It’s not every day that I get to read an introspective comic book that deals with a character experiencing their own personal hell. But leave it to Dark Horse Comics to give me exactly what I didn’t know I needed! Alabaster: The Good, The Bad, And The Bird is a shining example of why I keep coming back to them for unique stories and comics! Please, allow me to elaborate further.
Dancy Flammarion is dead. She knows it and we know it. But apparently death comes in varying degrees of
permanence, as it seems she is being tempted/threatened with life. And though she repeatedly declines, sometimes events can spiral out of our control. Much akin to her tenuous grasp on her sanity.
Welcome, readers! Here you’ll find this week’s comics releases from Dark Horse Comics! There’s a new Angel & Faith graphic novel, a new Alabaster, and a new Harrow County. What more could we ask for, right? Here’s the full list in case that wasn’t enough for you.
Alabaster: Wolves #3 Written by Caitlin R. Kiernan
Art and Letters by Steve Lieber
Colors by Rachelle Rosenberg
Cover by Greg Ruth Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: June 20, 2012
Cover Price: $3.50
Set in the deep South, this is the tale of Dancy Flammarius and her quest to destroy the evil that haunts this world. Alabaster: Wolves #3 is a story within a story, another stepping stone on the path to redemption. Unfortunately for her, Dancy had a parting of ways with the angel who originally stood at her side.
Imagine a time, in the not too distant future, where society has collapsed, magic and monsters are real, and no one is to be trusted. Simply wandering through a town can be deadly if you cannot defend yourself. So what teenage girl in her right mind would take on the task of traveling about in these conditions? Perhaps that is the real dilemma. Dancy is armed with not just her wits and skills, but also travels with a talking raven for a guide and a companion in the form of a ghost (of the werewolf she killed).
Alabaster: Wolves #1 Written by Caitlin R. Kiernan
Art and Letters by Steve Lieber
Colors by Rachelle Rosenberg
Covers by Greg Ruth, Michael Avon Oeming Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: April 11, 2012
Cover Price: $3.50
As luck would have it, I just randomly chose some of the comics up for review this week. And I scored with this one, let me tell you. I read this and loved every moment of it. Alabaster: Wolves #1 stands out from the average comic book in a multitude of ways.
Caitlin R. Kiernan‘s protagonist, Dancy Flammarion, is a remarkable character in that she is both an atypical teenager and a complete badass. Backed by one of the creepiest looking angels ever, she is a dangerous slayer of all things evil. Her no nonsense attitude and inability to back down from a fight makes her a very deadly opponent, indeed. Add to that her albino skin and total disregard for niceties and you get one of the best anti-heroes I have ever seen or read.
Students of the Unusual™ comic cover used with permission of 3BoysProductions
The Mercuri Bros.™ comic cover used with permission of Prodigal Son Press