"Werewolf by Night #1" Comic Review

A monster lurks in the Arizona desert, but there's more to this than meets the eye. Two elite agents are hunting the creature while a mystery unfolds at the nearby Life Pharmaceuticals. The new Werewolf by Night begins.

I have no prior knowledge of Werewolf by Night, so I went into this book completely blind. Writers Taboo and B. Earl give us a bit of an introduction to Jake, the man beneath the fur, however we're not really invested in his life just yet. He comes across as a good and smart kid who happens to be able to turn into a werewolf. Whether that's a curse or a gift has yet to be determined.

The problem with this debut issue is that it's pulled in three different directions. You have Jake, the agents, and Life Pharmaceuticals. While all three are introduced, none of them get enough to really shine through yet, however there's enough intrigue to ensure I'll come back for the next chapter.

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Artist Scot Eaton's design for the werewolf is next level. This is absolutely terrifying, standing on two legs like a man, but built of muscle, fur, and teeth like a monster. Jake gets big, like Hulk big. He towers over regular humans. Inker Scott Hanna captures all of the impressive line work in these sequences. You can see every hair on his body. Eaton's layouts match the intensity of the battle, creating an erratic energy.

The shadows loom large in these evening scenes. Colorist Miroslav Mrva cements this as a horror book through and through. There's a freaky sequence with a villain called the Pathmind that stands out as well. This is more of an alien nature, with strange yellows and oranges. I'm curious if this will play a part in future chapters or if it is a flash in the pan to establish the agents as tough.

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Letterer Joe Sabino's sound effect work is top notch throughout this entire issue. These add so much to each action scene and only get more intense as the book progresses.

Werewolf by Night #1 had a lot of ground to cover and it looks like there's still more to go until this comic finds its bearings. There are some interesting concepts introduced, but we're not quite invested with these characters just yet. I'm still along for the ride though. The Marvel Universe is capable of producing great horror, so I want very much to see a book like this succeed.