I fear that the title and cover of Alabaster Wolves will keep people away from reading it, which would be a shame. The peculiar title that it’s sporting, coupled with the very peculiar artwork, would be more then enough to drive some people away from even picking it up. We mustnt forget this little gem of advice that we so often do not apply to the object within it.
Alabaster Wolves is an interesting little tale by Caitlin Kiernan with pencils by Steve Lieber. It deals with an albino monster hunter named Dancy Flammarion who, even though her name makes her sound like two delightful Pokémon, finds herself in some very peculiar situations in the world. It’s pretty obvious when reading this inaugural issue that there is a lot of back story to this character that some readers might not know about. The back of the issue and some Internet snooping proved me right. Kiernan has written two prose books featuring the character before, and I can say after reading this first comic I’d like to pick those up.
This is a slow burning comic. The premise is set up well in the first couple of pages, but the tension then begins to mount up at a pace that some would consider a bore. Thankfully I am a fan of worthwhile pay-offs so I welcomed it, and I can say the conclusion wasn’t a let down.
Kiernan has obviously had time to perfect the voice of this character in her previous works and t shows. The actual speaking patterns and dialect are well written but also who this character is as a person flows well. The mannerisms and thought process of the character are masterfully presented.
The breath of life put into the character is of course the art by Steve Lieber. This being the kind of comic with desolate ghost towns, four headed angels, talking birds, and werewolves, it goes without saying that it would take a certain type of style to pull all these things off and make them believable. Lieber accomplishes this very well. I’m particularly fond of his celestial drawings which, though being biblically correct in some regards, are so grotesquely awesome that you can’t help but stare. He also pulls off one of the best looking Werewolf transformation sequences that I’ve seen in comics.
Though the art fits the tone and style of this story well, I will say that at times I felt a little bored with it. Some of the images didn’t hold onto the detail and expression that previous panels dealt with, and while this doesn’t hinder the book as a whole it is a distraction.
Alabaster Wolves is an interesting first issue. It sets up its odd story very well, with the only sort of problems being art based and not story. It has the ideas of ancient Greek story telling mixed in with the modern mythos of monsters, and being the first planned arc of many, this is a series to keep your eye on.
