Basketful of Heads is an homage to 1980s slasher horror and it is glorious. There are also quite a few Jaws references which made my little shark heart happy, but I digress... June Branch has come to Brody Island to visit her boyfriend, Liam, on his last day as a summer police officer on the island. As they are headed home, they see prisoners lined up alongside the road and learn that four have escaped. The Chief assures them that everything is under control and sends Liam and June to his house to let his family know. When the escaped prisoners show up and June attacks one with an ancient axe, heads start to roll.

This book is the definition of cool and I loved every moment of it. Killer story and illustrations. Give me everything from this universe.

A fantastic throwback to old school horror movies and the nostalgia of 80s flicks. It's fun, crazy, and dark. Definitely a great read for fans that enjoy something that calls back to the wilder days of horror.

This was too much fun to read. It's honestly in the vein (teehee!) of some of my favorite horror movies, deftly mixing surreal horror and comedy into a feast for the eyes and the brain.

This is EC horror for the 21st century. With absolutely gonzo concepts and art, this title cranks to 11 early on and leaves it there the whole time. Small-town crime, big-time revenge: this is a one-sitting read.

ARC from Netgalley.
My next installment in reading through the Hill House Comics, Basketful of Heads was outstanding!
Completely reminded me of a Tales From the Crypt episode, or maybe the newer Creepshow. The plot was fairly detailed, once it got into the revealing of what was really going on, but the basic premise is: June and her boyfriend Liam (who is a cop) get caught on the island where they live during a storm. Some criminals have escaped and taken Liam hostage. June finds an axe to defend herself, but a twist happens... when she decapitates a criminal, his head stays alive!
Who are the real criminals? What did they take? Is Liam bad or good? How many heads can June chop?
I'll leave the rest to your discovery. Definitely read this title!
Strong recommend.

I took way too long to read this series and that's a damn shame because I loved it!
I don't want to tell too much of the story. We meet June Branch and her boyfriend along with local law enforcement and the family. Then a storm surges and the power is out, the perfect time for criminals to act. Four criminals take June's boyfriend and all she has is her wits and an 8th century Viking axe with a surprising power that ties into the series title.
This story keeps getting more and more intense with each issue. But if you like horror and can be in on the joke it is one of the funnest and most absurd ideas I've seen in years. June keeps herself alive through engrossing decisions, mistakes, and fate. Plus some voices. And I was with her every step of the way.
I can't remember the last time I read a horror comic and immediately had to tell people about it. My wife. My co worker that enjoys stuff like this. You reading this. And I think many people will have a similar reaction. A great story, a new concept, an amazing hero, and not once did I know where the story was going next but when it happened, it made sense!
All of that with fantastic art too. Cinema quality, number one movie in the country level art telling all the twists and turns of this story. If this ever does become a movie, June will become a star. The actress playing her and the character. She is a perfect final girl. There's not really a need for a sequel to this but I would be all for a June Branch meets Cassie Hack comic.
Its bloody but not gory, gross but not disgusting, absurd but not over the top. A perfect balance between a real world tale of survival and a crazy unnatural addition to that. One of the best things Joe Hill has ever written, and that becomes a stronger statement with each new release.
Well worth the time and money but be warned you'll probably want to buy the single issue comics as well for the great covers.

Well that was fun from beginning to end! I loved practically everything about this. The only thing that was missing was mythology about the axe, but it didn't detract from the story. The plot was awesome, the pace was spot on, the art was beautifully drawn and colored, and the ending was superb. I loved it all! I especially enjoyed the son paying homage to the father with Stephen King easter eggs sprinkled in that only hardcore fans will notice. This was excellently done and I'm definitely looking forward to the rest of the series. This is horror done right! On to the next!

A young girl is attacked and takes what is at hand to protect herself - an 8th century Viking axe. What a lovely visual! She fights back and decapitates her attacker, only to find out that while the old axe still has the capacity to kill, it also can give life - in the form of heads that still talk.

I have to admit that graphic novels are not really my thing. But I love Joe Hill and thought I'd give this a whirl. I'm so glad I did! Great story line, lots of twists, and a ton of gore, as well as a wicked sense of humor. Well worth your time!

80s comedic horror?! This graphic novel was right up my alley, nothing too serious but just a good, fun, spooky season read. Joe Hill is obviously wonderful at his craft and while Basketful of Heads is not his best work, I still thoroughly enjoyed the journey this book took me on.

Joe Hill's work is always grotesque and lingering in a way many mondern horror writers can't muster. I'm so glad to see him developing his graphic fiction, and I'm loving the imprint as a whole.

I haven't read very many graphic novels lately, but when I saw this available for review, I was quick to get a copy. I think Joe Hill is one of the best writers of horror/dark fiction writing today.

