Leatherface is the cannibalistic, chainsaw-wielding maniac at the dark heart of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise, spanning Tobe Hooper's original 1974 classic through to the Netflix sequel, set for release this month. Although Leatherface and his demented family are primarily known for the nine-movie strong franchise for which they became famous, the characters also have a long and bloody history in comic book publishing.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre's most widely-read books were under Avatar Press and then Wildstorm Comics, respectively. Both imprints followed the 2004 remake version of the character - appearing in a series of one-shots, prequels and even a short-lived (but critically acclaimed) sequel. But before that, Leatherface appeared in a three-issue miniseries, published in 1995 by Topps Comics. This book was notable for being Leatherface's first - and to date, only - crossover with another horror movie legend. In Jason vs Leatherface, Leatherface would go toe-to-toe with Jason Voorhees, the star of the phenomenally successful Friday the 13th franchise.
Written by Nancy A. Collins and David Imhoff and illustrated by Jeff Butler, with colors by Renee Witterstaetter and Brad K. Joyce's letters (plus incredible cover art by Simon Bisley), Jason vs Leatherface is a very different kind of comic book crossover. Rather than three issues of the two horror icons simply knocking lumps out of each other, this crossover instead asks what if... Leatherface and Jason became best friends?
Accidentally evicted from his perennial stomping grounds at Camp Crystal Lake, Jason finds himself stranded in rural Texas. There, he runs into the lunatic Sawyer family - hitchhiker Nubbins, chef Drayton, and Leatherface himself - Bubba Sawyer. In Leatherface, Jason recognizes a twisted kind of kin, and the pair immediately bond over a shared love of murder.
While the Sawyer clan are quick to welcome Jason into their midst, it isn't long before the Crystal Lake killer begins to tire of their behavior - particularly Nubbins' constant abuse of Leatherface, which he recognizes from his own childhood. Finally, having had enough of Nubbins' relentless cruelty, Jason snaps. Jason attempts to kill Nubbins and Drayton, spurring Leatherface to leap to the defense of his kin. Ultimately, the battle between Jason Voorhees and Leatherface barely lasts five pages, ending with Jason dumped, unceremoniously, in a nearby lake.
While the battle between Jason and Leatherface could be described as something of an anticlimax, this book is interesting for its depiction of the characters. Jason, in particular, reads as far more intelligent and human than he's ever shown in the movies. Displaying levels of empathy, self-awareness, and even mercy (given a chance at revenge, he instead chooses to return to Crystal Lake), this is not the unthinking, unstoppable zombie so familiar to fans. Indeed, introducing himself by writing his name on a wall, Jason even displays a level of intelligence hitherto (and since) unseen in the character.
In his interactions with the Sawyer family, we learn more about young Jason and his upbringing - specifically, his abusive father and the man's death by machete blow from Jason's mother Pamela (incorrectly referred to as 'Doris' here). Such introspection is a unique take on an infamously one-note character, making Jason vs Leatherface something of a surprise. By contrast, Leatherface and the Sawyer family remain fairly consistent with their characterization in the movies. Certainly, in Tobe Hooper's original film and its immediate sequel - 1986's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 - Leatherface was always shown to be a sensitive figure, capable of primitive, child-like reasoning, even sparing lives when it was in his interest to do so.
The pair's appearance in Mortal Kombat X as unlockable, playable characters would go some way to giving fans the violent, gory showdown they may have craved from Jason vs Leatherface. But this thoughtful, deeply strange crossover celebrated two horror icons in a most unexpected and surprisingly touching way.