Free is a Very Good Price: The Astounding Wolf-Man #1

Nuts. Got there too late (did hit that deadline, though) and missed the Spider-Man book. Wanted to see that. I did score some Astounding Wolf-Man and some other stuff I wasn't as interested in, but by the Blasted Blue Blazes of Dum-Dum Dugan, I was determined to hit that 6-book limit (which the fine folks at the Duneon only resorted to in order to ensure everyone who came in got comics, and I don't blame them for that at all). If you missed the free version, the "real" #1 goes on sale in July (I think, I couldn't find confirmation and I'm lazy) and you can check out some preview pages at CBR (scroll down).

I liked Kirkman's werewolf book a lot--and despite what I have written and will write about the guy, I don't automatically love every little letter he places personally on the page and sprinkles with Kirkman-dust of every book he writes.

Depending on how it develops, this could be an Walking Dead (freakin' rules) or it might be a Marvel Tam-Up (some great issues, overall it hasn't really stuck with me). The book had a lot more Wolf-Man action than I expected in a first issue. It feels a bit lighter in the characterization department than TWD but it was a lighter book in terms of horror.

Artist Jason Howard (check it out -- I looked him up on the cover, there) reinforces the tone with just enough blood not to overwhelm the fun and a style that really establishes the tone--sort of Cory Walker by way of Phil Hester. I dig it. Mind you I honestly didn't object to all the intestine-wrangling that went on over at DC in the last year or two. Didn't object, don't object, the more the intestinier, I say. But it's still the cheap and easy shock, going that route. Howard doesn't go for that here when he easily could, and it was refreshing. This werewolf seems to be more of the Larry Talbot school than the David Kessler. I could be wrong, maybe Howard was toning it down for an issue that was going to be sitting beside Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st Century #1 and things will gore up later. And if so, that's cool too.

Also [swipe for spoilers] I totally didn't get that was a vampire for sure until I read the blurb on the inside back cover. Whether that was the art's fault or Kirkman's or mine (probably that last) I can't say. I think I just wasn't expecting that sort of supernatural crossover quite so soon, so I thought the vamp was just a werewolf showing a little teet to make his...wait for it...point.

Still, despite all the stuff packed into this issue--and I'm really, really grateful we saw our titular -Man become titular Wolf before the last page, you know that's how some writers might have done it--I want to read more. I also wanted to read more in this issue. Hard to explain, I may reread it and try to elaborate but probably won't. (Cripes, it's free, read it yourself and you tell me.)

At this point, I can't say if this book is going to be a superhero wolf (as the title and the Wolf-Man's costume on the cover seem to imply) or a more tortured hunt-for-Chuck-Connors/get-nagged-by-Griffin-Dunne kind of deal. Hopefully Kirkman can keep juggling all these books without letting quality slip, but I'd never tell a writer to turn down work. Do that and the next thing you know you're living in a sewer tunnel with Roy Dotrice and Ron Perlman waiting for that nice lawyer lady to get back from a date with her nice, not-half-lion boyfriend. I tell you, if I had a nickel...