By Brian Azzarello & Marcelo Frusin (Vertigo)
ISBN 1-84576-337-8
The dark eyes of Brian Azzarello and Marcelo Frusin, which did so much to revive the crime comic genre with 100 Bullets and returned a hard edge to horror in Hellblazer, take a good hard look at the Western in this series from Vertigo, the first five issues of which are collected here.
Blackwater was a nasty little town even before the Civil War. Now occupied by victorious Union soldiers it is rapidly becoming a cesspool and an open sore, with hate and resentment bubbling everywhere. And then Wes Cutter rides back into town.
A Confederate soldier, outlaw and very dangerous man, he quickly sets about making all-new enemies to complement those he’s always had in his home town. Is it a coincidence that his arrival coincides with a wave of murder and destruction? And just what did happen to the wife he left behind?
Black, violent and moody, with a large cast of broken and intriguing characters, this very adult tale of revenge is reminiscent of Clint Eastwood’s films High Plains Drifter and Unforgiven, but this story has many more shades and crannies than either, and the overwhelming mystery of Wes Cutter and his equally deadly companion is as engrossing as the violence is compelling. Here is a very modern Western which will enthral readers whether they like cowboys or not.
© 2005, 2006 Brian Brian Azzarello & Marcelo Frusin. All Rights Reserved.