I recently did a joint review with Claire Napier another writer for WWAC for the title Age of the Wolf. Which was amazing! Claire had a lot of great input on the title itself, and we were able to talk in-depth about the high and low points of the title. It’s more of a fantasy werewolf story than a horror based one which was refreshing in some aspects. Others – such as the pacing – lacked greatly but it was still a blast to get to review this title with Claire.
Excerpt:
Age of the Wolf is a story about a young woman named Rowan forced into a prophecy that requires her to sacrifice her life for the greater good. The book follows her story through three story arcs of Rowan’s life battling a predestined fate in a post-apocalyptic world inhabited by werewolves. By artist Jon Davis-Hunt and writer Alec Worley, through publisher Rebellion, and first appearing serialized in 2000AD, Age of the Wolf combines the classic horror elements of the werewolf mythos along with interesting fantasy symbolism and allusions.Age of the Wolf is rife with symbolism; some of which I enjoyed, some of which I felt fell a little flat. I enjoyed the small callbacks to other myths – the bit about little red riding hood was clever without being overwrought – as well as the small details such as the words “Legend” on Rowan’s sweatshirt.
I had the lucky opportunity to talk feminism in horror with some lovely ladies at Women Write About Comics! I love horror movies, from the truly horrific, to the thought provoking, to the ridiculous slasher flicks. I’ve been a big fan of the horror genre since I first read R.L. Steins Fear Street series as a young preteen. However the genre isn’t always the most welcoming when it comes to women. A subject me and my fellow writers for WWAC discuss in detail in this piece.
Excerpt:
Finding feminist ideology in the horror film genre can feel like searching for meaning in a Pauly Shore film. It can seem a futile effort considering the most popular horror tropes are particularly unflattering toward the female characters: the final virginal survivor, “ugly duckling” killer, the commonality of sexual assault as plot device, etc. Then there are the endless debates about whether a film passes the Bechdel test if the conversation between two named female characters centers around the killer who might be a man. But feminists like horror films, too! And some of the men and women who create them like feminism. The WWAC staff sat around our virtual campfire to discuss our favorite feminist leaning horror flicks.
I was really happy to get the chance to review this title. It was a load of fun and a pretty good story too. I’m not a big Judge Dredd fan, but the Alien and Predator franchises are some of my favorite monster/sci-fi/horror movies ever. Sure there have been major, ah, bumps in the franchises (Alien 3: Resurrection happened even if we wish it didn’t), but overall I adore those movies. The title really endeared me to Judge Dredd too, the combination of the three franchises really fits which was surprisingly pleasant.
Excerpt:
Certain things you wouldn’t ponder combining, not because you don’t think they’d go together, simply that the thought never crossed your mind. Yet, when two things do come together in your mind, you want to slap your forehead and go “of course!.”That’s how I felt after reading Predator vs Judge Dredd vs Aliens; of course!