Book Review: Bane of the Werewolf – Issue 1

BANE OF THE WERWOLF #1 (COMIC)
Written by Rob E. Brown
Illustrated by Rob E. Brown
Published by Silver Phoenix
Publication Date: 2009
Format: B&W – 28 pages
Price: $3.75

I just finished a fantastic first edition today. But first a question? Are you an old school horror fan?, Do you like classic monsters, such as the Werewolf and Frankenstein?, Does the pentagram still still make you think of full moons and lycanthropes in the middle of the night? Then you deserve to check out the first edition from Silver Phoenix Entertainment called “Bane of the Werewolf.

Written and created by Rob E. Brown there is no denying where his artistic influences come from. While I admit being out of the comic circles for quite some time one look at this comic and your sure to start reliving your days as a classic comic reader. Full of darkly detailed rich pen work, Rob has created an instantaneous time travel of old school artistry gone modern release. A classic tale of man vs the evil beast inside of him we find our main character Eliphas the gypsy traveler. Though the gypsy life has been a hard one and in our introduction we find him tied to pole.

As panels pop out with fantastical pen work we learn of his origin and past to the present point of his current manhood and destiny. It appears that fate is written with a werewolf in mind and Eliphas has come full circle.

Melana, his witch of a mother comes to aid with news of his past, present and future. It is not without sorrow and regrets revealing to someone who they truly are and the circumstances. This is also a time for confrontation as a hulking hunchback of a giant lurches forward from the depths of the forest.

Olund the monstrous hunchback giant who challenges the man beast to battle enrages the inner demon within him after Melana releases her spell to protect Eliphas from transformation. A duel to the death ensues and Melana is powerless to assist having to deal with Orlunds master the Warlock.

The issue I received features a very sturdy full color cover that easily stands over most off the shelf printings. The inside is printed on nice stock with rich blacks and contrast throughout. While the writing is unmistakably elegant in its wording and choice of narration the pen work is of extremely high standards. Each frame contains an impressive amount of detail making this a collector item to have.

Back pages contain information on subscriptions, purchasing of shirts and some back page commentaries. It’s definitely a nice looking piece of work that could only be benefited more by full color. Comic fans will appreciate the nostalgic pages within and hunger for more!

Available a www.silverphoenix.net