Rating: 4.5/5 – A Journey into the Mystical Underside of LA
by ComicSpectrum EiC Bob Bretall
Any creator-owned project by writer Ales Kot at least gets a look from me. After the stunning run on Zero, I went into Wolf with fairly high expectations and the #1 issue did not disappoint. Don’t be put off by the $4.99 price tag…there are 58 pages of story in this issue! Almost triple what you get in a standard $3.99 comic. And Kot uses those 58 pages well, introducing the immortal Antoine Wolf, who is an investigator in the supernatural underbelly of Los Angeles.
Kot use the space provided by the 58 pages to weave a fairly loose tale in this debut issue, setting up story elements and putting a lot of pieces on the board that are no doubt going to be moved around and play much more significant roles as the story progresses. Magicians, vampires, Cthulhu-headed guys in hoodies…. A supernatural investigation at the behest of a mysterious & powerful guy who is a real jerk is set up (a fairly standard trope, but handled well here). A girl’s parents are murdered and this will definitely figure into the mix down the line. I’m intrigued. The art by Matt Taylor felt a little stiff to me, but not distractingly so. Mixed with the generally sparse panel backgrounds, this was the one element that held this issue back from being a 5/5 for me.
A very solid debut issue that provided a lot of information, set up some great breadcrumbs to follow (essential for any mystery story) and introduced a number of intriguing characters that made me think “I want to know more about them”. Perfect! That’s exactly how you hook readers into coming back for more. Kot was completely successful with this massive 1st issue; I’ll be back for #2, #3 and beyond, following immortal investigator Antoine Wolf as he gets to the bottom of the mystery set up within the 58 pages is this 1st issue.
Reviewed by: Bob Bretall
(bob@comicspectrum.com)
https://comicspectrum.com/ Covering the full spectrum of comics culture
Follow ComicSpectrum: 
ComicSpectrum Comic Reviews 