Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs, David Lawrence, and Jordan Gubderson
Series: Alpha and Omega
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment, 2010
Genre: Fantasy
Sub-genre: Urban Fantasy
At first I was pretty "meh" on this cover, but the more I look at it, the more I like it. There are a million little details in here: Anna's claws, the wolves coming out of the trees in the background, the "Mercy + Sam" engraving in the rock. It's not as pretty as the novel covers, but I do like Anna in such a dominant position.
This is not the first time Patricia Briggs's world has crossed over into the comics medium. Mercy Thompson: Homecoming told the story of how Mercy came to live in the Tri-Cities and became a mechanic, something not covered in the books. In contrast, Alpha and Omega centers on Charles and Anna (as you've probably guessed) and is the first in the Cry Wolf story arc. After the first couple of pages the story started feeling familiar... and for good reason. As it turns out, this comic is not only set during the books, it's covering the story of Cry Wolf. Well, since it's a familiar story I guess it all comes down to execution. It's not, after all, like we'll be surprised by any plot twists.
So how is it? Well, it's not the way I'd choose to introduce someone into this world. The comic assumes you know who the major characters are and neglects to introduce them, and doesn't explain basic concepts like the significance of an Omega wolf. The artwork isn't bad, and I'm pleased to see the colourist and illustrator remembered to keep Charles Native American, but this seems more of a neat collector's item for someone who's already a fan of the series than anything else. I suppose the comic is unlikely to hit your radar unless you already have a healthy appreciation of Patricia Briggs, but you're not going to hook any new fans here.
Cry Wolf volume 1 is currently available wherever comics are sold. When all the volumes are printed, there are plans to sell them all together in book form, but further information on that is still pending.
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment, 2010
Genre: Fantasy
Sub-genre: Urban Fantasy
At first I was pretty "meh" on this cover, but the more I look at it, the more I like it. There are a million little details in here: Anna's claws, the wolves coming out of the trees in the background, the "Mercy + Sam" engraving in the rock. It's not as pretty as the novel covers, but I do like Anna in such a dominant position.
This is not the first time Patricia Briggs's world has crossed over into the comics medium. Mercy Thompson: Homecoming told the story of how Mercy came to live in the Tri-Cities and became a mechanic, something not covered in the books. In contrast, Alpha and Omega centers on Charles and Anna (as you've probably guessed) and is the first in the Cry Wolf story arc. After the first couple of pages the story started feeling familiar... and for good reason. As it turns out, this comic is not only set during the books, it's covering the story of Cry Wolf. Well, since it's a familiar story I guess it all comes down to execution. It's not, after all, like we'll be surprised by any plot twists.
So how is it? Well, it's not the way I'd choose to introduce someone into this world. The comic assumes you know who the major characters are and neglects to introduce them, and doesn't explain basic concepts like the significance of an Omega wolf. The artwork isn't bad, and I'm pleased to see the colourist and illustrator remembered to keep Charles Native American, but this seems more of a neat collector's item for someone who's already a fan of the series than anything else. I suppose the comic is unlikely to hit your radar unless you already have a healthy appreciation of Patricia Briggs, but you're not going to hook any new fans here.
Cry Wolf volume 1 is currently available wherever comics are sold. When all the volumes are printed, there are plans to sell them all together in book form, but further information on that is still pending.