The Blackest Night and Aquaman team of Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis continue their epic horror series! Picture, if you will, a holiday season filled not with joy or cheer, but with shadows and secrets. Enter a man known only as Mr. X-Ray. His journey is a desperate one, seeking escape from the inescapable. Standing in his way, an innocent malevolence: Pranky, a boy scout who lives not to serve his fellow man, but to serve the dark power that presides over Hyde Street. Yet, during this strange Christmas tale, these two unlikely figures may find common ground... or not.
Theres a standard horror trope that always has audiences cheering on the horror. Theres always that sense that the people being victimized might actually deserve it in some way. It helps get audiences on the side of the horror before the final girl survives or the hero is pulled through the hell of it all in triumph. The genius of Hyde Street is that it tends to focus on the victims who deserve whats coming to them without too much distraction from the rest of what makes horror so horrifying. It focusses on the fun at the beginning of the horror story...when youre still enjoying the horrors do their thing. Read Full Review
Geoff Johns keeps us entertained with terrific horror narratives, showcasing the wickedly cruel Pranky and the more methodical Mr. X-Ray as they seek justice during the Christmas holidays by confronting a heartless thief. The art team delivers stunning imagery that complements the narrative perfectly. Read Full Review
HYDE STREET #3 is another killer (*ahem*) issue when Pranky mentors Mr. X-Ray to increase his collection count, but it doesn't go well. Geoff Johns's knack for crafting expanding worlds that grow on you will pull you in, and the art team's presentation is fantastic. Read Full Review
Hyde Street #3 is a cautious tale of a Santa gone rogue but, moreso how our upbringing can leave us with choices of how we choose to live eternally. The team introduces moral conundrums and even brings in a frightening character leaving us with the thought of redemption that we did not know was possible on this demonic street. Mr. X-Ray and Pranky are being built up to square off in an upcoming battle and one I cannot wait to see unfold. Read Full Review
Reis delivers beautiful art throughout the issue. I love the brilliantly detailed pages and panels as well as the character designs. Read Full Review
Hyde Street #3 delivers its own horrific take on the holidays, introducing a new character while continuing to inch forward with its macabre mystery. Even if it's after Christmas, this issue might make readers think twice about looking under the tree when December rolls around this year. Read Full Review
Pranky continues to delight! These GM books and characters have me hooked for sure! Keep cranking out this great stuff guys!
Love the Twilight Zone vibe, the dark humor, everything. Great art too, awesome book.
Plot
This episode takes place on Christmas Eve and tells how Pranky visits Mr. X-Ray to teach him how to seize souls for this demonic being called Scorekeeper, who has control over all of Hyde Street. Pranky does this against his will, because he is forced by Scorekeeper.
Mr. X-Ray knows that the only way to escape Hyde Street is to deliver ten thousand souls to Scorekeeper, currently Pranky has eighteen thousand, but he does not want to leave this place, because here he can be cruel to the adults who disappointed him as a child, he is an eternal child living his perverse dream.
The victim is a thief who pretends to be Santa Claus and robs all the houses at Christmas, disappointing children and ruining Christmas. more
Wow, great comic. Horror comics usual bore me, but with this unique twist it's truly something special.
This issue didn’t work as well as the previous two in my opinion. There were panels in which I didn’t quite know what’s happening, and the ending wasn’t a satisfying conclusion to this Christmas-themed story. Having said that, the book was still a joy to read and I’m so intrigued by the concept of Hyde Street. I really have no idea where this series is heading and that’s a good thing.
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