By Dustin Cabeal

From the start of the issue, I wasn’t sure if I really needed to read Grimwood Crossing. It’s about vampires, zombies, and the old west to give you an idea as to why. You need to be interested in those genres to be then interested in the combination of them. I’ve been reviewing indie comics for five years, going on six and have lost all interest in vampires, zombies and the old west due to reading a lot of comics about them and at this point I don’t feel obligated to cover them just because they’re indie. Thinking that way is the reason why I’m burnt out on reading comics like Grimwood Crossing.

The basic idea is that the Sherriff and his deputy are more monster hunters than lawmen. They root out a vampire nest and then head back into town just in time for the train that comes once a month. Something happens at the train, and our two leads are off to fight a man who potentially has the power of a demon.

The dialogue is what saves this comic as it gave the characters a lot of personality and made the issue flow smoothly. The leads are developed enough to find them interesting and to follow them throughout their journey. The rest of the story was simple. The twist was okay, but it took a lot to explain it and even then it just didn’t feel like enough of a reason when you take a step back and think about it.

The art is not my favorite. There’s some skill to it, but the layouts are awkward, the backgrounds are empty, and the faces are ugly. That last one is probably intentional since it’s the old west. The action isn’t given enough room to be action. The opening is hard to follow because of how compact the panels were. It’s okay, but again, not my favorite and has room for improvement.

If you’re still interested in the genres that this series has to offer, then definitely give it a read. If you’re burnt out on them or never had any interest in them, then there is not enough to win you over. It’s not blowing the roof off the genre; it's just better than most. Knowing what it is now, I doubt I would read more it because I’m in that latter group that just doesn’t want to read zombies, vampires, demon dudes and the old west anymore.

Keep making comics.

Score: 2/5

Grimwood Crossing #1
Writer: Conner Bartel
Artist: Atagun Ilhan
Self-Publishe