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    The Cape
    The Cape
    The Cape
    Ebook42 pages36 minutes

    The Cape

    By Joe Hill

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    From the New York Times bestselling author of NOS4A2 and Horns comes this e-short story—from Joe Hill’s award-winning collection 20th Century Ghosts.

    Imogene is young and beautiful. She kisses like a movie star and knows everything about every film ever made. She's also dead and waiting in the Rosebud Theater for Alec Sheldon one afternoon in 1945. . . .

    Arthur Roth is a lonely kid with big ideas and a gift for attracting abuse. It isn't easy to make friends when you're the only inflatable boy in town. . . .

    Francis is unhappy. Francis was human once, but that was then. Now he's an eight-foot-tall locust and everyone in Calliphora will tremble when they hear him sing. . . .

    John Finney is locked in a basement that's stained with the blood of half a dozen other murdered children. In the cellar with him is an antique telephone, long since disconnected, but which rings at night with calls from the dead. . . .

     

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateFeb 3, 2009
    ISBN9780061843730
    Author

    Joe Hill

    Joe Hill is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the novels The Fireman, NOS4A2, Horns, and Heart-Shaped Box; Strange Weather, a collection of novellas; and the acclaimed story collections Full Throttle and 20th Century Ghosts. He is also the Eisner Award–winning writer of a seven-volume comic book series, Locke & Key. Much of his work has been adapted for film and TV, including NOS4A2 (AMC), Locke & Key (Netflix), In the Tall Grass (Netflix), and The Black Phone (Blumhouse).

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    Reviews for The Cape

    3.5/5

    83 ratings12 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Following this will be a series of quick reviews for all the comics/graphic novels I've been devouring!

      The Cape was the first graphic novel I borrowed from my library's new comic lending service. I'm slightly addicted to Joe Hill right now. His writing is just so dark, and yet poignant. He shows the worst parts of people, and makes you question what is lurking inside yourself. Crazy.

      This graphic novel is dark. It's violent, and slightly uncomfortable at times. Often when we see super powers in comics it's all about heroes and villains. But what if you're just a normal person? What if your past has drilled a seed of hate deep into your heart, and you suddenly realize that you're able to do something about it?