June Branch is visiting her boyfriend, Liam, during the last weekend of the summer. Liam is just finishing his summer job as a deputy on an island in Maine, where the main part of his job is handing out tickets and directing traffic to the tourists. Just as Liam clocks out of his last day and heads to the sheriff's house for a picnic, some prisoners have escaped from a work gang. The sheriff sends Liam on to the house to look after the women while he rounds up the prisoners.

But it's not a quick round-up and a group of criminals break into the house and take Liam away. It's now up to June to protect herself and to rescue her boyfriend. She grabs an old Viking axe from the sheriff's weapon collection which, unbeknownst to anyone, is magical. When she is attacked by one of the intruders, she swings that magical axe and takes the criminal's head off. The head rolls away but keeps on talking, unaware at first that its not attached to its body. The head just talks away and June listens. The heads gives her an idea as to where she might find Liam. As she goes, she meets and decapitates more of the criminals, getting new information from them along the way - though not all of it necessarily true. Decapitating a criminal doesn't mean they suddenly start telling only truths.

There are some surprises in store for June and Liam, and the criminals are not quite what they at first seem, nor are the caretakers of the community, and June will have a lot to work through in order to survive the ordeal, and she'll do it with a basketful of talking heads.

This was really a lot of fun. It's dark (there's a young girl cutting off heads with an ancient axe!) but it is infused with humor that really takes the edge off. Joe Hill is really good at building a story. He understands dramatic structure and works it well. He adds in his unique brand of horror and humor and makes the absurd seem perfectly natural. You actually feel satisfied after reading Hill's work!

This is a graphic novel, so the art is integral to telling the story and the work here by Leomacs really fits the story well.

I've read a few good graphic novels this year and it feels sort of reassuring that this form of literature is producing some great reads.

Looking for a good book? <em>Basketful of Heads</em> by Joe Hill is dark, horrific, delightful and fun.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Well, that was an experience. I could not but help vocalize my (dis)comfort level, and my husband was very annoyed by my distressed yelling during the middle third of this collection. That said, June is a lady taking care of herself, and I found the resolution satisfying.

I love Locke & Key, so I was fully expecting to love Basketful of Heads and Joe Hill did not disappoint! The story is delightfully freaky and the art is perfectly matched to it. I love how Hill takes what could be a scary premise on its own and with just one little fantasy element, throws a wrench into it making it even creepier. Highly suggested for all libraries with adult graphic novels!

I liked this '80s throwback from Joe, which rang a little of Jaws mixed with Locke & Key. Some of the leeriness was offputting, but still a good read if you've been missing Joe's graphic novel work.

Just what I expected from Joe Hill. A perfect story, the small inconstancies with the art didn't even bother me.

June has gone to visit her boyfriend who has spent the summer as a cop in a small beach town. But when a group of criminals escape her boyfriend Liam is taken by them. With the help of a Viking ax June goes out to find her boyfriend before it's too late. With her basketful of heads she finds out that Brody Island has a few secrets too many secrets. Including a dead girl, missing money and drug trafficking.

A good start to a new imprint. A kickass heroine who has to make hard choices and a twist that you don't see coming, but makes perfect sense.

Do you like Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Then this is the more intense horror version...and she has a mythological axe that keeps severed heads alive, so it's crazy in the most fun way. I was really in the mood for a good horror graphic novel and this hit the spot. I still feel a bit bad for laughing at moments I shouldn't have, but nothing can beat a really great 1980's slasher with a lady lead. Joe Hill has done it again and the artwork was really gripping. I love the intense shadow and the bright contrast of the color that does appear. Great comic! I hope there's more to come.

What a fun horror comic! Enjoyed it immensely and would suggest it for any horror fan looking for a good comic.

Honestly, I enjoyed this more than I thought I would- I was expecting more violence and gore, and while there definitely is some, it didn't feel gratuitous; it was the amount I would expect given the situations. It was nicely creepy, which is what I prefer in horror over gore, and had more humor than I anticipated- I wasn't expecting a talking severed head to tell dad jokes, for instance. There's a criminal plot going on here, and that played out pretty evenly throughout the story; some red herrings were thrown in, some twists and turns, an ancient supernatural axe that can chop off a head and leave it able to speak, a satisfying ending, and it felt like curling up on the couch in the dark with some popcorn, watching a good B-movie horror flick, complete with moments you want to yell at the heroine to not go in there! There's a good blend of action and exposition, and the exposition didn't feel info-dumpy to me, it was more the overconfident villain exposition type thing. June grows nicely as a character, and she adapted quite well to her unusual circumstances. The art fits the story like a glove, and the coloring goes from normal everyday to creepy and atmospheric at all the right moments, adding menace as needed. I would definitely recommend this one, and am looking forward to reading more from this imprint.

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