly just depressing, and I kind of felt like it sort of diminished her character rather than adding to it.
The Evil League of Evil... we're not even going to really discuss this one. What the heck was going on with "Johnny Snow" and "James Flames"? We don't know them, and we don't ever get to know them, because we only see them for all of, like, 5 pages. There's no time to develop character sympathy or emotional connection, it's just "who the heck are they?" and then "oh, okay. it's over."
The last story though. It was on pointe. I really liked the art direction of this one, and it was really fun to see Billy's world in a more expanded way, and we even got some shenanigans along the way! If the entire book was just a more developed version of this comic, I would have given it at least 4 stars, maybe 5, but as it stands I can only credibly give this book 3 (3.5, if you squint) stars.
Anyways, ranting over. Time to go take over the world!
So, I've had this in by TBR for awhile now... and then I saw it. Just sitting there on the shelf of the library.
How could I not check it out? I mean, it's Dr. Horrible.
I was really hoping it would be amazing...
But, alas, I mainly just enjoyed the final story in the set.
I mean, the intro was fun and sassy, and the colours were spot on and beautiful, and I quite liked the lettering, most of the time, but the art just wasn't what I personally like. Some people may totally disagree, and that's fine.
I was wholly disappointed at the art of the first story (especially Captain Hammer's proportions... what was happening with his head/hair?) and the art of the second story was just vaguely creepy and made me feel kind of uncomfortable. Penny's story was mostly just depressing, and I kind of felt like it sort of diminished her character rather than adding to it.
The Evil League of Evil... we're not even going to really discuss this one. What the heck was going on with "Johnny Snow" and "James Flames"? We don't know them, and we don't ever get to know them, because we only see them for all of, like, 5 pages. There's no time to develop character sympathy or emotional connection, it's just "who the heck are they?" and then "oh, okay. it's over."
The last story though. It was on pointe. I really liked the art direction of this one, and it was really fun to see Billy's world in a more expanded way, and we even got some shenanigans along the way! If the entire book was just a more developed version of this comic, I would have given it at least 4 stars, maybe 5, but as it stands I can only credibly give this book 3 (3.5, if you squint) stars.
Anyways, ranting over. Time to go take over the world!
April 20, 2012
This collection includes five stories, so it's understandable that I would like some better than others. Some of them I loved, and others I was unimpressed with.
The first comic, Captain Hammer: Be Like Me! is mediocre. The artwork is interesting and the jokes are funny, but it's in the form of a "Do your part" PSA and there isn't room for much of a story.
Moist: Humidity Rising I was more impressed with. It tells the origin story of Moist, who used to be unusually dry. The story is captivating and humorous. The artwork I didn't really care for, but I must admit it looked great with the more science fictiony panels.
Now for the third and bar far the worst story in this book: Penny: Keep Your Head Up. The art was average to bad in my opinion, the story ridiculous and boring, and the jokes unfunny. I actually really liked the character of Penny in the webseries, but rethought my opinion of her after reading this. No spoilers, but the end was very cute and redeemed the rest of the comic a bit.
The Evil League of Evil is a story new to this collection. I was really impressed by the artwork, the story, the references, the jokes, the characters--everything. Fake Thomas Jefferson is hilarious, and we're even given a little background on Johnny Snow. It's easily one of the strongest comics along with the next one...
The original one shot, Dr. Horrible. The art is perfect, and since it's longer than the others there is more room for story. It takes care of the origin of Dr. Horrible and his first few encounters with Captain Hammer. The best was saved for last in this case.
In short, get the collection, but don't expect every comic to be a sparkling gem. A lot of these were webcomics, so space was limited. I'd recommend this to comic book fans who don't take themselves too seriously and of course, Dr. Horrible fans.
December 8, 2010
This is a slim volume of super-short vignettes that offer some origin and foundation stories for the characters from Dr's Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. The graphic novel is lean and mean, but it's a highly amusing read. I'm an unabashed fan of the the original web video, so I loved every bit of it.
The stories here are very short, with five separate stories fit into 78 pages. Even so, everybody gets a turn. Captain Hammer and Dr. Horrible get introductions that dovetail nicely into the canon. Penny gets a questionably relevant but undeniably sweet examination, as well. Best of all, there are closer looks at bit players like the Evil League of Evil, Moist, and even Johnny Snow.