      Power corrupts people. Joe Hill proves it.
    • 4/5
      Easily read in half an hour. The story of a young boy who has held a grudge all his life and gets the means to act on his feelings. The art work really adds to the story.
    • 4/5
      This is a very dark yet exceptionally well-written and illustrated graphic novel by an author who has long stopped relying on his family to establish his reputation as a top-notch horror writer.
    • 4/5
      The premise: ganked form BN.com: Every little boy dreams about putting on a cape and soaring up, up, and away... but what if one day that dream were to come true? Eric was like every other eight-year-old boy, until a tragic accident changed his life forever. THE CAPE explores the dark side of power, as the adult Eric - a confused and broken man - takes to the skies... and sets out to exact a terrible vengeance on everyone who ever disappointed him. This critically acclaimed, Eisner-Award nominated story, written by Jason Ciaramella, based on the short story by New York Times bestselling author Joe Hill, with art by Zach Howard and Nelson Daniel, will linger with you long after you turn the last page, and force you to ask yourself the question: "What if?"My Rating: Good ReadObviously, I was quite pleased. I took a few days to read this just to let myself really absorb the story and the actions that were pushing it forward. I can't say I've read anything quite like this, especially in terms of the violence. But for anyone wanting a twist on the superhero story, this is so worth it, almost a must-have. Just don't say I didn't warn you: it's dark.Spoilers, yay or nay?: Nay. I don't want to ruin the surprise of this story, so not only will there be no spoilers, so the full review will be short and sweet. I've linked directly to the review below, so for anyone interested, comments and discussion are always welcome.REVIEW: Joe Hill's THE CAPEHappy Reading!
    • 4/5
      I'm not sure what the publication history of this comic is but it appears that other reviewers are discussing either a one-shot issue, a middle issue or a preview. I will stick with the comic as I read it, which is a five-issue limited series bound together into a single graphic novel. To begin with, this is a dark story which I was not quite expecting, although I probably should have been considering the author. The art is rich and lends to the mood well. The story begins well with a little bit of a punch to end the first chapter (don't read other reviews because they will spoil this). The rest builds on this by providing glimpses into the background of the main character adding to your understanding of him. The other characters are very developed though. There are some interesting snippets of dialog that are repeated or inverted throughout.I have no real complaints, but wasn't really floored by it. Although the basic idea was interesting, and the art was good, the execution stalls a bit in places and although one gets into Eric's head through the backstory, his actions just go so far beyond what that sets up for us.
    • 4/5
      I got the first chapter of The Cape volume 1 to review through netgalley(dot)com. This looks to be a rather dark and disturbing comic, not surprising given that Joe Hill also writes Locke and Key (which I love). The first chapter was interesting and well done but didn't completely sell me on the comic yet. Eric suffered a horrible accident as a child and as a result he uses the Blue Cape that gives him superpowers for evil. This initial chapter shows the reader Eric's past and then shows a quick story about how he used the Cape for evil. Definitely an adults only comic. In the first chapter there is nudity, gore, and language.The flashback to Eric's past was a little confusing. The only reason I knew what was going on is because I read the synopsis for The Cape. It took me a bit to realize that the kid in the hospital bed was Eric as a kid. The illustration is very detailed and well done, muted colors match the dark theme of the story.Although the concept of a Cape used by a superhero gone evil is interesting I wasn't totally drawn into the story. The first chapter greats us with a gory description of a woman who has thrown herself off of a building, a somewhat gratuitous scene of a naked woman having sex with Eric's brother, and a scene in which police are mauled to death by a bear. The Locke and Key series drew me in and was really interesting and mysterious from the get-go. I think The Cape has potential but in this chapter all I see is a lot of violence and gore and I can't see what larger plot the story is hinting at.This is one of those things where I think I am going to need to hold my judgement until I get to read more of the book. Everything is decently done, but I am not sure if the story will be intriguing enough to stick with given how incredibly dark it is. I am not really a horror fan; and if I am going to do horror I need a heavy fantasy element to hold my attention.Overall I am not sure about this one. It seems well done, but the first chapter didn't provide enough story to draw me in. I would personally recommend waiting to see what initial reviews of the whole book end up saying. Unless you are a bit fan of horror graphic novels, this might appeal more to horror fans.
    • 4/5
      Quick read about a young man who has lost his mind after gaining the power of flight. Nice, compact plot. Good artwork.
    • 4/5
      You know that old saying, never judge a book by its cover? Joe Hill's The Cape is the perfect book to apply that wisdom to. On the cover, we see a man hovering above the ground, donning a cape and dressed in a t-shirt, ripped jeans and tennis shoes. Without knowing anything about the story, you've got to assume he's an unlikely superhero. However, if you crack the cover and dive into the story, you'll be as shocked as I was when the story switches gears taking the reader in an entirely different direction.

      As an eight year old boy, Eric shares the dream of many children his age, to strap on a cape and fight the never ending battle against evil. However, as a child, Eric suffers a tragic accident and his future becomes forever altered. Years later, Eric's life has spiraled out of control and he's developed a hatred for those he feels have emotionally abandoned him.

      The severe headaches that have plagued him since the accident never subside and when his relationship with his girlfriend falls apart, he begins to suspect she's sleeping with his older brother. It's really the perfect storm that creates the monster he becomes. One night after finding his childhood cape in his mother's home, he discovers it gives him the power of flight. Rather than using this new found ability for good, he decides to seek vengeance against those who've wronged him.

      Joe Hill's got some great ideas floating around in that furry noggin of his and in my quest to consume everything he's written, I've experienced some fantastic fiction. The Cape is no exception. While he may not have been as hands on in the publication of the graphic novel, he did write the original story on which it's based. Appearing in his short story compilation, 20th Century Ghosts, The Cape is a story about how we choose to react to the misfortunes in our lives. While some can simply take them as learning experiences and move on, others swallow them deep down creating a stockpile of grudges and anger. Unfortunately for those around him, Eric embraces the latter method.

