Comics
Review: “Red City” #1
“Red City” #1 kicks off Image’s latest series, a Tech Noir tale that delves into the criminal underworld on the Mars of the future as well as the political intrigues surrounding the solar system at large. While not as dark or compelling as the best entries into the genre it presents promise that could be fulfilled in the issues to come.
WRITTEN BY: Daniel Corey
ART BY: Mark Dos Santos
PUBLISHER: Image
PRICE: $2.99
RELEASE: June 11, 2014
Review By: Ooknabah
The classic noir tropes are all in place: Cynical narration from our protagonist, dirty cop-turned Security Officer Cal Talmage, a femme fatale in the mysterious woman known only as Angel and a varied cast of shady characters populating writer Daniel Cory’s vision of Mars. His world is established firmly in this debut issue, although principally through huge chunks of expository dialog and narration. While staples of the noir genre, these asides occasionally feel forced, as Cal seems aware that he is speaking to an audience in 2014, one that requires detailed explanations to the minutiae of the universe.
Thankfully, as the story moves forward, the pace picks up and the dialog gains a liveliness borne of a writer clearly having fun playing with his genres. It’s nothing that science fiction or noir fans haven’t seen before, but it is well done and will get even better as Cory becomes more familiar with his characters’ voices. As it stands, a lot of ground is covered in this first issue, laying out several threads to be picked up, including an in medias res opening that, while typical, does the job of adding action to an otherwise mostly talking heads filled story and setting up the stakes for what is to come.
Mark Dos Santos’ art does the necessary job of creating the future Mars and its inhabitants, and while his cartoonish style lends some character to the many conversations that fill the 24 pages, it’s not until the climax of the issue with some evocative use of shadows that it rises above mediocrity. This isn’t helped by the drab palette employed by colorist Chris Fenoglio, which feels washed over in a grey that does little to evoke any mood or energy. The premise might provoke the look and style of classics like Blade Runner, instead the visuals are muted, with little other than aliens here and there to making it distinguishable from another genre.
The individual elements are far from knocking the comic out of the park, they do create a whole that is more than the sum of its parts. Freed from the confines of an introductory chapter, I’m interested in seeing where the story will go and to see the creative team find their collective stride. Tech noir fans are not awash in modern offerings, so this books is well worth checking out. Let’s all hope its worth continuing to do so.
Ooknabah AKA Brent Hirose is a writer, actor and gigantic nerd from Vancouver B.C. You can listen to his podcast about that at HugeNerds.Podomatic.Com or check out his many other projects at BrentHirose.com
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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