‘Hillbilly: Red Eyed Witchery From Beyond’ – Powell, Di Meo, D’Armini (Albatross)

I told you wouldn’t leave it too long before taking on the next volume of ‘Hillbilly’… 😉 I’m slowly getting back into the routine of the early morning commute so have been looking for books that won’t ask a lot of me when I’m on a bus at half six in the morning. Nothing against those slightly lighter reads but, you know what I mean don’t you? I’m after something that won’t tax my tired brain too much but also something that will help me to forget that I’m on a bus at some daft hour of the morning. A book like ‘Red Eyed Witchery From Beyond’ for example.

As I’ve read through the ‘Hillbilly’ books (you can read my reviews for volume 1, volume 2 and volume 3) I’ve found myself getting into Rondel’s world more and more. Not just the story (although that is great, don’t get me wrong) but those forbidding woods, dark streams and isolated villages that make up the background. That was just I needed to distract me, from an early morning trip down the Old Kent Road, so this morning, I got reading…

A terror from beyond the stars has descended on the hills to spread fear among the people. When Boss Krugen employs Rondel to find out what this black power has done with his lost kin, Rondel may have found an evil beyond even what the wielder of the Devil's Cleaver can handle. 

‘Red Eyed Witchery From Beyond’ was just the right length to start reading as the bus pulled away and finish reading a couple of minutes before my stop. As far as the bit in between goes, well… I didn’t even notice the journey, ‘Red Eyed Witchery From Beyond’ had me absolutely hooked by the plot and entranced by the world that it all happens in. One question though… Where was Lucille? I suspect my favourite giant bear was left out so we could see how Rondel managed by himself, for a change (and there are no surprises there), but it was still a shame not to see her though. Oh well, it’s not the end of the world.

The plot is fairly simple but that serves to emphasis the weirdness (and element of the ‘creepily unknown’) that Rondel faces in these ‘wood boogers’ which is funny when you think about it. Give him a witch or goblin and Rondel knows exactly what to do with his cleaver but when he faces the alien creature, Rondel just loses it; his mind cannot cope with the sudden knowledge that there is a world beyond what he knows, it’s all very Lovecraftian. Rondel is a hero though so falls back on what he does know, his cleaver will cut through anything.  And that’s it really, sometimes that’s all you can do if you have aliens swarming you. And that’s all this plot needs really (a little quest and lots of fights), the book runs with it very well. The change in artist, for part four, is an excellent move in that it really gives us a sense of how reality is unfolding around Rondel, to the point where he meets a possible future version of himself that has been imprisoned on the alien ship (rock?) for a long time. D’Armini’s art does come very close to overshadowing how Rondel wins through, you have to go looking for it but it’s there. I think there’s a good mix of art styles across the book actually, it was good to see Powell and Stewart back together though (and providing the art/colours for part 3), they complement each other near perfectly.

‘Red Eyed Witchery From Beyond’ was another simply told, yet gripping (weird) read that has me hoping that we haven’t seen the last of Rondel’s adventures. I need more of his tales to get me to work in the morning 😉 Fingers crossed…