31 Werewolves | Strangeways: Murder Moon

As much as I love werewolves, it's very rare when a werewolf story actually scares me. Mike Mignola's "The Wolves of Saint August" is one exception; Matt Maxwell and Luis Guaragña's werewolf Western, Murder Moon is another.

Murder Moon is the first volume in Maxwell's Strangeways series that follows cowboy Seth Collins as he encounters legendary monsters in the Wild West. It's werewolves this time and vampires in Volume 2: The Thirsty. You can read the first chapter of Murder Moon at Maxwell's site. If you're like me, you'll want Chapter 2 right away.

While I'm on the subject of werewolf Western comics, honorable mention goes to David Gallaher and Steve Ellis' High Moon. I'm ashamed that I haven't read it yet, but I hear amazing things about the former Zuda webcomic that came out a couple of years after Murder Moon. This one's about former Pinkerton detective Matthew Macgregor (a descendant of Rob Roy) who runs across a werewolf-infested town and goes to war on the beasts. It sounds more fun than frightening, but there's nothing wrong with that and there's certainly no arguing with Ellis' fantastic art.

Action Girl News: Sheena, Red Sonja, and Valkyrie

Sheena movie?



No, unfortunately, that's the not the art for it. The place that I stole it from thought that maybe it was concept art from an abandoned Sheena film in the '60s that was going to star Raquel Welch, but I can't confirm that.

The film I'm talking about - if it gets made - will be written by Steven de Souza (Commando, Die Hard) and will star - if de Souza gets his way - someone like Jessica Alba or some other "multi-ethnic Latina." Which would be pretty cool. Sheena's always been blonde as far as I can tell, but she's also a South American heroine. I think the latter should trump the former.

De Souza's pretty serious about it too. He's even writing the next Sheena comic for Devil's Due. It'll be interesting to get a preview of his take on her, but I'm going to have to be sold. I hated the first issue of the Devil's Due version, mainly because they seemed intent on taking Sheena out of the jungle. De Souza doesn't seem to disagree with the decision:

“When people have these characters who understand that they have roots in civilization and in the jungle, they’re not going to go back and live in a treehouse,” said de Souza. “They’re going to want indoor plumbing.”

That may be true, but it's not the reason I pick up a jungle adventure comic.

Adventureblog Gallery: Red Sonja



By Chris Butler (whose blog is now on my regular rounds).

Valkyrie



I mentioned before that I dig Valkyries. Actually, I thought I'd mentioned it more than once, but a couple of those times may have been in emails.

Anyways, Valkyries combine two of my favorite things: Viking culture and Action Girls. And if we're talking about Marvel's version, then she also includes another favorite category: people who hang out with the Hulk and Sub-Mariner.

After that post I linked to above, Matt Maxwell (whose werewolf Western comic Strangeways you really should read) emailed me with a little more information about the Marvel character. With his permission, I'll quote him:

Marvel's Valkyrie has an... interesting lineage ... Most of her earlier appearances were reprinted in the Essentials Defenders Vols. 2+3, which are essential reading, simply because it's Steve Gerber at his most off-the-rails-crazy.

Matt then asked if I'd be in Baltimore and I told him that I wouldn't, but that I'd tell people that they should look for him there and then of course I didn't get around to talking about any of this until just now... well after the convention. So, I'm sorry about that, Matt.

Anyway, after asking if I'd be in Baltimore, Matt gently reminded me, "But really, get those Defenders books."

Which, of course, I did. Or one of them anyway. I'll get Vol. 3 too, but for now I have lots of Defenders to read and tell you all about. So, thanks, Matt, for the push. And I'm way looking forward to the next Strangeways book.

Art du Jour: Killer apes and Western werewolves

Murders in the Rue Morgue



By Berni Wrightson, who has more awesome Poe illustrations here, here, and here.

Western Werewolves



Guy Davis has made a killer bookplate in promotion of Matt Maxwell's Werewolf Western Strangeways.

