Friday the 13th (Special) #1
Friday the 13th (Special) #1
Written by Brian Pulido
Art by Mike Wolfer
Released: 2005
Publisher: Avatar Press
Premise: In 2005, Avatar Press began releasing titles from New Line Cinema’s “House of Horror” license, which includes A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, and Platinum Dune’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. To kick off their titles, Avatar released one-shot “special” issues serving as an introduction to the New Line characters and premises.
After the events of Freddy vs. Jason, Laura Upland has had it. She’s one of two squabbling siblings who have inherited the land Camp Crystal Lake was built on. Their latest stalemate is how to deal with the destruction done at the Crystal Lake Resorts. Laura KNOWS Jason Voorhees caused it. He is out there and until he’s done in, they won’t be able to sell those lucrative time-shares. Unknown to her brother Miles, she enacts a plan to kill Jason that will rip her family apart. Literally. Can a paramilitary group, armed to the teeth, survive against a supernatural unstoppable killing machine? Take a guess.
Plot Breakdown (spoilers): Mike and Pam are parked outside Crystal Lake, their van near the side of the road. While the couple engages in various sexual activities, a paramilitary group is hunting the supernatural killer Jason Voorhees nearby. As Jason appears and kills the soldiers one by one, it is revealed that two months ago, the owners of Crystal Lake, Laura and Miles, are facing bankruptcy as a result of the events in Freddy vs. Jason. Much of the equipment used to build their upcoming resort community was destroyed, all of which was uninsured. Laura, driven by revenge, hired the military group to take Jason down once and for all. Laura’s and Miles’s father had built the original Camp Crystal Lake and Laura despised Jason for destroying her father’s life work. While the soldiers are slaughtered, Laura monitors the scene from a helicopter flying above, remembering her vow to destroy Jason. Meanwhile, Mike and Pam, hearing the commotion, are forced to make a run for it after a dead soldier lands on their van, demolishing it. After the last of her soldiers are killed, Laura uses the chopper’s armaments against Jason; albeit to no avail. Jason responds by killing the helicopter’s pilot, forcing the chopper to crash into a nearby tree. Laura manages to escape the crash however, landing in Crystal Lake. From the lake, she challenges Jason, explaining her intense hatred to him. Jason doesn’t come after, and instead, causes the helicopter to come down on her, slicing her to ribbons. Later, as Mike and Pam walk down the road back to town, they are quickly decapitated by Jason, who had finally caught up to his intended prey.
The Good: This story seamlessly explains to the reader what Jason is all about; all while tying the events in with Freddy vs. Jason. Jason-based stories easily fit the comic book medium, and this story proves to be no exception. Writing is solid here, as is Wolfer’s artwork – which is clean and detailed. A lot of violence, gore, and nudity make up this tale, sure to make Friday fans happy.
The Bad: Like the other Avatar specials, while this issue is entertaining, it really doesn’t offer long term interest. New ideas are presented, but can’t be fully developed because of the page constraint, leaving the reader wanting. New or casual readers might be put off by this however, an overall throwaway tale.
Final Comments: Friday the 13th (Special) #1 is a fine introductory issue, introducing new readers to Jason Voorhees. Friday fans will enjoy this story; however casual readers might feel indifferent overall.
Grade: B
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