The beauty here is in the small touches. The vignettes are not entirely standalone; they connect in subtle ways that bring the whole volume together and make it feel like a coherent "origin story," or at least a genuine prequel to the official story. New bit players like James Flames and the hilariously crass newscasters fit perfectly. Even the introduction is deliciously funny.
My main complaints with this are a few wonky panels in the art, and the bite-sized portion. But this was exactly what I was hoping it would be: a pitch-perfect extension of the original's tone and lore, and hopefully an appetizer for future installments. Even if you aren't a fan of Dr. Horrible, this is a good pick for those who like their superheroes and supervillains a little quirky.
The stories here are very short, with five separate stories fit into 78 pages. Even so, everybody gets a turn. Captain Hammer and Dr. Horrible get introductions that dovetail nicely into the canon. Penny gets a questionably relevant but undeniably sweet examination, as well. Best of all, there are closer looks at bit players like the Evil League of Evil, Moist, and even Johnny Snow.
The beauty here is in the small touches. The vignettes are not entirely standalone; they connect in subtle ways that bring the whole volume together and make it feel like a coherent "origin story," or at least a genuine prequel to the official story. New bit players like James Flames and the hilariously crass newscasters fit perfectly. Even the introduction is deliciously funny.
My main complaints with this are a few wonky panels in the art, and the bite-sized portion. But this was exactly what I was hoping it would be: a pitch-perfect extension of the original's tone and lore, and hopefully an appetizer for future installments. Even if you aren't a fan of Dr. Horrible, this is a good pick for those who like their superheroes and supervillains a little quirky.
January 20, 2013
As a fan of the Sing-Along-Blog I was excited to pick this one up. And with the seemingly never ending wait for a sequel, it was nice to have some more Dr. Horrible in my life.
The book is an anthology of five short comics that flesh out the backstory of our characters. Although it is rather slim, I enjoyed it very much. It has a lot of wit and charm and I feel it captures the spirit the source material very well. I laughed a lot while reading this.
The art was a bit hit or miss for me, but that's a personal taste thing mostly. My favorite of the stories was the one focusing on the Evil League of Evil since we knew so little about them. I really like Fake Thomas Jefferson.
The only thing missing from this comic is the songs, so I recommend listening to the soundtrack of the film while reading.
While someone unfamiliar with the film may get some enjoyment out of this, I think a lot of the humor would be lost, so it is probably best enjoyed by people who are already fans of Dr. Horrible.
The book is an anthology of five short comics that flesh out the backstory of our characters. Although it is rather slim, I enjoyed it very much. It has a lot of wit and charm and I feel it captures the spirit the source material very well. I laughed a lot while reading this.
The art was a bit hit or miss for me, but that's a personal taste thing mostly. My favorite of the stories was the one focusing on the Evil League of Evil since we knew so little about them. I really like Fake Thomas Jefferson.
The only thing missing from this comic is the songs, so I recommend listening to the soundtrack of the film while reading.
While someone unfamiliar with the film may get some enjoyment out of this, I think a lot of the humor would be lost, so it is probably best enjoyed by people who are already fans of Dr. Horrible.
July 30, 2011
I really enjoyed this prequel to the Dr. Horrible sing along blog internet miniseries. It gives you a bit of an inside view into Moist, Captain Hammer, the Evil League of Evil as well as Donnie Snow, and shows you how Dr. Horrible decided to become the evil villain he is now known for.
Zack Whedon did a fantastic job in the story telling and what can I say, I still totally dig “Bad Horse” he is the badest of villains. ;op It was interesting to get to know the other villains a little better too such as Fake Thomas Jefferson, Professor Normal, Fury Leika, Tie Die and Dead Bowie. Oh yeah and the other Heroes even though we still don’t know them too well except for the fact that they do exist. ;op
The Art is entertaining and true to the story and suits the characters. There is a beautiful picture done by Gene Ha of Captain Hammer being interviewed by a reporter, he really captured Nathan Fillian.
Zack Whedon did a fantastic job in the story telling and what can I say, I still totally dig “Bad Horse” he is the badest of villains. ;op It was interesting to get to know the other villains a little better too such as Fake Thomas Jefferson, Professor Normal, Fury Leika, Tie Die and Dead Bowie. Oh yeah and the other Heroes even though we still don’t know them too well except for the fact that they do exist. ;op
The Art is entertaining and true to the story and suits the characters. There is a beautiful picture done by Gene Ha of Captain Hammer being interviewed by a reporter, he really captured Nathan Fillian.
September 18, 2017
This is a delightful little collection of stories in the Dr. Horrible universe, and though I loved them, I felt like they were way, waaaay too short. The art's fantastic, the dialog is silly in dead-on Dr. Horrible way, and the best part had to have been the ELE taking advantage of the hero retreat to do evil, but it's all far too truncated. Of course, if that's my only complaint, I suppose we're doing alright.
"Why do I even bother, sickly pigeon?"
I don't know, Penny, but I feel you.
Anyway. :)
"Why do I even bother, sickly pigeon?"
I don't know, Penny, but I feel you.
Anyway. :)
August 13, 2016
Tüm zamanların en iyi dizilerinden biridir Dr. Horrible benim için ve hala soundtrack'ini dinler dururum.
Çizgi romanı da iç içe geçmiş güzel bir origin hikayesi olmuş.
NOT: Diziyi mutlaka izleyin.
NOT2: Toplam 42 dakika sürüyor zaten
NOT3:Diziyi mutlaka izleyin:)
Çizgi romanı da iç içe geçmiş güzel bir origin hikayesi olmuş.
NOT: Diziyi mutlaka izleyin.
NOT2: Toplam 42 dakika sürüyor zaten
NOT3:Diziyi mutlaka izleyin:)
April 29, 2011
I don't know if this one suffered by comparison to Death: They High Cost of Living, which I read just before it, or if it's because the Whedon involved was not Joss. Or if having Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion and Felicia Day read the lines made the Sing-A-Long Blog funnier than what was on the page. Whatever the reason, this one fell flat.
October 22, 2010
While written by co-creator Zack Whedon, unfortunately these stories just are not as good as the web series. They do add a little character background depth to Captain hammer, Dr. Horrible, penny and Moist.
January 17, 2011
If you liked the Sing-a-long blog you'll like this graphic novel. It has the same tone. It's a bit short, especially for the MSRP, but I enjoyed it. Basically it gives you the background stories on all the main characters and, more or less, ends when the short film begins.
September 19, 2011
Very uneven, only mildly entertaining and adds nothing to the near perfect story that Joss and company created.
The DVD is a complete story and if they don't leave it alone they will ruin it. We got the whole story, we don't need anymore.
The DVD is a complete story and if they don't leave it alone they will ruin it. We got the whole story, we don't need anymore.
May 28, 2015
This is a fantastic addition to the Dr Horrible story. I love seeing how Moist and Dr Horrible first meet. I love all the little references to other characters - even Jonny Snow is in it! Poor Penny ): Always poor Penny. Absolutely loved it.
June 1, 2016
A set of prequel stories to the Sing-along-blog. It doesn't do much introduce the characters, but does give a bit of background on what was going on before we meet them in the blog.
A very enjoyable and quick to read comic. Fans of the show should check it out.
A very enjoyable and quick to read comic. Fans of the show should check it out.
October 14, 2012
So funny! Full review to come soon on my blog!
March 21, 2013
This was highly enjoyable. :-D I haven't watched the "Sing-Along Blog" yet, but this graphic novel just pushed it to the top of my list. :-D
October 27, 2015
this is comic is so good that I have to watch the episodes!
April 14, 2019
So many great Doctor Horrible related stories!
Reread: received an ARC of the new edition that had some more details and a script in the back. Didn't realize it was mostly just this one again...
Reread: received an ARC of the new edition that had some more details and a script in the back. Didn't realize it was mostly just this one again...
February 7, 2017
Una buena introducción a los personajes del musical, pero, por las limitaciones del mismo formato, se pierde el encanto de ver toda la historia cantada.
April 25, 2017
Honestly, disappointing. I didn't find the stories terribly amusing or compelling the way the musical was.
October 22, 2018
I loved how the language in this book was used, I also really enjoy reading graphic novels because I like to see what's happening.
February 20, 2015
Scoop and Dr. Horrible And Other Horrible Stories! With Singing!!
Some time ago the internet exploded with something wonderful and fun and beautiful.
That's right, Dr. Horrible Sing-Along Blog took over the world and made us better for it.
Except that I was an idiot and did not watch it till several years later. That's when I caught up with every other geek.
And still catching up!
At a FanExpo or so ago I scored a copy of Dr. Horrible And Other Horrible Stories, a graphic novel collecting a bunch of short stories all taking place in the wonderful world of horrible.