The Awesome List: Monsters, Chun-Li, Pirate's Cove, Neozoic, Strangeways, Torchwood comics, and more

Museums are Cool

When I go to WizardWorld Chicago, I usually stick pretty close to the convention center out in the 'burbs. This year though, I may have to venture into the city.

I've been to the Field Museum before and the dinosaurs are reason enough, not to mention that it was the site of much mauling in the movie version of The Relic, but the Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids exhibit will be there all summer long, so it'll be an especially good time to go. And in addition to the girly creatures in the title? Krakens.

(Thanks to SFScope -- who also reviewed the exhibit when it was in New York -- for the heads up.)

And starring Kristin Kreuk as Chun-Li

I don't know how I missed this before.

I stopped caring about Kristin Kreuk as Lana Lang a long, long time ago. But casting her as Chun-Li in a new Street Fighter movie? That's the way to get me to go see a new Street Fighter movie.

The Pirate's Cove

Rob Ossian, self-proclaimed Pirate King of The Pirate's Cove, doesn't look as much like a pirate as he seems to think he does, but he runs a mean, extremely useful website full of pirate biographies, music, books, movies, weapons galleries, timelines, historical documents, and nautical info. He's even got a sailing simulator! Very, very cool site.

Thank God for Red 5

Seriously. Atomic Robo and Neozoic are drugs for an illness I didn't even know I had: Lackofawesometosis.

Coming April 30: Neozoic #4

Written by Paul Ens; Art by J. Korim; Colors by Jessie Lam

The walls of Monanti city are smashed, and the lives of millions are trampled beneath the feet of relentless dinosaurs. The Predator Defense League tries to stem the tide. The King finds his family kidnapped. But is Lilli to blame?

When both father and mentor turn their backs on her, the emotional show-down turns deadly.

32 pages, $2.95

Strangeways

Strangeways was one of the casualties of Speakeasy's demise and one of the few titles that didn't immediately find a new home elsewhere. That's not a comment on it's quality though, because I read the first issue and it promised to be one of the best titles Speakeasy produced. It's high-concept (werewolves in the Wild West) is actually outdone by it's execution, at least in the first issue. It's probably the coolest, scariest werewolf story I've ever read.

Rather than shop the mini-series around elsewhere though, creator Matt Maxwell decided to hold onto it until it was done and release it as a complete graphic novel. And guess what's all done and ready to read?

You can check out the first chapter in the link above and find out more about the book here.

Torchwood comics

I gave up on Torchwood not too far into the series. It was bleaker than both Doctor Who from whence it came and The X-Files whom it seemed to try so hard to be. All that darkness needs some humor to offset it and I just wasn't finding it.

That said, it's still pretty cool that Torchwood: The Official Magazine is doing a series of exclusive comic strips based on the show.

Speaking of The X-Files

JJ Abrams' shot at the concept will co-star Denethor from The Lord of the Rings.

Free Giant Monster!

Thanks no doubt to Cloverfield, Boom! released the collected edition of Steve Niles' Giant Monster mini-series this month.

What's better, you can read it for free. You'll still want to buy it because it's cool, but now you can check it out for yourself first.

Gross Pointe Blank with talking bears

I have this love/hate thing going on with webcomics. There are some really awesome ones, but I don't have time to keep up with them. Take North World, for example, which is a fantasy epic set in a world pretty much like our own except for the demons, giant eagles, and other mythical creatures in need of killing. I need to read a book like that.

Fortunately, the good webcomics eventually find their way into print and that's the case with North Wood, the first volume of which will come out in March from Oni.

The Terragoth Chronicles

The story description sounds generic and flowery, but from what I can see of the art, The Terragoth Chronicles should at least be pretty to look at. Unfortunately, most of the art is tiny and I couldn't find any story pages on the site so I can't judge how well it'll be executed, but yeah... pretty.