Pigeons From Hell [Paperback]

Joe R. Lansdale (Author), Nathan Fox (Author), Dave Stewart (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 27, 2009

Master horror storyteller Joe R. Lansdale throws his scathing wit and wild, otherworldly creations into the mix as he brings Robert E. Howard's classic tale of dark revenge to the present . . . and into the unwilling lives of the Blassenville mansion heirs, twin sisters Claire and Janet. When Griswell fled the Blassenville estate those many years ago, he couldn't have imagined the grotesque horrors that would eclipse the ones he saw then - but they're here! With more than twenty books to his credit, Joe R. Lansdale is an acclaimed storyteller. He's been called "an immense talent" by Booklist; "a born storyteller" by Robert Bloch; and The New York Times Book Review declares he has "a folklorist's eye for telling detail and a front-porch raconteur's sense of pace." He's won a ton of awards, including five Bram Stoker horror awards, a British Fantasy Award, the American Mystery Award, the Horror Critics Award, the "Shot in the Dark" International Crime Writer's award, the Booklist Editor's Award, the Critic's Choice Award, and a New York Times Notable Book award.

Product Details

• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: Dark Horse (January 27, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595822372
• ISBN-13: 978-1595822376
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,321,240 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great original Story but Doesn't Translate well to Modern Times, March 7, 2009

By 

Tim Janson (Michigan) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Pigeons From Hell (Paperback)

Pigeons from Hell was written by Robert E. Howard and is arguably his best non-Conan tale and one of the finest American horror stories ever written. This tale of voodoo and zombies set within a dilapidated Southern Mansion is powerfully creepy. Dark Horse has taken the tale and updated it to modern times, courtesy of Horror Master Joe R. Lansdale. While the modernization does cause it to lose a bit of atmosphere, this is a great tale and it would take a superhuman effort to mess it up. The Art and colors by Nathan Fox and Dave Stewart are fantastic and well-suited to the material. The book also comes with commentary by Lansdale, a cover gallery and sketch art.

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Gothic horrorfest team-up., June 2, 2011

By 

robert atkins (Kansas City, MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pigeons From Hell (Paperback)

Despite the other indifferent reviews, I found this series highly enjoyable for the same reasons that Stephen King's 'Creepshow' worked so well; horror works great with a touch of humor or campiness.

Never having read the Howard original, I'm not weighed down by that historical yardstick. From my perspective, any problems with an 'adaptation' from the original is moot. I mean, we're not reading a novella, we're reading a graphic novel, penned by a modern horror master and illustrated with strychnine-laced-candy art that reminds me of every great escapist horror B-movie I watched back in high school. I find Nathan Fox's artwork straddles that fine line between camp and horror, a perfect blend for a short series. I just wished the story was a little more fleshed out; perhaps that's where a 'Crypt Keeper' type narrator could have had a cameo...

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Another R.E.H. adaptation, March 2, 2009

By 

Urban Alchemy Press (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pigeons From Hell (Paperback)

If anyone is going to adapt Robert E. Howard's story, Pigeons From Hell, I'm glad it was Joe Lansdale. I've been a fan of his for years, and you can tell he put his heart and soul into this fairly faithful adaptation. I only gave it 3 stars for two reasons. The first is that the source material isn't all that compelling to me. The story is OK, but ventures through pretty familiar territory with several stereotypical characters thrown in the mix. Half way through the book I found myself wanting to hurry up and get to the end, and that's never a good sign. Secondly, Nathan Fox's art is perplexing. I really enjoyed his characters and some of the atmosphere (especially the decrepit house), but some panels left me wondering what the heck was going on (flip through it and you'll see what I mean). Some people like this style; I'm just not one of them.

Pigeons From Hell was readable, but ultimately a throwaway horror story I'm sure to soon forget. With that being said, I hope Lansdale gets some comic company to adapt some ORIGINAL material.