With the first issue of Wolf it was like playing on a see-saw. The issue would hit high, then low and back and forth all the way until the end of the issue. Apparently I was the bigger kid on the see-saw and there ended up being more low moments than high. With the second issue we find the book setting on what’s considered a normal page count for the industry or at the very least the page count in which you can profit from the work. The issue itself is lackluster because all it does is continue scenes from the first issue. Scenes that weren’t introduced until the second or third act making me wonder why Ales Kot decided to divide the scenes into two issues.
Remember the vampires? Well Kot decided to pick up with that part which is anti-climactic. The scene basically exists to point out something that few to zero people have ever thought about when it comes to vampires and to establish the Cusp Agreements for the city. I’m not going to spoil the scene, but it was honestly really dumb. It was childish in a way and I feel is there only to gross out male readers and make them act immature. As a married man that’s had a few girlfriends and understand that biology has made us differently and that basically everyone is gross when you think about it… I found the scene to be stupid. It was the dumbest thing I’ve read in a comic since Batgirl’s computer consensus was her enemy… and the consensus knew it was a computer… this is dumber.
The other part of the story is spent with the anti-Christ or Anita Christ. She even knows that she’s basically the anti-Christ and they spend some time talking about the name. Nothing really moves forward with this story other than establishing that her dead “Grandmother” is giving her guidance and that she can’t trust the police. Really who can? Who can? We don’t learn what she’s running from, but I’m going to guess that Wolfe Wolf (still hate that fucking name, you should have just named the book “Wolfe”) will put a bullet between her eyes by the end of the story.
The art is still the best part of this book, but that’s not saying much. As someone who knows he struggles illustrating noses, I will say that these are some of the worst noses I’ve seen in comics. In one scene with Anita it’s basically a Picasso nose because the angle makes no sense for a straight on profile like we’re given. Other than that I didn’t mind the art. I almost feel sorry for it being attached to this story.
One of my problems with this series is that the back cover gives you more information than the actual story within. Here it is just case you missed it:
Antoine Wolfe, a hard-boiled paranormal detective with a death wish, has to cope with sudden responsibility for an orphaned teenage girl who might be the key to the impending apocalypse, California-style. Also featured: a bag full of cash, a serial killer on the loose, and many secrets.
…what?
What fucking book is that? That sounds great!?! This is not that book. I don’t recall seeing a bag of cash, a serial killer and the secrets seem to be loose story treads that aren’t given any context. That’s called a cliffhanger not a secret, but whatever. Also “California-style”? Really? I could probably write an entire review on how this is nothing like California with the exception of a googled reference here and there. I’m getting sick of comic book writers that visit Hollywood to sell a script and find inspiration from the cliché’s that every local loves to spout off to impress visitors and then they go back and write uninspired bullshit.
My last gripe, “hard-boiled paranormal detective.” I would maybe save that until we see that A) he’s actually hard-boiled and B) actually detected anything. So far he’s taken a case from a racist and done nothing but bring that up. He hasn’t detected anything and things just seem to land in his lap. As for “hard-boiled” he’s more of a smartass and again Cal McDonald did it first and better.
The chances of me reviewing the next issue of Wolf or Wolfe are very slim. I didn’t enjoy this issue at all and it basically ruins anything I might have liked from the first issue. I’ll still check out the issue just on the off chance that it does something, but now I’m seeing how predictable and researched this entire story is and it’s not interesting. The main character has his head way up his ass proving he’s cool rather than doing anything and the plot is just hanging back letting him do his thing. With this issue it’s the equivalent of four issues doing nothing so if the next one can move the plot forward, so be it, but if not then I’m not a glutton for punishment and will gladly dump this title.
Score: 2/5
Wolf #2 Writer: Ales Kot Artist: Matt Taylor Publisher: Image Comics Price: $3.50 Release Date: 8/19/15 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital