
Image Comics 2016
Written by Simon Spurrier
Illustrated by Ryan Kelly
Coloured by Nick Filardi-London
Lee Loughridge-The Red Place
Matt Wilson-Afghanistan
Lettered by Simon Bowland
Well alright now here we go. This is certainly something that I couldn’t have expected and yet it’s everything and so much more. Aside from the opening page where we see her in a cage the first real segment shows us this is going to be a series like none you’ve seen before. I mean really a little zoology lesson about Hyenas and their Matriarchal society. I mean hell the way this whole thing is crafted is amazing.
So Lou is a kind of down on her luck musician whose girlfriend is a zookeeper and she has a secret. There are three different segments here and it’s almost like a game trying to figure out which is the present and which are the past. It really doesn’t matter all that much because each one seems to be as integral to fleshing out her character and explaining more and more about who, what and why she is what she is.
You’ve got to hand it to Simon because this story is so well crafted. I look forward to seeing the transformation of the girl from London who was attacked and transformed into this Lesbian Werewolf as a scared young woman into the soldier in Afghanistan where we see a much more confident and skilled person.
So while I do enjoy seeing her with her girlfriend and the bits that happened in London my favourites were in Afghanistan. The mix of characters Lou is traveling with is utterly delightful and it makes me wonder if they are all werewolves or if they have each been shall we say touched by a different gift, or curse depending on your point of view. Oh yes and while the blonde, seems like he’s German, is also gay and his dialogue is fun as hell! I love that aboard this chopper with the soldiers he’s not afraid to talk about that ass he likes. It’s pretty much everyday life when you think about it, admiring the view as it were so that’s pretty much a non-issue much like Lou’s relationship shows how far the medium has come depicting homosexual characters.
That there’s a bigger picture happening here and that this squad, not the soldier the others she’s traveling with, is looking for someone much like Lou herself who appears to have gone rogue is fascinating. Almost as much as how they lured her into being a part of the team, they shouldn’t be trusted but she needs them so she’ll have to keep her wits about her if she’s going to not only survive but figure out a way to separate herself from her new companion, provided that she can. Though I don’t think that’s possible still the idea is nice and that they use that desire of hers for their own needs well I like that bit of shadiness.
Superb premise, excellent execution and some dynamite characters and characterization going on here. All wrapped up in these dynamic, wonderfully detailed and expressive pages make this the kind of read that really excites you. It’s a first issue that is able to draw you in, leave you wanting and explains just enough to get a grasp but not fully understand. Yeah Simon and company have a little hit on their hands here.