*I received a physical copy for Rockstar Book Tours via Vault Comics. All reviews are my own.*
Random, but Romina Garber got off with her Wolves of No World (Lobizona) series with me because I do not like vampires and werewolf stories, and I don't understand the world's obsession with it. Like, who made vampires and werewolves mortal enemies anyway? Hollywood did their thing, sparking the allurement of the Twilight series because they have spawned carbon copies for decades. I say all this to say that I recently toured a graphic novel featuring vampires and other creatures of the old west, and my thoughts on the story are lackluster at best.
"A beautiful vampire must flee monster slayers in New York City and reclaim the ancestral soil that restores her undead flesh. But the world has changed since she was reborn in the New Mexico desert, and now, Constance Der Abend and her loyal assistant Dooley , must adapt to life in the rough frontier town of Sangre De Moro, where all sorts of monsters have settled."
Why did I pick up the story knowing that I'm not a fan of otherworldly creatures? Well, the synopsis intrigued me. West of Sundown Vol. 1 by Tim Seely & Aaron Campbell promised me a story of a vampiress traveling back to her native land to reclaim her ancestral soil. On her quest, hunters track her down to rid her of the world. Seely delivered that part of the story, but it didn't wow me as much as I thought it would. I've been looking for an ancestral redemption story for a while, and this comic didn't hit its mark for me. Between this main story, and all of the side plotlines dealing with a religious cult, Frankenstein creations, and a very random sighting of Dr. Moreau, I was left confused about how all of this tied in with each other.
I did like the interaction between the characters, Dooley and Constance. Even in perilous times, they could still have a humorous exchange. I also like the artwork. Illustrator Jim Terry understood the assignment and was able to come up with Horror meets Old West. There was a nice taste amount of blood, gore, and darkness to pass off if children happened to get a hold of this novel. By the way, children should not get their hands on this novel.
I rated this book 2.5 stars. You definitely have to have some context for all of the monster sightings in this book. Be prepared for side monologues and sudden character introductions. This is not a jump scare kind of novel, but enjoy the many abnormal creatures Campbell and Seely imagined up. I likely won't pick up Vol. 2 or the Omnibus, but don't let it dissuade you from checking out the book.
West of Sundown Vol. 1 is available now
