Broken Frontier

The horror and western genres collide with a unique twist, as werewolves and cowboys mix it up in this horrific new series.

What can I say for starters? I’ve been given the chance of an advance review of this exciting new series debuting in November from the folks at Speakeasy Comics. It’s a mixture of genres that I happen to hold very dear to my heart, and after reading this first issue it had me wanting more.

For starters, there’s a ferocious werewolf lurking in the woods and if that’s not enough to quicken your pulse with excitement then how about the addition of travel weary cowboys mixed in to make it even more interesting? It’s all done in the good name of fun, and much of the first issue sets up the basic premise before readers are walloped with an unforgettable ending. I won’t be foolish enough to give that one away for you, but I will say it will leave you with bated breath for sure.

Anyhow, it opens with a prologue in the Colorado territories dating back to 1886. A Native American tribe confronts one of its own, and what we learn through this confrontation is that a rogue werewolf is causing the tribal council some grief. From that brief scene we push ahead to a stagecoach traveling in the deep woods. The coach is being steered by a man named Web and a cowboy named Seth. Both of these men trade sarcastic remarks as they escort Mr. Chilton, his daughter and a pastor across country. It is not known where they are traveling to, but the trek they are making is now being done so in the dead of night. But unfortunately for them, their travel plans are halted after a werewolf lunges from the darkness attacking the coach and causing it to spill over. The conflict escalates quickly, and the men decide to match wits with the feral creature in a desperate attempt to save all their lives. The trouble here is that this werewolf is mean spirited and quite crafty, and by the end of the issue everyone is in danger of losing their lives.

Now that’s not a bad set-up for a first issue. In fact I rather enjoyed the dialogue shared between Web and Seth, and it made for an interesting read all around. Mat Maxwell (the writer) had a good handle with his characters, and I liked the way he set up the opening by linking the legacy of lycanthropy to Native American culture. So far I am intrigued by the story and I am very curious to see where he takes the conflict between the characters. I am also wondering how the use of Native American mythology will factor into this, but I guess future issues of the series will answer all my questions. So for now I am completely satisfied with the end product.

The other key point I wanted to make about this story was the solid work of artist Luis Guaragna. A dark and creepy tone permeated much of his work, and I found it very reminiscent of the more recent work of artist Tom Mandrake. I’m not sure if that is a fair comparison to make, but Luis used a lot of blotchy shadows to accentuate the setting of the story. Much of Tom’s current work is also illustrated in a similar fashion, and I suggest picking up an old issue of The Creeps to see what I am talking about. Anyhow, the work by no means is bad. In fact I really enjoyed the panels when the werewolf appeared in a scene, and I thought it harked back to Stephen King’s Silver Bullet. The horror conventions were fairly obvious here and it made for a killer read in my humblest estimation.

So for anyone interested in mixing genres I suggest giving this first issue a try. I think it’s a great concept with an added twist to give the story some heat. I also think any comic with a werewolf running around in it gets automatic thumbs up in my books. I take my hat off to the guys at Speakeasy, and I’m not just saying that since I live in the same city as these guys. This is a top notch horror comic and its worth going out and buying a copy right away.