By MATT SCHORR
It’s October.
It’s the Halloween season.
What say we look back at some classic horror comics?
Perhaps the most sought after horror series in the past few decades is Jason VS. Leatherface. This little beauty was published in 1996 by the now defunct Topps Comics, and for whatever reason, it’s almost viewed as a Holy Grail among horror comics aficionados. It comprised of three issues, and some of them sell for as much as $20.
Why is anyone’s guess.
Jason VS. Leatherface #1
Don’t get me wrong. I actually enjoyed this story. Writer Nancy Collins was one of the first to try giving Jason Voorhees a bit of character, and she succeeds. She manages to weave a fascinating tapestry of the infamous killer’s psyche, without going overboard and reducing him to a sniffling child. (George Lucas, I’m looking at you.)
Leatherface, although his personality isn’t explored in quite as much detail, is also an interesting and sympathetic character. He’s mentally deficient, much like Jason, but he behaves much more like a child. Where Jason shows ZERO emotion, Leatherface often wears his feelings on his sleeve. Of the two in this showdown, he’s the undoubtedly most vulnerable.
Plus, nevermind his emotional state, Leatherface also has the most to lose here, since the bulk of this story takes place in his home among his family.
The story itself, while riddled with flaws, has its entertaining points. Jason is driven from his watery grave by corporate fatcats who want to turn Crystal Lake into a toxic waste dump (boo capitalism!). He somehow ends up on a train and arrives in Texas, where he comes face to face with Texas’ most famous chainsaw-totin’ maniac. There’s a brief confrontation, but that ends when Leatherface’s family decides Jason’s one of them. He’s invited to their home, where he lives for a couple of days without incident. That changes, however, when a series of misunderstandings lead Jason to attack them, and the family manages to subdue him and dump in a nearby swamp. And, of course, Jason finds his way home to Crystal Lake again.
You can’t keep a good killer down.
Jason VS. Leatherface #2
While the interactions between Jason and Leatherface’s family are interesting, it’s impossible not to feel let down by the lack of a real battle between the two. The only time the titular characters square off is very briefly on the first issue, and the climax involves Jason chasing them through the house until he’s brought down by a mallet to the head.
Then, there are the most glaring flaws. For instance, Leatherface’s family members are referred to only as “Cook” and “Hitchhiker,” and they look nothing like their cinematic counterparts. (In fact, they kind of look like they were ripped from the cover of Mad Magazine.) Also, Jason’s mother is no longer Pamela Voorhees as played by Betsy Palmer; instead, she’s a hideously overweight woman named Doris.
In fact, everyone—except Jason—looks cartoonish. It almost looks like the artist didn’t take the source material (or his job) very seriously. That hurts this series quite a bit.
Others have ripped this series to pieces in their reviews. While I won’t pretend it’s great, I don’t think it deserves all the hate it receives, either. It was interesting seeing Jason’s thoughts expressed for the first time, and his attempts at friendship with Leatherface and his ilk were oddly touching. Collins was on to a few things here. It’s a shame she didn’t capitalize on them more. Later renditions of the characters by Avatar and DC were much more satisfying.
Jason VS. Leatherface #3
If I had to rate this, I’d give it two stars out of five. It’s worth reading, just not for the outrageous price so many demand for it.
The fact this series has become as “legendary” as it has is likely more of a statement as to what horror comics fans were willing to accept at the time it was published, rather than a testament to its quality. Not to mention how spoiled today’s fans probably are.
—-
Order Matt’s new book!