In this book, the world is a deadly place, given as there is a beastly species hunting on the poor humans. Werewolves roam the towns and forests looking for easy prey, to feed their “rare meat” tastes. If that wasn’t problem enough, the last of the wolf hunters, Lucy Claire, has had a couple of losses in her life that have sent her on a downward spiral, stopped by the local sheriff who kindly offers Lucy free digs; in a jail cell. Still it’s not long before this books version of the Scooby gang spring her and the seeds of teamwork are hinted at, all before a pancake and whisky breakfast!
John Upchurch is responsible for the everything in this book. Looking at the writing first of all; Upchurch has been very open about his previous misdemeanors, taking responsibility and putting plans in place to support his family. Using that as a starting point, you can certainly see the various aspects of his life that have gone to shape some, if not most of Lucy’s backstory and character. There is loss of a grandparent, loss of children to some extent in the real world and of course the various stages of emotional loss that appear during those times. Other aspects, perhaps more recognisable, could be seen in Buffy; both series have strong female leads, have monsters and the aforementioned gangs of would be slayers, sorry, I mean hunters. The dialogue works in most of the places, doing just enough at times to keep the reader’s interest. There are elements of “other world-ness” in play, that you just have to accept at this point; this is a writing style I like to be honest as Upchurch is clearly focused on the story telling rather than monologuing the finer details.
The art is stylised to the extreme, if caricature like at times. At times Lucy does remind of Damian Wayne in that they both have small bodies and big heads! The line work is strong throughout with a heavy ink used to make the characters pop from their surroundings. The action pieces are fast moving, in part because Lucy seems to have a kinetic chaos element about her. As fun as the pencils and lines are, it’s the colors that make the art, be it the dark taverns and forests to the dream lands. With the idea of hunting and prey, there is plenty of violence and blood. Finally, the letters have a bold heavy look, which is understandable when you consider you have the inks and colors to contend with.
This book is a fun read that is both poignant in retrospect, with writing that possibly hides Upchurch’s feelings and thoughts in plain sight and covers the beats of familiar tropes. It will be interesting to see how this series develops.
Writing – 5 Stars
Art – 4 Stars
Colors – 5 Stars
Overall – 4.5 Stars
Created by John Upchurch
Written, art and letters by; John Upchurch
Published by; Image Comics
Author Profile
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I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow
Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network
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