Wasteland (DC Comics, 1987-1989)

The Wiki-Breakdown
Wikipedia calls Wasteland a horror anthology for adults, with each issue containing three generally independent, ambivalent stories from the larger series universe. I found it eclectic and disjointed... and just really weird. I'm not educated or experienced with comics, and I'm missing multiple important issues, including the first two and last four. Still, I'm comfortable saying I don't care for Wasteland.




Each issue notes that the series is for mature readers; they contain gore, sex, and dark themes that were probably a little extreme and campy for their time. I would add that they're best-suited for experienced comic and horror readers. They're quick, easy reads with an interesting art styles that vary by story, but the abrupt shifts between stories and styles is jarring and usually feel incomplete and unsatisfying. Even the excellent cover art (two of the most eye-catching shown below) - my favorite facet of comic books - was disappointing because it lacks any strong connection to the content.

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They aren't a complete waste (pun intended). They were a cheap thrift store find, and introduced me to a handful of unique art styles and an unusual subgenre. Also, I love ads from old comics. While Wasteland mostly featured full-pagers for more popular DC titles and characters, but included a few other gems, too (below). Compact discs were going to be all the rage...

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