THE GUNWITCH: OUTSKIRTS OF DOOM #3
Recommended (7/10)
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Oni Press
Writer: Dan Brereton
Artist: Ted Naifeh
Letters: John Dranski
Editor: Jamie S. Rich
Price: $2.95 US/$4.50 CAN |
Brereton and Naifeh bring the Gunwitch's somewhat-solo adventure to a satisfying end. This stood out as my favorite of the three-issue limited series, and for one simple reason. The mute title character is the perfect straight man, but that means he needs someone to crack wise. The creators fill that void nicely here.
As Lady Goodnight makes the final preparations to resurrect the queen of her vampire clan, Halloween Girl arrives in the nick of time to help her friend and protector, the Gunwitch, escape from the vampires' clutches. However, the arrival of a wvampire hunter and a mix-up in body parts, of all things, complicates matters, and the supernatural gang war in Heliopolis reaches its climax.
Naifeh's art is obviously heavily influenced by the work of Brereton, but he still conveys an individuality in his work as well. There's also a hint of Mike (Hellboy) Mignola's influence in his work as well. Naifeh captures the sense of the gothic, making excellent use of the black-and-white format instead of allowing it to limit him.
Brereton has crafted a complex series of conflicts to power the plot. It makes for a challenging but entertaining, layered read. That "Last issue..." blurb on the inside-front cover was a perfect launching pad for the story's conclusion, and will be of use to any readers who might stumble into this story without the benefit of having read previous issues.
Bringing Halloween Girl into the story was a great idea. Her youthful, fun attitude brings a down-to-earth element to a thoroughly weird story and set of characters. The stilted dialogue and war between creatures of the night can be fun, but we need something or someone in the story to connect with, and Eve provides that connection.
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