Alabaster: Wolves #1 Comic Book Review

Article by FisterRoboto of lefthandhorror.com

Written by Caitlín R. Kiernan

Art by Steve Lieber

Published by Dark Horse Comics

$3.50

Five Issue Run

“For nearly as long as she can remember, Dancy Flammarion has fought monsters, cutting a bloody swath through the demons and dark things of the world, aimed like a weapon by forces beyond her control or questioning.” Sound a little like a certain Sunnydale resident? It should, it’s got a dose of Buffy in the mix; there’s just no Scoobies. That’s a good thing for Alabaster. Throw in some smart ass talking birds and you have a surprisingly cool debut issue.

Dark and brooding with a tendency to lean towards the ridiculous – Alabaster is an attention getter. Dancy is a major ass kicker, major enough to have all of monsterdom concerned about her trajectory. When she comes face to face with a werewolf, we see just how bad ass she really is. Not bad for a 16-year-old girl.

Good horror comics are few and far between. DC is enjoying success with the dark I, Vampire, Locke & Keyis the best horror comic in decades, and we’re all excited that the market can support a myriad of horror-heavy comics. Dancy and her own personal angel are a breath of fresh air to an already successful genre.

Alabaster is quirky and weird. The terrible (intentionally terrible) grammar takes a little time to adjust to, but the writing is solid to the core. Combining Kiernan’s tale with art is Steve Lieber, who has a clear understanding of what horror is all about. You’ll agree after you see the werewolf transformation.

Issue #2 is right here on the coffee table next to me. I hope my next review is enthusiastic as well.