(I originally read these comics on Hallowe'en 2016)
Originally published by Caliber Comics in 1990, Kevin VanHook's adaptation of the cult musical can only be considered a failure. It goes without saying that a musical translated to paper misses the most important component and so the lyrics just lie there, dead on the page. I realised this would be the case ahead of time and so played the soundtrack as I read the comic, but that only does so much to lift things as words are occasionally wrongly transcribed and repeated choruses, etc, excised for brevity. Most of the verses from 'Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me' are cut (which makes me wonder if my copy of the 2012 collection is missing a page) and compounding matters further is the fact that two pages are reversed during 'Hot Patootie, Bless My Soul'. (Given that it appears to be a print on demand publication, perhaps this error is specific to just my copy.) VanHook's art is heavily photo-referenced, stiff and amateurish but he does capture some of the more memorable facial expressions of the cast.
No discussion of the 'plot' here as nobody tempted to own this won't have already seen the film. Stick with that. There's no reason to own the comic other than completism.
As an extra (I see you shiver with antici... pation), here's the variant cover for issue # 1.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show: The Comic Book (1990) # 1-3 are collected in:
Softcover:
