Getting A Second Chance At Life — Reviewing ‘The Twilight Zone’ #8
by Tom Smithyman
Overview
A washed-up actor laments his career and life until The Twilight Zone gives him the chance to correct his past mistakes. The story is quite familiar and straightforward while the visuals feel authentic to both the time period at the series.
Overall
8.5/10Imagine being able to correct one the biggest mistakes of your life.
In The Twilight Zone, it’s possible — sort of.
The latest issue in the black-and-white anthology series, titled “Hollywoodland”, deals with that intriguing prospect. Washed up B-actor Russell Colton somehow is transported back in time to 1959 on the last day of shooting the infamous bomb Attack of the Claws. The film, shot in all of 11 days, sank Colton’s career.
When we first meet him, Colton is a bitter old man, desperate for money since the studios aren’t calling on him. Some unexplained phenomenon (well, this is The Twilight Zone, after all) sends him back to the last day of shooting, where he meets his younger, cocky self as well as the leading lady he despised. Armed with knowledge of his future failures, Colton tries to convince his younger self to drop out of the movie.
Gabriel Hardman, who writes and illustrates “Hollywoodland”, isn’t breaking new ground with his script. It’s straightforward and simple, though not in a bad way. It feels true to the original television series. Things don’t work out as intended, but that was the point all along.
Hardman’s artistic style lends itself well to the black-and-white storytelling. He captures the spirit of the B-movies that Colton stars in, down to the massive crab that is threatening landlubbers. It’s wonderfully realistic and over the top at the same time. Hardman also sprinkles some nice scenes from the back lot, featuring background characters, including a cowboy and some kitschy astronauts.
Having a chance to correct past errors seems too good to be true. But how many of us would jump at the chance, no matter what the consequences?
The Twilight Zone #8 — written and illustrated by Gabriel Hardman and lettered by Jeff Eckleberry — is available in comic book stores and on digital platforms from IDW.
