Comics
Review: ‘X’ #5
“You’re going to need a bike and a can of spray paint. Red.”
With the end of X’s first campaign of vigilante justice, there are some loose ends to tie off. “X” #5 goes to show readers how the power vacuum fills itself and how our anti-hero sets the trap. The violence in this issue is of a different variety than we’ve seen before.
WRITTEN BY: Dwayne Swierczynski
ART BY: Tony Parker
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse Comics
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: September 11th, 2013
The hideous Berkshire has put down like the insane animal he was. The criminal power structure in Arcadia is now in flux. The targets in X’s sights this issue are more realistic and non-threatening to look at: The Accountant and The Mothers. Just reading these characters name makes them sound boring and unassuming. The art change this issue to Tony Parker (I think) is a good touch to showcase the more realistic aspects of this story. The story credits confused me but I’m pretty sure it’s another artist on this one shot issue. None of these characters are meant to look over-the-top hideous or horrific. I feel that’s the point. Not every character in Arcadia looks like a mutated super villain and they don’t have to. Looking like regular people is the perfect camouflage.
Mother Nature, Mother Invention, and The Accountant are left alive to consider their next moves. Blackmailing their previous employers is an interesting way to go. Instead of going in to beat and kill these opponents up close and personal, X goes about eliminating them with guile and from a distance. It’s nice to see our protagonist realize his limitations (and injuries) and still manage to get his job of justice done. Using his new partner Ferguson and keeping her involved is good as the cast of this series seems to be small and mobile. X compromising her values will be noteworthy to see how that affects her down the road.
I do enjoy these types of issues between arcs. It lets readers and creators take a breath, and showcase another aspect of the character. Dwayne Swierczynski continues to paint a mosaic of ultra-violence with different brush strokes in each issue. This time, it’s more straight forward guns and bad guys instead of a horror gore show. I think the strength of this series will be measured by the creative team’s ability to demonstrate their versatility. I hope they a have an assortment of distinctive tales to come.
3.5/5 Skulls
Reviewed by – Your Friendly Neighborhood Brady
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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