Comics
[Comic Review] “Southern Cross” #3 Is Nail-Biting
Reviewed by Jorge Solis. The nail-biting suspense builds as the vivid imagery takes hold in Southern Cross #3. The third installment continues to prove why the series is an incredibly enjoyable reading experience. As a cerebral and existentialist mystery, “Southern Cross” demonstrates what happens when story and art work perfectly side-by-side.
WRITTEN BY: Becky Cloonan
ART BY: Andy Belanger
PUBLISHER: Image Comics
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: May 13, 2015
In the vastness of outer space, Alex Braith just witnessed something frightening coming after her. In the dark and empty hallways of the spaceship, Alex is on the run from the dead man lurking in her room. Unfortunately, she doesn’t know if it was actually a warning, or just a hallucination. Space could be playing tricks on her mind. Or someone onboard is actually trying to kill her.
I love how writer Becky Cloonan develops the main character’s backstory by giving her a flashback. Keeping the memory from Alex’s point-of-view, the reader questions if the main protagonist is actually revisiting her childhood. Does Alex wish she had a happy childhood with her sister? Has something traumatized her that she needs to recreate a memory?
I enjoy the scenes where Cloonan gets to express Alex’s strong personality. There is a feistiness to Alex’s punkish attitude, but she’s not afraid to show off her vulnerability. The side characters are also slowly being developed. From the doctor to the chef, they act like blue-collar workers trying to make through the end of the day.
One of my favorite images from Andy Belanger is when Alex finds herself at the center of a circle full of windows. Everywhere she looks, Alex just sees a sea of stars. In another panel, when Alex looks at her reflection,the depiction illustrates the point as to why she is getting some sort of sea-sickness in outer-space.
Highlighting the awfulness of the food, colorist Lee Loughridge’s vividly paints the cafeteria scenes in greenish tones. Capturing the eerie atmosphere, Loughridge switches to a blue shade when Alex is staring at a computer screen in a climatic scene.
“Southern Cross” #3 continues to be an awesome read. When’s the fourth issue going to get here?
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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