Comic: The First Death of Laurie Strode (#1)

Last Updated on July 27, 2021

 “It’s
time, Michael,” Loomis calmly affirmed in his stern, English drawl.  The
Shape only offered one final blank stare as his doctor ignited the gas that
was filling the room.  A great explosion rocked the first floor of
Haddonfield General and the nightmare for Laurie Strode was apparently over…
or not? Although we all witnessed The Shape collapse amidst a
literal suit of flames, we were never given a full confirmation of his
demise.

And so ended HALLOWEEN II. Then came the SEASON OF THE
WITCH, which taught the HALLOWEEN franchise a very important lesson: 
never kill off your horror icon.  Hence, The Shape returned, ten years
later, in the series’ next installment thus paving the way for a somewhat
fun, but mostly inferior string of sequels (parts 4, 5, and 6).  Although
Donald Pleasance did improbably return as Loomis, there was no Jamie Lee
Curtis, no original Myers house, and a lame and thorny, I mean, corny
supernatural subplot.

In my opinion, the series finally got back on track
with installment number 7, which coincidentally celebrated the original’s 20^th
anniversary: HALLOWEEN H20.  Jamie Lee Curtis finally returned and the
ill-conceived scenarios developed in parts 4, 5, and 6 were smartly
abandoned.  The magic of the first two films was reignited (even without
Donald Pleasance who sadly passed away before production began).  I’m going
to stop right there because the abomination that was HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION
(minus the first ten minutes) does not deserve to be depicted.

My question to you is, have you ever wondered what
would have went down between 2 and 7 (if the inferior sequels were all
disregarded)?  I know I have.  Fortunately, the very creative minds of
Stefan Hutchinson and Devil’s Due Publishing have also, which has led to the
birth of the new mini-series comic HALLOWEEN: THE FIRST DEATH OF LAURIE
STRODE. 

I’m going to go out right away and say that for any
true HALLOWEEN fan (myself included) this book is an absolute must! First
off, the nostalgia factor:  the series picks up precisely where HALLOWEEN II
ended.  The Shape was just burnt to a crisp and Laurie was taken away in an
ambulance to safety.  HOWEVER, the remains of Michael were never discovered
and Laurie has slipped into a dark, fearful depression.  Although this is only the first part of the comic
series (a fast 27 pages), I could tell right from the get-go the writing was
of the highest caliber and completely nailed the original HALLOWEEN’s
essence.  The authenticity! 

Everything that occurred was an ideal and
well-thought-out continuation of the story (with some witty insight into
actions Laurie will take as a grown up).  I truly felt like I was
transported directly back to 1978. Not to be outdone by the words, the
illustrations are nothing short of top notch.  From the gorgeously creepy
depictions of Michael’s mask to a gory car wreck to a kind wink at SEASON OF
THE WITCH, I was caught in a kaleidoscope of warm autumnal colors and
authentic facial expressions.  Each page was a pleasure to behold.

If there were any problems I had with this part one of
the series, it’d be that it ended too fast and just left me hanging.  This
is such an outstanding read that I seriously could have finished the entire
series in an hour.  You’d think that with the focus being mostly on Laurie
Strode and the whereabouts of The Shape widely unknown, the story would lack
proper action and suspense.  Allow me to be the first to drive an 8-inch
kitchen knife through that thought.  I got more enjoyment out of these first
27 pages than I did from the thorny films 4 through 6.  All I can say
is, “Bring on the next entries in this comic’s series!”

GET THE FIRST DEATH OF LAURIE STRODE HERE