Comics
Review: SUPERNATURAL BEGINNINGS END #1
My beginnings of watching the CW’s cult hit “SUPERNATURAL” is very bittersweet, but since Wildstorms’ newest arc in the comic book spinoff is tagged with ‘Beginnings End’ I figure now would be a good time to shamelessly tell the story. I was at home sick for 3 days with a particularly nasty case of the flu (this was back before it was being tagged with ‘bird’, ‘swine’, or any other animal names. If it had to have one though let’s go with the ‘moose’ flu) and I was on my 3rd day of sleeping in. I was in the middle of a very shocking episode of Maury when an ad for the pilot episode came on. I recognized Ackles from the campy, but entertaining ‘DEVOUR’, and so I figured “why not?”. Little did I know that that one 30 second TV spot would start a 5 year obsession with one of, in my humble opinion, TVs best chiller series ever.
‘Beginnings End’ starts off in 2001 as the Winchester clan (all 3 of the guys at this point) make their way to New York City on the heels of another lead that could find them answers into the death of Mary. Turns out a man John presumed had been killed after being shot point blank back in ’93 is back from the dead, (the dead coming back to life in Supernatural? No way, right?) and has been up to no good in the Big Apple. Sam is playing the relunctant, brooding teen in the backseat to John and Dean’s ‘gun-ho’ attitude, soured by the fact that he missed his high school graduation as a result of the hunt, and the story goes from there. Or at least starts to.
The writing itself is average at best. The main issue with this one seems to be the fact that besides the bickering between John and his second born, we really aren’t offered much of anything else. The reasoning behind the family being in New York is acceptable, as I can believe that John’s obsession to find Mary’s killer would lead him anywhere on a wild goose chase. The problem though is that John’s need to find closure always seemed like a personal crusade after the boys grew up. Maybe this was his ‘trouble letting go’ period, but at the same time it feels like Johns character is just a tad to whiney, and at times, a bit of a pushover. Even Dean is sitting on his hands in this issue, not really given much to do besides serving up a good 1 liner here and there. (I use the term ‘good’ loosely here) Truth be told that as I sit here and write this review I find myself having to pick the book up every few sentences to reread certain sections just to refresh my memory on what happened between the first 3 pages and the last. In short: it’s empty. Kind of like a bread sandwich. Or Paris Hilton.
Now obviously this one was billed for the big reveal of what happened to cause Sam to leave the family behind leading into the events of episode one, a factoid that the writers have kept a secret for nearly 5 full seasons. The answer is a confrontation between father and son that is less than impressive, and one that almost feels like a rushed product. I won’t give anything away, but what I will say is that as a fan myself I was let down big time on this one.
Art wise the story is good, and Olmos does a very good job rendering the characters onto the page. But unfortunately that is as good as this one gets. It’s not that the story is terrible, and as an episode of the TV series it might be worth catching a rerun on, but as it stands ‘SUPERNATURAL: BEGINNINGS END’ #1 spins the wheels, but doesn’t go anywhere.
3 out of 5 Skulls
Comics
‘Curse of the Where Wolf’ Bites Into August Release With Trio of Werewolf Theatrical Screenings [Exclusive Preview]
Larry Chaney‘s hairy misadventures are continuing in the sequel graphic novel Curse of the Where Wolf from creative team Rob Saucedo, Debora Lancianese, and Jack Morelli, and its author is celebrating with a trio of horror’s greatest werewolf films.
The Curse of the Where Wolf hits shelves on August 7 from Encyclopocalypse Publications.
That coincides with the launch of a theatrical screening event in Houston, Texas, featuring a trio of seminal werewolf flicks turning 45 this year: The Howling on August 7, Wolfen on August 14, and An American Werewolf in London on August 21.
Each screening features a “werewolf in film” presentation as well as a book signing from Where Wolf author and River Oaks Theatre artistic director Rob Saucedo.
In the new graphic novel, “Being a werewolf sucks. Reporter Larry Chaney wanted to be a hero. Instead, he became a werewolf. Now, caught between incredible new powers and a desire to eat everything (and everyone) in sight, Larry must find a cure for his curse. Or die trying.”
“With Where Wolf, I wanted to tell a whodunit set in a furry convention, so the story was pretty contained within a very specific setting and genre. With Curse of the Where Wolf, I wanted to celebrate everything I love about the possibility of comic books. Curse of the Where Wolf is a funny book, in every sense of the phrase, but it’s also an earnest look at a person’s struggle to become a better version of themselves, especially when the alternative is to become a literal monster,” Saucedo says of Curse.
The original graphic novel was previously serialized as the first webcomic hosted on Fangoria before being collected by Encyclopocalypse Publications in 2023 and has already been optioned for film, podcast, and television development ahead of launch by producers James Fino (“The Freak Brothers” for Tubi, “Rick and Morty” for Adult Swim) and Charles Horak (First Date for Magnolia Pictures).
Expect Larry to find himself in even weirder situations in the 362-page full color sequel; Saucedo has provided Bloody Disgusting with exclusive art pages from the upcoming graphic novel that showcase lupine humor.
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