Wolf Moon #1 is a limited six issue series from Vertigo that deals with the world of the supernatural; this case being all about the werewolf. We aren’t talking about some lovey-dovey, Twilight inspired affair, instead we are treated to a visceral outing that does not shy away from the blood and guts. Oh, and there are lots of guts to be had in this one!
Culen Bunn serves as the book’s writer and does an adequate job of getting everything set up here. He throws us into what seems to be midway through a much larger story that leaves us with more questions than answers, but not so many that the become becomes a chore to follow or understand.
In fact, the dialogue and story is pretty light in this issue as most of the book is told through internal monologue from our main character, Dillon. It’s an effective technique to get us into the head of what I assume will be our stories hero, but the book does feel pretty light on content at times. This is most noticeable with the inclusion of a needless (in my opinion) two-page spread of the Werewolf Dillon is hunting. I only say this because by the point it happens in story, we’ve already seen the beast several times and the spread just seems to be there to fill pages.
The art within Wolf Moon #1 holds up really well and features some intense action. Jeremy Haun handles the Werewolf scene with a great deal of care. You get a real sense of the monsters brutality because the art doesn’t leave much to the imagination. Entrails will fly, blood will spill, and all manner of gruesome deaths are depicted here in Wolf Moon #1. If you are looking for something a little darker and even, say, a little grotesque, then this is the book for you.
My real issue with the art comes from the work on the humans throughout the book. At times many will seem awkward with a noticeable drop in quality when compared to the Werewolf and its kills. It never really detracts from the overall product, but you’ll quickly realize where the artists strengths lie. I should also point of the books overall layout is pretty bland. The book is very square with regards to panel work. It does allow for more content art wise, but with a story like this it would have been a lot more fun to see the team take some risks with the books paneling and structure. The slightly wavy panels do help mitigate this though, so it does balance out in the end.
If you are a fan of classic monsters that aren’t running around like a daytime soap opera then Wolf Moon #1 is a book you should really consider picking up. Bloody, visceral, and a lot of fun, Wolf Moon is shaping up to be an exciting limited series that I will continue to follow.
You can pick up a copy of Wolf Moon#1 here.
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