Reprinting comics first published in 1989-1990 by Eclipse Comics, this Checker Book Publishing Group 2002 collection of adaptations of Clive Barker’s Books of Blood short stories is very gay-inclusive, and since, thanks to the publisher, I’ve had access to a copy, I wanted to tell you about it.
The first story is Human Remains, adapted by P. Craig Russell. Craig Russell has unfortunately not adapted a lot of contemporary writers. It’s a shame, because his work on Human Remains, a story on identity and the finer points of being human and one of Clive Barker’s best Books of Blood stories, is among his most accomplished.
A young handsome prostitute finds himself shadowed by a mysterious creature, a stone-like being from the Roman times who begins to shape himself to look like the hustler. How far will it go? Will the creature become truly human, and at what cost for the young man?As with all the good Books of Blood stories, the awfulness of the situation the characters find themselves in is instilled in small doses, creating an atmosphere of sensual dread, not unlike a demon whispering sweet things in one’s ears. Russell’s art is equally seductive, drawing in the reader with its depiction of this most beautiful man, this stuff of fantasies and desire. The horror comes later, with blood and knives. With the feeling the man is losing his humanity… although he doesn’t seem to have had much use for it until then. His body might be perfect - and Russell shows him from every angle - but his personality is as cold as the first stare the statue gives him. With the importance of realistic settings and body language all along the story, Human Remains proves if need be that Craig Russell isn’t only a great fantasy artist, but also a master of graphic storytelling in all its variety.
The second story, Pig Blood Blues, is illustrated by Scott Hampton. A new teacher arrives at a remand center for youths. He quickly realizes something weird is happening, with one of the young guys having disappeared recently, and the staff not seeming very concerned. There’s also a sty, where a very big sow seems to hold court. And then it gets ugly.
The relationships between the delinquent boys are strongly homoerotic, but not in a nice, friendly way. After all, this is a horror story. Hampton’s art is as graceful and unnerving as usual, and he has a knack for representing masculinity in all its forms.
Then comes In The Hills, The Cities, one of the strangest Books of Blood stories, since there’s no fantasy elements, but rather an excellent and disturbing use of an almost-possible idea. A gay couple finds themselves in Yugoslavia in a remote region where two villages have an unusual way of “warring”. A wonderful metaphor of conflicts and territorial identities, this story is different from the previous ones in that the fact that some of the characters are gay does not play a role in the narration. Their relationship, sex included, is just part of the story told, and that’s very refreshing (it was even more at the time when Barker’s original short story was published). You can see another illustration by the excellent John Bolton in my gallery (Bolton also worked on the very queer User).
The last story included in this volume which presents queer elements is The Madonna, ilustrated by Stan Woch. But it’s more concerned with gender and gender-bending than with gay characters or themes. That doesn’t mean it’s less interesting, of course – but I can’t show you more about it without ruining some of the story’s points.
As you can see, this volume is full of gay/queer themes and characters, and any amateur of Barker’s work should enjoy it. You can find it on the publisher’s site or at Amazon.
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