Review: WOLF MOON #2

WOLF-MOON-2

WOLF MOON #2
Written by Cullen Bunn
Art by Jeremy Haun and Lee Loughridge
Published by DC Comics/Vertigo
Release Date: January 7, 2015

After a failed confrontation with the Wolf, Dillon reaches out to another victim of the curse — only to discover there may be more than one threat roaming under the full moon. Meanwhile, we get a look back at what seems to be the crucial moment for our scar-faced hero: his own activity as the Wolf.

If there’s one thing to be said for a good horror comic (or book. Or film.), it’s that it sets a really disturbing mood. That’s something the gentlemen creating Wolf Moon seem to have down pat.

It’s not that the story is that complex. Indeed, it’s actually rather straightforward. The Wolf possesses humans once a month, quite unpredictably. The hero  — a victim of the Wolf curse himself at one time — wants to destroy it.

But what’s so compelling about the story progression Bunn is slowly rolling out is how the horror of it all is handled. In some cases, we get to only see the aftermath, as with Mason’s face. Juxtapose that with the Wolf ripping a man in half and you begin to imagine the sheer terror that moment of confrontation must have incited for Mason. Dillon’s description of his possession as “drowning in concrete” also just leaves me intensely disturbed, impacted by a sense of dread rather than overt shock.

There’s no question a lot of the credit has to go to Jeremy Haun’s pencils and inks. His depiction of the Wolf in its full form is at once very attractive and threatening, making it clear to some degree why this monster manages to avoid a point blank death. There’s a awe to its appearance, and the way it moves across the page, leaving readers and characters alike transfixed.

In fact, Haun’s panel layout, like the story, is rather simple, but just nervously lined enough to leave its eerie mark. Panel edges are not perfect lines, but almost seem ready to jump in reaction to what’s coming up next. It’s a tactic that’s really effective for this type of storytelling, packing a lot of emotional weight in single lines and borders. Quite clever indeed.

Overall, I’m enjoying the build Bunn and Haun are bringing to this story, concentrating more on mood than outright frights to grab their readers and shakes the scares out of them. Wolf Moon #2 gives us just enough of the latter to live up to our expectations of a traditional werewolf story, but more than enough of the former to keep me on the edge of my seat, rocking nervously as I turn the page.

The Verdict: 8.0/10

 

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