Comics
Review: ‘Sunset’ Graphic Novel
Christos Gage’s new graphic novel, “Sunset”, is a difficult one to review. Overall there hints of brilliance contained within the pages, but the book falls just shy of the mark. All the components of a good crime caper are there and more than enough bullets fly to keep action fans satisfied, but if you crave something with a little bit more depth than you might be disappointed.
WRITTEN BY: Christos Gage
ART BY: Jorge Lucas
PUBLISHER: Top Cow/Minotaur Press
RELEASE: July 11
The premise is fairly simple, enforcer Nick Bellamy looks for an exit strategy to leave the mafia and devises a plan to go out with one last big score. He succeeds in extorting millions and sends his former employer to prison for 25 to life in the process. Fast forward 30 years into the future, and Bellamy is living in the house with the white picket fence, when his former employer is freed from jail and sets out to kill Nick and everyone he loves. Now in order to save everyone he cares for, Nick must got on a murderous rampage to ensure his past is gone forever.
At times “Sunset” feels more like it was a screenplay that has been adapted to work as a graphic novel and there is still a few rough edges that could have been sanded down. Gage does a great job of establishing all the major players and gives them the motivation, but fails at making the reader truly care about the characters.
There is a great scene at the beginning of the book where lead protagonist Nick Bellamy’s wife is murdered, but her loss is glossed over in order to continue the break-neck pacing of the story. The action sequences are fantastic, but the overall story could have benefited from more character development. Giving the readers more of a reason to care whether or not the characters live or die would have given the story the knockout punch it needed.
The artwork by Jorge Lucas (“The Darkness”) perfectly captures the grim and gritty feel that a book crime book should have. His use of heavy blacks within the artwork gives the book the crime noir style that it needs, but Lucas’ style is much more modern so it also mixes in some of the hyper detail Top Cow has been known for to give it the best of both worlds. For the backgrounds Lucas mixes in photo-realistic images of the Las Vegas strip, which transplant the reader right into the heart of the City of Sin where the action takes place. The art on this book is very reminiscent of Michael Bendis’ “Jinx”, but with more detailed line work.
“Sunset” achieves what it set out to do; tell a crime noir story. “Sunset” is akin to the blockbuster action flick that hits the spot for a fleeting moment, but fails to deliver the “Oh my God!” factor that leaves readers with their jaws on the floor.
3/5 Skulls
Reviewed By: Big J
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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