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A review by mimesatwork
The Astounding Wolf-Man, Volume 1 by Robert Kirkman
2.0
Short plot summary: what if superheroes, but werewolf and a vampire?
I... this isn't for me. The problem with this is that it's not bad as a premise at all. Its a superhero comic, and there are traditional superheroes in here too, but instead it focuses on werewolves and vampires with a plot arch that presumably will delve deeper into the whats and hows of supernatural creatures. Technically while this may not be the freshest of ideas, it's not a bad idea and could be really entertaining. But the execution veers sharply into rushed.
The art is very stylized and works wonderfully in close ups and action scenes. However, it doesn't work in any other context. Characters have weirdly lumpy body structures that are indistinguishable from each other. Age can't be determined and body hair is basically all that sets any of them apart (save for a second-in-command/janitor/Jarvis/chief of security person whose position is never really defined, but who has visibly loose skin on his face which makes him the only character thus far that can't be immediately swapped with another male). The close ups and reaction shots are mostly well executed, but moving back, the characters become blobs that float around in otherwise nicely illustrated backgrounds.
The first 70-100 pages are rushed along in huge info dumps, there's no room for the story to breathe or the art to show events, rather everything is sort of thrown out there. Character motivations are left murky because there's no build up, no show, no room for quieter moments and if there would be, the art lets those moments down; it's simply not able to depict nuances or the passage of time. It's good for very shouty faces though.
The creators are good with cliffhangers. The opening scene is a good set up and there are further 2 moments with nice suspenseful splash pages, but overall, I disliked the pacing and the tropes and the fridging and the art. So.. there's very little here for me to pick up the next volume. I'm sure others will find this more enjoyable though.
I... this isn't for me. The problem with this is that it's not bad as a premise at all. Its a superhero comic, and there are traditional superheroes in here too, but instead it focuses on werewolves and vampires with a plot arch that presumably will delve deeper into the whats and hows of supernatural creatures. Technically while this may not be the freshest of ideas, it's not a bad idea and could be really entertaining. But the execution veers sharply into rushed.
The art is very stylized and works wonderfully in close ups and action scenes. However, it doesn't work in any other context. Characters have weirdly lumpy body structures that are indistinguishable from each other. Age can't be determined and body hair is basically all that sets any of them apart (save for a second-in-command/janitor/Jarvis/chief of security person whose position is never really defined, but who has visibly loose skin on his face which makes him the only character thus far that can't be immediately swapped with another male). The close ups and reaction shots are mostly well executed, but moving back, the characters become blobs that float around in otherwise nicely illustrated backgrounds.
The first 70-100 pages are rushed along in huge info dumps, there's no room for the story to breathe or the art to show events, rather everything is sort of thrown out there. Character motivations are left murky because there's no build up, no show, no room for quieter moments and if there would be, the art lets those moments down; it's simply not able to depict nuances or the passage of time. It's good for very shouty faces though.
The creators are good with cliffhangers. The opening scene is a good set up and there are further 2 moments with nice suspenseful splash pages, but overall, I disliked the pacing and the tropes and the fridging and the art. So.. there's very little here for me to pick up the next volume. I'm sure others will find this more enjoyable though.