By Svetlana Fedotov
Werewolves are a pretty safe bet when it comes to whipping out a scary story. Like vampires and zombies, they already come with their own set of rules, mythology, and an image ready to be penned into the “enter-scary-creature” blank space on the horror tax form. In fact, I probably wouldn’t even bother reviewing a werewolf comic if it didn’t have something special going on with it, or at least a ton of gore – and luckily, DC/Vertigo’s Wolf Moon has both! Taking the timeless classic motif of an obsessed occult hunter looking for revenge and adding that special Vertigo twist, this new tale of lycanthrope madness breathes new life into the tired trope; even playing with the basic concepts of the creature itself. A commentary on modern horror as much as a good old spooky tale, Wolf Moon will definitely be turning some heads.
The comic focuses on our protagonist Dillon, a hardened, scar-faced, tough man who has dedicated his life to hunting werewolves. He soon receives an email about an attack in Kentucky and shoots off before the trail gets cold, monologuing the whole while like a Wes Anderson movie. But there’s nothing funny about what he comes across. A werewolf, drunk on bloodlust and looking for warm bodies to devour, is tearing its way across a gas station. Dillon quickly grabs control of the situation but hesitates at the last minute to finish the job, fearful for the poor soul trapped in the werewolf’s body. As the monster disappears into the surrounding woods, he reveals that werewolves are not a one-person creature, but, in fact move from body to body, reappearing in a different person every full moon. Essentially, it’s a body-hopping spirit, never staying in one person for long. One of these hosts had happened to be Dillon, and after being used up like a cheap bottle of wine he has dedicated himself to never letting that happen to anyone else.
The cool thing about Wolf Moon is that it doesn’t just take the same old werewolf story, doll it up in a fancy dress and call it a brand new work. Instead, it completely re-invents the basic structure of how the creature even exists, opening up a whole series of questions that could easily transfer into new story arcs. In fact, the only confirmed fact that we have is that silver bullets can kill the monster; everything else is pretty much a guess. Are werewolves a disease then, like a cough that kills; or is there something more sinister going on, like a demonic possession? What happens when you get bit by one? How does the werewolf choose who it’s going to take over next? See, questions! Questions I want answers too! Also, despite the overwhelming inquiries into in the creature’s biology, it doesn’t feel like you’re questioning anything because it’s incredulous, but because it’s a really cool idea. Wolf Moon is doing for werewolves what American Vampire did for vampires: new lore, new possibilities, endless fun.
The author Cullen Bunn is no stranger when it comes to writing weird stories, most notably known for the horror western Sixth Gun from Oni Press. He does a wonderful job of reinventing the wheel on Wolf Moon while still recognizing the importance of established werewolf mythos, giving the reader something to hold onto as they explore the new concept. Though the main character is not very original, he’s not so by-the-books that it becomes a distraction and he is an appropriate lead to act as a catalyst for the upcoming events. The art by Jeremy Huan works well with the script and he is familiar with drawing for a darker work. It’s got a pretty solid Vertigo vibe and does what it’s supposed to do; that is, tell one hell of a story. I don’t know about you, but I’m definitely looking forward to the rest of the run.