Take a step back to the Wild West where the men were men, the women were women, and the demons...Well they were demons. This particular story is set in the backwater town of Canaan's Sorrow, Arizona, a place described by writer Andy Wolfendon as the kind of town that "Destiny wouldn't stop to water its horses" at. Destiny may not stop, but someone else did stop and they left some books of great importance. So important in fact, that a band of demons have rode into town in search of these tomes and they are not leaving until they have what they want. If the whole town gets destroyed in the process, then so be it. The problem is that no one seems to know what the demons are talking about. There is someone who may know however. His name is Jeremiah Arcane, and he is considered a blight of the town, not to mention he left some time ago. Now, local saloon owner Quinn and her son Phelan venture out to see if they can find Arcane's whereabouts before it is too late. What she finds, is what begins the promising saga presented here in The Arcane.
This is a well written and detailed story that deals with ancient legends, pacts with the Devil, betrayal, and ultimately family, set in the backdrop of the old West. I enjoyed the writing style of Wolfendon who blends a healthy mix of snappy dialogue and appropriate narration at just the right times. He explains issues that arrive in the story, but he doesn't go into vast descriptions, which allows the reader to experience the here and the now rather than getting buried in backstory. This is a good touch by a masterful wordsmith that Wolfendon clearly demonstrates in his writing. It is witty and entertaining.
Regarding the art of Paolo D' Antonio, He does an exceptional job in capturing the spirit of the West with ample representation of the mystical and evil that is working its way into the story. His shadowing is appropriate and never overdone, which is a good testament to his talent. D'Antonio captures the rustic and the supernatural equally which creates a perfect symmetry to Wolfenton's writing.
Issue #1 of The Arcane is a winner that does a great job in hooking the reader and in reeling them in with the promise of high action, revenge, and redemption that might just make Wolfendon and D'Antonio household names in the future of comics.
Score: 4/5
Writer: Andy Wolfendon Artist: Paolo D' Antonio Publisher: Titanium Comics Price: $3.99 Release Date: 11/8/13 Webstore