A comiXologist recommends:
Wolf #1
Supernatural chills and hard-hitting LA detective thrills make the premiere issue of Wolf a rich read indeed. Writer Ales Kot (aleskot) sets up a lore-heavy story that establishes its world without distracting from the narrative. Along with artist Matt Taylor (matttaylordraws) – an illustrator that has been in the business for a long time and holds up an excellent reputation– the two weave a winding conspiracy of murder, blackmail, and the occult.
Taylor’s artwork lives up to his reputation with loose, but deceptively detailed, character acting up against hyper-realistic backgrounds. This does well to trick us into investing ourselves in Wolf’s hero without losing the weight of the drama. But I’ll come back to this, lest we forget the third and final member of this art team: Lee Loughridge. What can be said for Lee Loughridge and his body of work that hasn’t already been said? Lee’s presence on this project should be a confidence reinforcement at this point, with the writer/team already on this project. Honestly though, who can deny Loughridge, most notably known for having worked on the classic Batman Adventures and Deadly Class? (I know, enough said)
Wolf #1 opens with a man on fire. Not a man ripping a wicked guitar solo “on fire” either. This man is literally walking Mulholland Drive in Hollywood consumed in flames. His name is Antoine Wolfe, aka “The Wolf.” Not long after learning his name, we find Antoine is in an interrogation room with a few burns and scrapes after putting himself out in what is implied to be Miley Cyrus’s pool. Nothing even remotely resembling a charge can be placed on Antoine, so he is released onto the LA streets to sleep off his rough night. Upon returning to his humble apartment, Antoine is not even slightly surprised to find hired muscle waiting for him.
The muscle works for the man who set him on fire. That same man would like to hire Antoine, seeing as how “The Wolf” really does have special skills that amount to more than just a myth. Getting set on fire was a test, you see, and Mr. Antoine Wolfe passed.
I haven’t even spoiled a thing yet. That was just the first third of this issue, and it didn’t even touch on the finer details that make it so full and perfect. The seamless blending of dialogue, detail, and classical noir with the contemporary occult makes this new ongoing series from IMAGE incredible.
With a tone reminding me of Hellblazer, Dylan Dog, and Chinatown, Wolf #1 is an excellent opener and a must read this week.