After the slaughter of those closest to him, the Shaolin Cowboy decides to investigate the culprits behind the setup. And all those associated behind the birthday massacre are going to wish they never crossed the Cowboy.
Writing: It is amazing what Darrow can do as an illustrator. Everything that has been said about his work to describe him under the sun is nothing new. But what really makes this book shine is the unfiltered, unapologetic writing that works so well for the kind of world that the Cowboy inhabits, which is always around the corner as far as anyone is concerned. These antagonists are all a bunch of unapologetic, dimwits, and insensitive they are, as all good unsympathetic antagonists are, which makes it al the more enjoyable when the Cowboy is facing them down with all the luscious brutality that only a craftsman such as Darrow can creatively bring. The plot for this issue is very much a revenge quest that is enjoyable to read throughout. It’s a book that knows what it is, and doesn’t care if you think otherwise. It’s interesting that Darrow is able to reflect commentary without focusing so much on it, which isn’t something that many can do effectively well without it detracting from the story. This is the most personal than previous installments, as the Cowboy sees nothing but red, which is a subtle change of pace than what’s usually seen of him as a character.
As for the art, Darrow is as mentioned many times before, he’s just excellent at what he does, creating fully lived worlds where every sense panel has life and energy. Whether it’s panel layouts or gun-fu fight choreography, it’s just a master at his craft doing what he does best and with ease. I have to say, props to The creative team and Dark Horse for crediting not just the color flat artists, but the color assistants as well. It’s rare that flatters get any mention in any comic, and are usually the unsung heroes of comics that get little to no pay, nor credit. Dave Stewart does a great job as usual coloring Darrow’s densely detailed pages, but Stewart’s colors shine due to the flatting and assisting of Mark Sweeney, Raunak Singh, Fred Paculba, Josh Laird, and Gabe Fischer, which is commendable to see. Nate Piekos’s lettering is well-paced and never takes away from the kinetic energy that visually sprawls throughout the book. This is an easy recommendation. If you’re looking for something off-kilter, raw, and humorous all at once, this issue, and this series is it. Add it to your pull list for new comic book day.
Newsdesk