COW BOY: A Boy And His Horse
Written by Nate Cosby
Art by Chris Eliopoulos
Release Date: April 2012
If I was forced to describe the first volume of Cow Boy in but a few words, they would have to be “Eastwood meets Bone“. I mean this in the best way possible, as Cow Boy: A Boy and His Horse infuses all the best qualities of an Eastwood spaghetti western with possibly the greatest comic book adventure tale ever told, Bone. I had high expectations for this one from the moment I saw it announced on Cosby & Eliopoulos’ Twitter feeds and I can say without pause that it exceeded all of them. Cosby has done something with Cow Boy that is extremely difficult: he has written an engaging comic that is truly for all ages. This is not a comic purely for children, pandering to them and filled with kid-based jokes, nor is it a book that a parent has to worry about their child reading through. Cosby keeps the plot and dialogue sharp throughout the entirety of the first volume and I was hooked from start to finish. The book isn’t even out yet and I find myself concocting nefarious schemes to acquire the script for the next volume just so that I can find out what happens next. Comic book enthusiasts young and old really should check this collection out when it hits stands. I personally look forward to reading this one again with my daughter, and on my own as it is a fun and fantastic tale.
To compliment this fantastic tale is art that fits it absolutely perfectly. Chris Eliopoulos’ art is everything it needs to be in Cow Boy and I found myself experiencing the same comfortable feeling a person gets when reading a Peanuts strip. Eliopoulos’ trademark style is on full display in this volume of Cow Boy and the book was as visually delighting as the dialogue was to read. I am highly impressed by Eliopoulos’ ability to convey humour, drama, sadness and disappointment throughout the book without dramatically changing his style at any point. There is a lot of subtlety in the art and it amplifies the story well. Most of all, this is a fun comic and Eliopoulos knocks it out of the park.
I’d also like to give a shout out to the short stories from guest creators that segue the Cow Boy chapters as they are delightful little snippets highlighting each creator (or team’s) respective flair. Roger Langridge, Colleen Coover, Mike Maihack and the Atomic Robo duo of Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegener provide laughs and flair with their entertaining shorts that are a neat addition to the collection.
Pros: Truly an all-ages tale to be enjoyed by everyone, great script, great art.
Cons: I want volume two. Now.
Verdict: 10/10
