Comics are not all superheroes and villains. If you know where to look, you can find all different kinds of stories in the pages of comic books. Readers who like stories of the supernatural should take a look at a current three-issue limited series from Radical Comics, “Driver for the Dead.” Issue one was released last month, and issue two comes out this coming Wednesday.
Written and created by John Heffernan, this story is about Alabaster Graves, who is not just any hearse driver. Graves only drives special clients, those somehow involved with the supernatural. He is called to transport a special client, legendary voodoo priest Mose Freeman, who died saving a young boy from an evil voodoo practitioner. When Freeman’s great-granddaughter insists on coming along for the trip, she has no idea what awaits her, especially since she does not know who she truly is, and the power she possesses.
This story has many supernatural elements, not just voodoo priests. There are zombies, revenants, vampires, werewolves, and more. However, the story is not cluttered. Every character, from the main ones to the supporting ones to the cast of extras all have a purpose in the story. Heffernan has done a wonderful job of weaving all the elements of the story, and while there were some questions raised in the first issue, the second clears up many of them. He has written a compelling story, and the second issue propels us strongly into the third, making us want to know what happens.
The art, by Leonardo Manco, is outstanding. With much of the action of the story taking place in the Louisiana bayous, Manco has given us great images of area, both beautiful and eerie. He has also done a nice job on the various monsters and creatures in the story.
Readers should be warned that this series is intended for adult readers. There is adult language, as well as graphic images of blood and violence.
I highly recommend this series. This is not like some other supernatural stories that are either corny or too complicated. The mix of history, old wives tales, and mystic arts is perfectly blended for a very enjoyable read. If the third issue lives up to the previous two, it will be one of the year’s best series.
