Graphic Novel Review: DEAD, SHE SAID by Steve Niles & Bernie Wrightson

I'm a fan of writer Steve Niles who created the classic 30 Days of Night series and was behind the ultimate adaptation of Richard Matheson's I Am Legend. I'm also an old school fan of Bernie Wrightson who brought Stephen King's Cycle of the Werewolf to life as well as Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, among many others, so, when I heard that the two had collaborated on the series Dead, She Said I was very excited. The only problem is that it's just an okay story that's not either of these two storytellers best work.

Dead, She Said is the story of Detective Coogan who wakes up one morning to realize that he was shot and dead but somehow he is able to walk around as if nothing was the matter. The rest of the story concerns Coogan's search for the truth behind who killed him and why which leads to fantastic experiments with a mad scientist, giant killer ants, and other strange monstrosities.

The story is very short (at only originally three issues) so the story is brisk and fast and sometimes I believe the actual meat of the story suffers because of it. Unlike Niles' Freaks of the Heartland or I Am Legend (which both had time to build the story and create a unique universe) this story unfolds like Niles original 30 Days of Night series (also only three issues) without the unique concept and eerie atmosphere. In fact, Dead, She Said places more like a sci-fi mystery than a horror story.

Although the story is not as strong as some of Niles' other works Wrightson's artwork is always top notch which saves this story. He is so detailed and exact that he brings the story to life when it could have easily been a horrible book altogether. Another asset to the book is Grant Goleash who does the colors. With Wrightson & Goleash this book is like a throwback to '60s monster and sci-fi films and these stories will get into Dead, She Said.

To fill up the graphic novel there are wonderful supplements which include an art gallery with the covers to the series , a reprint of Wrightson's The Monsters color-the-Creature Book, and a reprint of Wrightson's short story "Ain't She Sweet?" all of which make the graphic well worth the purchase price.