Comics
Review: ‘The Spider’ #5
The first story arc of The Spider concludes in issue #5, as the pulpy anti-hero attempts to save the girl and the city from the zombie gas of the villainess Anput. Yes, you read that right. Zombie gas. For those of you who have not been following “The Spider,” it follows Richard Wentworth, ex-soldier, as he wages a one-man war on crime in New York City. Surrounded by a colorful cast of characters, his alter-ego – basically, Rorschach meets Spider-Man – now faces an Egyptian terrorist who may have ties to his father, who manufactures chemical weapons and other nasty things. It’s another excellent issue of one of the many pleasant surprises to come from Dynamite this year.
WRITER: David Liss
ARTIST: Colton Worley
PUBLISHER: Dynamite Entertainment
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: Sept. 26th, 2012
David Liss’ writing for this series has been, by and large, a joy to read. The Spider is locked up in a room slowly filling with the aforementioned zombie gas, and our hero barely raises an eyebrow. Snarky, sardonic, and generally mean-spirited, The Spider sounds like Peter Parker on a whiskey bender. It’s usually as entertaining as you’d imagine it to be, but unfortunately Spider’s ex-girlfriend (and wife of his current best friend/the police commissioner… yeah, shit’s complicated) Nita gets zombified early on, and we get Serious Spider for the most part of this issue. It’s not quite as fun, but it’s necessary to raise the tension.
This issue holds some quality art by Colton Worley. Worley’s art has been remarkably consistent throughout this series. His characters emote very well, and he is quite good at creating a sense of physical impact. He has his flaws, though. There is a lot of fade effect in his panels and some characters seem a little too digital for my tastes. That said, he definitely possesses a unique style and he’s able to nail the most important panels.
As a villain, Anput feels all to generic. While her motivation isn’t ridiculous and her identity isn’t rooted in Western Islamophobia (on the contrary, Liss’ political commentary within this series has leaned decidedly to the left), she still is just another one-dimensional bad girl with an over-the-top, if amusing, scheme to zombify New York City. There are also one or two lines that seem a little too self-conscious, even if they do elicit a chuckle. But none of it takes that much away from the quality of the book, thanks to the superb writing and solid artwork. I’m looking forward to where this series goes from here.
4/5 Skulls
Reviewed by – George Shunick
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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