Comics
Review: ‘Breath of Bones: A Tale of the Golem’ #1
Steve Niles does it again! In setting the tone, “Breath of Bones: A Tale of the Golem” #1 delivers an emotionally-gripping war story with a suspenseful vibe. Readers will be genuinely moved by the narrative and detailed artwork. An excellent start, this horror title pulls at the heart strings while bringing in the eeriness.
WRITTEN BY: Steve Niles
ART BY: Dave Watcher
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: June 12th, 2013
At a quiet small village in Europe, the war outside has changed the lives of its inhabitants. The men have to leave and fight a war they do not want to get involved in. As the men march together to battle, what they leave behind is the elderly, their wives and children. Noah looks up at the sky and wonders if he will ever see his father again. Suddenly, he sees a burning plane falling down from the sky. The war has definitely come to this small village, bringing in an army of Nazi soldiers. Noah must do everything he can to save his family, even if it means bringing the undead back to life.
What writer Steve Niles surprisingly does is present a moving and heart-wrenching coming-of-age tale. Just a child, Noah will witness the horrors of war, which will change his life forever. Noah’s grandfather cannot do anything to prevent this and refuses to lie to himself. By the bridge, Noah and his grandfather have a remarkable heart-to-heart talk. In the dialogue, Niles echoes profound sentiments of loss and grief. Each generation, including our own, turns dark and destructive because of war.
The story kicks up a fast pace when Noah and his grandfather witness a burning plane fall from the sky. This is also where Niles adds his witty humor to the wounded British soldier. Noah’s grandfather doesn’t want to help the fallen soldier but if he doesn’t, he looks like a hypocrite to his grandson. Niles builds the moral dilemma with suspense as the grandfather realizes the Nazis are on their way.
The main reason I became interested in this horror title is because of artist Dave Watcher. His illustrations here are just phenomenal. Using just back and white tones, Watcher is able to evoke the sadness and eeriness of the time period. Using watercolor effects, Watcher captures the innocence of Noah’s youth as he stares into the sunset, waiting for his father to return. Though he looks old and tired, Noah’s grandfather still has some life left in him, especially when his family needs him the most.
The opening pages are raw and brutal in its portrayal of war. In an epic splash page, Watcher illustrates the bombs exploding and bullets flying everywhere. Soldiers are running in the middle of a field, where their comrades are lying on the ground dead. In the next panel, the soldier’s face is soaked in blood as he watches everyone around him dying.
An impressive first issue, you should definitely get your hands on “Breath of Bones: A Tale of the Golem” #1. The writing and artwork are just top-notch.
4/5 Skulls
Reviewed by – Jorge Solis
Comics
‘Werewolf By Night’ Returns This Summer in Brutal “Red Band” Series from Marvel Comics
In the wake of the Halloween special on Disney+ back in 2022, Marvel Comics is bringing their Werewolf by Night back to life with a brand new RED BAND comic book series!
What does that mean? Marvel previews, “This summer, Werewolf By Night embarks on new adventures so violent and bloody, it can only be told in Marvel’s new Red Band format!”
Werewolf by Night, Jack Russell’s new solo ongoing series, will be written by Jason Loo, writer of the upcoming Werewolf by Night: Blood Hunt one-shot, and drawn by artist Sergio Dávila, known for his bold work on titles like Venom and Thor.
Marvel’s premier horror icon will undergo a startling transformation during Blood Hunt that will cause his upcoming battles and hunts to be too graphic for some readers.
Labeled with a Parental Advisory and polybagged to keep those weak of heart from experiencing its intensity, Werewolf by Night will mark a new chapter in the character’s 50-year storytelling history as Jack gets his claws, fangs, and fur blood-soaked like never before!
“Full moon rise—werewolf kill! Jack Russell has been trying to live a simple life—but in the deadly and dramatic wake of the Blood Hunt, his life is about to be turned upside down in ways he never imagined! With new enemies hoping to extract a (literal) pound of flesh and Jack unsure if he can be trusted around old allies and a lost love, the original Werewolf by Night is in for the fight of his life… and he’s in it alone!”
“I give Jack Russell a taste of the life he wants before the Blood Hunt event rips it away and leaves blood on his hands,” Loo shared. “His new journey is to find redemption while figuring out his new lycanthropic transformation. No one is safe when the full moon is out. But luckily, Elsa Bloodstone is around to keep him in check.”
“Our team is delivering a very metal, monster comic and we’re not holding back,” Loo continued. “I’m both shocked and impressed at myself for conjuring up these gruesome scenes from the dark recesses of my mind, then seeing them come to life with every gory detail thanks to penciler Sergio Dávila and inker JP Mayer, as our editors keep giving us the thumbs up of approval. This is literally our smash room in a Red Band comic.”
“This has been a great experience,” Dávila added. “Jason Loo is writing a very wild Werewolf By Night and I’m having a lot of fun with the character. I’ve always enjoyed taking characters to the extreme and Werewolf By Night is someone very much tormented by his inner self, so this is a book full of intense action and lots of blood!”
Werewolf by Night #1 will be unleashed on August 14!
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