Industriacide

    (Rorschach, 2002)
™ and © 2004 Sean Dietrich

Industriacide is less a comic book than a dark stream–of–consciousness rant against the world, personified in the form of vicious children and a teddy bear. To say this smacks of the work of Jhonen Vasquez, especially Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, is an understatement, except that, while writer and artist Sean Dietrich captures Vasquez’ bloody violence and dark themes, he misses the humor. An undercurrent of dark comedy is behind almost every Vasquez work and it’s sadly missing here, leaving a downbeat, unreadable mess.

It’s not to say that there are no redeeming qualities. Dietrich is obviously a talented artist, and, as art alone, he’s drawn a fine 120 pages. But the captions drone on, hiding the pretty pictures. There’s even a long, badly lettered text introduction that drones on forever before the art finally shows up.

Perhaps Dietrich would have been better off illustrating someone else’s stories. As it is, Industriacide is hard to stomach, something even a Goth would find depressing. Even those who buy their happy pills and comics on the same day may want to avoid this.

— Steve Horton
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#2

March, 2011
Cover Price: $2.95
1 copy available for $9.60 		  
#3


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Book #1

February, 2004
Cover Price: $11.99
1 copy available for $5.74 		Sean DietrichSean Dietrich