GtPGKogPYT4p61R1biicqBXsUzo" /> Google+ Comic Review: Alabaster: Wolves [Hardcover] ARC | I Smell Sheep

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Comic Review: Alabaster: Wolves [Hardcover] ARC

Alabaster: Wolves [Hardcover] (ARC)
Artist: Steve Lieber
Cover Artist: Greg Ruth
Genre: Fantasy, Horror
Dark Horse  
Release: February 26, 2013. 
Format:FC, 136 Pages; HC
Price:$19.99
Age range:16
ISBN-10:1-61655-025-2
ISBN-13:978-1-61655-025-7

Dancy Flammarion may look like a frail teenage girl, but her journey through the swamps and byways of the American South brings her into battle with werewolves, monsters, and grotesque secrets, armed only with a knife and a mission to destroy the deadly creatures that lurk in shadow. Collects the five-issue miniseries.

"It's gentle and horrific and apocalyptic all at once. Good writing. Good pencil and ink work. Good colors. That's a good comic." —Comics Alliance


“This place smells like death.”

And so we meet the heroine of the graphic book, Dancy Flammarius, an albino sixteen-year old girl who has an angel behind her, directing her to where monsters are so she can dispatch them. She sits upon a bench at a bus stop, wondering if the bus still stops there, or if it’s been ages since one has. A blackbird lands by her and they strike up a conversation. The bird warns her to flee, but she doesn’t. Another girl approaches and we learn she’s a werewolf, the first Dancy has ever seen, thinking they didn’t exist. Even though we learn that she has been killing monsters for a long while now. I can tell you that Maisie the werewolf doesn’t change or that Dancy doesn’t kill her, just like any other urban fantasy of the heroine destroying the monster. But Ms. Kiernan adds a twist, with a contest between them through three riddles (just like in that Greek myth of the Sphinx and wayfarers) and how our heroine looses the backing of her angel.

And so, Ms. Kiernan goes on with the other four issues in this five-issue miniseries, where Dancy battles werewolves, monsters and other fiends, armed with only a knife. Her faith in God and even herself will get tested. The writer has written a great set of tales that’ll have you reading until the end.

The artwork was super, with the right colors to show us this is a horror comic. Dancy is an albino—is this to make her a “white hat” as heroes wore in old Westerns? And later on, when she has mud or dirt on her face, the “dirtying” of her soul and faith? I think the colors used in the comic point the way for the reader; multi-layering the storyline and the characters.

I give this review 5 sheep.





Guest Reviewer: Pamela K. Kinney 

Pre-order the hardcover collection of issues #1-5

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6 comments:

  1. I definitely like the idea of the the collection being offered with the hard cover. Especially when you enjoy the artwork of a graphics, as well as the story, and though they are a little spendy, the hard cover protects this awesomeness. Thank you for sharing with us. This is a new series to me and I certainly like the premise :)

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    1. I had to add to my comment ;) I hopped over with the link and Amazon lets you get a peak inside the book, which is great and gives you a good idea of what it coming. I was also curious about Caitlin Kiernan's work and she has what looks like some awesome sounding reads. Thank you for the introduction to a new to me author :)

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    2. you might want to look into getting digital comics. Dark Horse has a digital store and they are always having $.99 sales.

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  2. the comic has some great full page panels.

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  3. Yes, the comic has some super artwork in it.

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