      It should be worth nothing that Zach Howard and Nelson Daniel's art is very reminiscent of Gabriel Rodriguez's work on Locke & Key. It has just enough of a cartoon feel to keep the subject matter from getting too dark. It's appreciated because in all honestly, not a lot of light escapes this story.
    • 5/5
      Perfect. Never be nasty mean to others. Or else. haha
    • 5/5
      The story of the cape was published in 20th Century Ghosts. It was such a popular and bizarre story of a grown man who rediscovers the power to fly using a cape. I was excited to hear that the story had been turning into a comic book mini-series (4 issues) but I wasn’t overly excited to read it since I had read it already. That didn’t mean I wasn’t curious so I accepted when the offer came to review the first issues. I was blown away. The illustrations are just creepy enough to give you the full impression of this character’s mental health. The story is just strange but more importantly this issue starts where the short story ends. Eric’s girlfriend has fallen to her death and the cops believe there’s something more going on here. However, it’s hard to understand how a woman fell to her death when there was nothing to fall from. We know what happened but will everyone else discover how Eric got his revenge and will they believe it. This issue is just as bizarre as the original story and you really don’t like Eric but you can understand him. His life is not all that great and he sees his problems as the fault of those around him. I can’t wait to pick up more issues to find out how Joe Hill resolves this story.
    • 4/5
      love this talented author!
    • 4/5
      This was a good prequel to the original The Cape graphic novel. Ciaramella seems to have a solid grasp on the storyline, greatly expanded from the Joe Hill short story, but honestly, I kind of hope this is the end for the series. This was good, but not as good as The Cape. And I have a feeling it will be a series of diminishing returns at this point if it continues. But I would recommend both The Cape and The Cape: 1969.

    Book preview

    The Cape - Joe Hill

    The Cape

    A Story from the Collection

    20th Century Ghosts

    Joe Hill

    To Leanora:

    WE ARE MY FAVORITE STORY

    Contents

    Begin Reading The Cape

    Acknowledgments

    Abouttheauthor

    Other Books by Joe Hill

    Credits

    Copyright

    About the Publisher

    THE CAPE

    We were little.

    I was the Red Bolt and I went up the dead elm in the corner of our yard to get away from my brother, who wasn’t anyone, just himself. He had friends coming over and he wanted me not to exist, but I couldn’t help it: I existed.

    I had his mask and I said when his friends got there I was going to reveal his secret identity. He said I was lunch meat, and stood below, chucking stones at me, but he threw like a girl, and I quickly climbed out of range.

    He was too old to play superheroes. It had happened all of a sudden, with no warning. He had spent whole days leading up to Halloween dressed as The Streak, who was so fast the ground melted under his feet as he ran. Then Halloween was over and he didn’t want to be a hero anymore. More than that, he wanted everyone to forget he had ever been one, wanted to forget himself, only I wouldn’t let him, because I was up in a tree with his mask, and his friends were coming over.

    The elm had been dead for years. Whenever it was windy, the gusts sheared off branches and flung them across the lawn. The scaly bark splintered and snapped away under the toes of my sneakers. My brother wasn’t inclined to follow—beneath his dignity—and it was intoxicating to escape from him.

    At first I climbed without thought, scrambling higher than I ever had before. I went into a kind of tree-climbing trance, getting off on altitude and my own seven-year-old agility. Then I heard my brother shout up that he was ignoring me (sure proof that he wasn’t) and I remembered what had sent me up the elm in the first place. I set my eye on a long, horizontal branch, a place where I could sit, dangle my feet, and taunt my brother into a frenzy without fear of repercussions. I swept the cape back over my shoulders and climbed on, with a purpose.

    The cape had started life as my lucky blue blanket and had kept me company since I was two. Over the years, the color had faded from a deep, lustrous blue to a tired pigeon gray. My mother had cut it down to cape size and stitched a red felt lightning bolt in the center of it. Also sewn to it was a Marine’s patch, one of my father’s. It showed the number 9, speared through by a lightning bolt. It had come home from Vietnam in his foot locker. He hadn’t come with it. My mother flew the black P.O.W. flag from the front porch, but even then

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