These days, it would seem, so many comics resemble one another in narrative structure, and the unfortunate thing is, poorly realized stories are copying from even worse serials. One common mistake is that the uninspired stories in question tend to incorporate the occult, the undead and more often than not, the impending apocalypse to come. The result are stories that are heavy on pretentiousness and silliness, with very little drama or characters worth following, if the recent trend is any indication.
Wolf: Blood and Magic, by writer Ales Kot and illustrators Matt Taylor & Lee Loughridge, is one such comic book serial. Inspired by the supernatural thrillers in which even the hero is some sort of other-wordly human who can not be killed, it introduces us to an underworld where deception, crime and murder are as commonplace as highway traffic and insurance ads. Its protagonist, Antoine Wolfe, is part investigator, part a pyromaniac, part friend and supporter to monsters and vampires and such, and his plight here is to prepare for the end of days that's just around the corner. With him is a young, thirteen-year old girl, Anita, who appears very innocent and naive, but is capable of unspeakable horror. Add to the equation a crime lord and his right handed man with a distinct lisp, and the product here is a comic with similar elements to other Image serials such as East of West and Pretty Deadly.
When all is said and done, Wolf: Blood and Magic comes across as a decent story, but it just doesn't sustain a strong narrative throughout for the reader to even bother making sense of what they just read. Its characters aren't memorable, and I'm pressed to find a single line of dialogue I can quote from it. Kudos to Taylor and Loughridge's artwork, for it is more than satisfactory. Sadly, I can say the same for the story.
C
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