Dr. Horrible, by the way, is about a super villain fighting a super hero and how the love of a girl comes between them. It premiered online and starred Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion, and Felicia Day and was directed by the legendary Joss Whedon. And it has lots of singing.
Now the Dr. Horrible comic before me features stories written by Zack Whedon and with art by Eric Canete, Farel Dalrymple, Jim Rugg, Joelle Jones, and Scott Hepburn.
As for the stories themselves, well let take a note from Joss's songbook and spend a paragraph or so telling you about each story.
In Song!
Captain Hammer: Be Like Me
(to the tune of Bunnies from Buffy Once More With Feeling)
I'm a jerk!
I'm a jerk!
I am a very judgmental jerk!
Moist: Humidity Rising
(to the tune of I've Got A Theory from Buffy Once More With Feeling)
I've got powers, because my father screwed up.
And because of that my life is yucky.
But one day I meet someone new.
Next thing you know I am a henchmen and all is wonderful and great and my power have a purpose.
Penny: Keep Your Head Up
(to the tune of Walk Through The Fire from, you guessed it, Buffy Once More With Feeling)
I help the world and it ignores me.
On and on and on.
Why do I try?
My life and world should be better.
I want it all to be right.
The Evil League Of Evil
(to the tune of If We're Together from Buffy Once More With Feeling, which is prob very shocking right now)
What part of the city can we not destroy?
Evil is our calling card and the heroes are away.
No one can stop us
Not even this new guy.
But which side is he on?
Dr. Horrible
(to the tune of Going Through The Motions from Buffy Once More With Feeling, a pattern I trust you figured out by now)
All the time
Dealing with idiots.
Who know less than nothing.
And now I can make a lasting difference.
Except for that hero!
Except for Captain Hammer!
And that is it for my crazed look at Dr. Horrible And Other Stories! Great wonderful tales, some that interconnect, and others that fill in backstory, and all a blast!
Plus, to the tune of The Mustard...
They did an amazing Introduction!
Some time ago the internet exploded with something wonderful and fun and beautiful.
That's right, Dr. Horrible Sing-Along Blog took over the world and made us better for it.
Except that I was an idiot and did not watch it till several years later. That's when I caught up with every other geek.
And still catching up!
At a FanExpo or so ago I scored a copy of Dr. Horrible And Other Horrible Stories, a graphic novel collecting a bunch of short stories all taking place in the wonderful world of horrible.
Dr. Horrible, by the way, is about a super villain fighting a super hero and how the love of a girl comes between them. It premiered online and starred Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion, and Felicia Day and was directed by the legendary Joss Whedon. And it has lots of singing.
Now the Dr. Horrible comic before me features stories written by Zack Whedon and with art by Eric Canete, Farel Dalrymple, Jim Rugg, Joelle Jones, and Scott Hepburn.
As for the stories themselves, well let take a note from Joss's songbook and spend a paragraph or so telling you about each story.
In Song!
Captain Hammer: Be Like Me
(to the tune of Bunnies from Buffy Once More With Feeling)
I'm a jerk!
I'm a jerk!
I am a very judgmental jerk!
Moist: Humidity Rising
(to the tune of I've Got A Theory from Buffy Once More With Feeling)
I've got powers, because my father screwed up.
And because of that my life is yucky.
But one day I meet someone new.
Next thing you know I am a henchmen and all is wonderful and great and my power have a purpose.
Penny: Keep Your Head Up
(to the tune of Walk Through The Fire from, you guessed it, Buffy Once More With Feeling)
I help the world and it ignores me.
On and on and on.
Why do I try?
My life and world should be better.
I want it all to be right.
The Evil League Of Evil
(to the tune of If We're Together from Buffy Once More With Feeling, which is prob very shocking right now)
What part of the city can we not destroy?
Evil is our calling card and the heroes are away.
No one can stop us
Not even this new guy.
But which side is he on?
Dr. Horrible
(to the tune of Going Through The Motions from Buffy Once More With Feeling, a pattern I trust you figured out by now)
All the time
Dealing with idiots.
Who know less than nothing.
And now I can make a lasting difference.
Except for that hero!
Except for Captain Hammer!
And that is it for my crazed look at Dr. Horrible And Other Stories! Great wonderful tales, some that interconnect, and others that fill in backstory, and all a blast!
Plus, to the tune of The Mustard...
They did an amazing Introduction!
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