Plot:
"It was a dark and stormy night..." and Kismet wants to hear some stories like her grandfather used to tell her as a child. Blackwell, Fortunado, Tiberius & Stargrave oblige her with four tales from their past. How they came to the Psycho Circus?
Story by Brian Holguin.
Pencils by Angel Medina.
Inks by Kevin Conrad.
Color by Brian Haberlin, Andy Troy and Dan Kemp.
Lettering by Comicraft's John Roshell.
KISS REFERENCES
Page 2 (Frame 1): The sphinx on the glass.
Reference: From the album: Hot In The Shade (1989).
Page 2 (Frame 1): Rock And Roll album cover on glass.
Reference: From the album: Rock And Roll Over (1976).
Page 6 (Frame 4): I swear by everything unholy.
Reference: From the album: Revenge (1992), song #1, Unholy.
Page 7 (Frame 1): Jonathon Blackwell... I have come for you.
Reference: From the album: Music From "The Elder" (1981), song #9, Mr. Blackwell.
Page 7 (Frame 1): To be a vessel of the Elder, an instrument of revenge and retribution.
Reference: From the album: Music From "The Elder" (1981).
Page 7 (Frame 1): To be a vessel of the Elder, an instrument of revenge and retribution.
Reference: From the album: Revenge (1992).
Page 8 (Frame 3): Fox make-up on Blackwell's chalice.
Reference: Eric Carr's character was the Fox.
Page 8 (Frame 4): The house on fire on Fortunado's hat.
Reference: From the album: KISS (1974), song #3, Firehouse.
Page 9 (On Fortunado's tale banner): Ankh logo.
Reference: It was the make-up used by Vinnie Vincent.
Page 9 (Frame 4): Penelope had taken up with a fellow named Reynard.
Reference: Cut the "y" in Reynard and you get Renard which means Fox in french, of course Fox was Eric Carr's character.
Page 10 (Frame 4): ...bring a fresh bottle, Pierre.
Reference: Pierre means Peter in french, Peter Criss.
Page 11 (Frame 4): I confessed myself to the police and...
Reference: From the album: Carnival Of Souls-The Final Sessions (1997), song #10, I Confess.
Page 12 (Frame 1): Fortunado, l'étoile, I have come for you.
Reference: Étoile means star in french. Paul Stanley is the Starbearer.
Page 12 (Frame 1): ...by being a humble vessel of the Elder.
Reference: From the album: Music From "The Elder" (1981).
Page 12(On the banner): Japanese symbol.
Reference: This is the KISS Japanese symbol.
Page 16 (On the banner): Fox make-up on the drum.
Reference: Eric Carr character was the Fox.
Page 19 (Frame 3) & Page 20 (Frame 3): Two sides of the same coin.
Reference: From the album: Unmasked (1980), song #7, Two Sides Of The Coin.
Page 20 (Frame 1): ...talk of placing him in the asylum.
Reference: From the album: Asylum (1985).
The return of Kismet, which makes it nice to see the return and evolution of some characters. This comic could have easily been made into four issues. Each member of the circus tell their story about how they got into it. This is the best issue and story to date. I think this issue, in my point of view is a classic. Again the cover is great. They've dropped down the references for this one, less than in issue #8 and placed in a more subtle way.