Comics
Review: Buzzkill # 4
“Buzzkill” concludes this month in a rousing story that is steeped in the past, and holds hope for the future. Donny Cates and Mark Reznicek knock it out of the park with a heartfelt finale that bursts with action. They even get a little meta in final pages that sees one of the best mini series of the year come to an end. Plus, the entire thing is brought to life by hard-hitting art from Geoff Shaw. Please don’t let this be the end; I can’t bare it, just one more drink…
WRITTEN BY: Donny Cates & Mark Reznicek
ART BY: Geoff Shaw
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: December 18, 2013
Sometimes we’re too quick to judge. People shrugged off Ruben… or Francis as someone who was beyond help, beyond selflessness, and beyond heroism. Just as “Buzzkill” could be brushed off as something trite, with the whole alcohol abuse gives me powers idea. However, it’s so ripe with the dangers of this idea and overcoming the addiction that reading it will create an addiction unto itself.
This is a tightly plotted chapter that sees Francis facing the threat that revealed itself at the end of the last issue. We’re treated to a flashback that helps establish the conflict and then we’re off to balls to the wall action. It’s riveting and heartbreaking.
Francis realizes something has got to give in order for him to overcome his final challenge, and in the end it’s a beautiful act that comes to define him. He finally earns his status as a hero, and we come to understand the core themes of the book, and addiction itself.
Within all that there are some incredible panels from Geoff Shaw that are sure to make this final issue memorable. Not the least of which is a fantastic assault with a bottle of liquor that had me smiling from ear to ear. A brilliant death that was haunting and beautiful.
The final battle is far from over the top; instead Shaw gives us the smaller moments that make it more emotionally relevant to Francis. This is more than his final physical struggle, and Shaw remembers that in his paneling. It’s actually quite incredible as it could easily be forgotten in light of the conflict at hand, but it never outdoes itself.
The team behind “Buzzkill” has managed to create a tightly bound story that pays off on almost every level. In the end you’ll have to be the judge as to whether or not Francis found redemption, and if he has become the hero he always wanted to be. But the best stories ask a question; they don’t answer them for us. Hopefully, this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Francis or “Buzzkill” but if it is, its nice to see the story go out on a high note.
This series is a dissection of the superhero genre, addiction, and personal growth. It’s a well-calculated examination of confronting our fears and becoming something better. I fear of a world without it on the stands, but know that the creative team will go on to make the comics market a better and more thoughtful place.
Rating: 4.5/5 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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