I thought that it might be good to post all the reviews that have been published to date of Who Needs the Moon #1 up to now.
Beginning with the first going down to the most recent.
Bob Bretall - https://comicspectrum.com/
Rating: 4/5 – A werewolf story with a lot of humanity
"Todd McCullough uses a 1
st person narrative style mixed
into this issue very effectively to get the reader inside the head of
the main character, a werewolf, who is struggling with both his curse
and the fact that vampires have taken an interest in the small town of
Kingford. We get a lot of setup in this 1
st issue, but it’s
very well told so I didn’t mind as much that we didn’t get to any of the
main action, that’s coming and I’m going to want to be there to see it
unfold.
McCullough’s art style is a good match for the story being told.
Reminiscent of, but not directly similar to, indie writer/artists like
Craig Thompson
(Blankets, Habibi) and Nate Powell (Any Empire,
March) McCullough is an up-and-coming indie creator I’m going to be
keeping my eye on. For $1 you get a PDF download of the 29 page story,
which is a great deal. I urge you to give it a try if you think you’ll
dig a character-driver supernatural story like this."
Shawn Denney - http://www.ign.com/blogs/fantaffx
Rating: B-
"Who Needs the Moon has a lot going for it but takes some missteps along the way. On a few
occasions, especially towards the beginning, some of the characters
aren’t quite distinctive enough to be completely recognizable. At a few
other moments, the facial expressions don’t match the tone of the
conversation. But these are minor instances that don’t happen very
often. The one other complaint is that at one point it shows a person
peeing -- as in fully shows it. A little less blatant depiction of the
action could have conveyed the same info without crossing that “for
adults” rating line. These are minor complaints, though. The story is
very interesting and is an interesting spin on the supernatural as well
as leaving a lot of room for expansion and explanation for story
threads. Don’t let my nitpicks dissuade you, this is still a good
comic."
Jonathan Pilley - http://www.omnicomic.com/ http://www.thenerdmachine.com
Rating: Not rating based
"It's a darker loneliness now though."
Being a werewolf is hard enough without having to be a writer as well.
Oh, and vampires. Needless to say, that's just what one unlucky soul
finds himself trapped in the middle of in
Who Needs the Moon #1.
The first issue is written and illustrated by Todd McCullough.
Ethan Ronald is putting together a good picture of Kingsford. Posing as a
writer he's getting closer to the full moon and on that night he'll
attack the vampires. Of course, vampires themselves are a wily bunch and
tend to have an inkling of suspicion when something is afoot. What
unfolds is a game of cat and mouse (wolf and bat?) pitting the two
supernatural heavyweights against one another.
McCullough is writing about two subjects one could argue are played out
in werewolves and vampires, but his approach is more about the setting
they exist in. The way the first issue is written is very suspenseful in
a way. McCullough pits the two against one another only once in the
course of the issue, primarily to set them up as adversaries. The rest
of the issue is told form Ethan's perspective; one of loneliness and
sorrow. It reads with heavy brooding and a darker undertone, slightly
belied by the illustration style.
McCullough's style is a little juvenile in appearance. It's definitely
not bad, but it's a little cartoony for the subject matter. The thing is
though that it works. Ethan's emotions are shown as exaggerations in a
form of caricature; his sadness is gloomy and his happiness is chipper.
The art style depicts a sliding scale of feelings and gives reader a bit
more insight into the happenings in the town. What's more is that the
vampires aren't shown as monsters and you never even see a werewolf,
adding into the issue's intrigue.
Who Needs the Moon #1 is a very interesting mix of werewolves and vampires. It's almost as if someone wrote an
Archie
story about the two beings. McCullough paces it very well though and
relies on the unknown to carry the suspense, offering readers something
to be worried about off the pages. It's an intriguing first issue
and--if the second issue reveals more about the impending battle between
the two factions--could be a fun series.
Logan - http://www.filmdispenser.com
Rating: Not rating based
"Created entirely by Todd McCullough, this first issue does exactly what
first issues should do; it sets up a world we know nothing about, gives a
lot of vague, interesting details that will leave you wanting answers,
and introduces you to a few really interesting characters. From the
nearly dialogue-free opening chase, to the morose inner monologue of the
nameless main character juxtaposed with his happy-go-lucky nature with
those surrounding him, and the seedy looking baddies that try to run him
out of town, this book hits every mark it strives for. Add to that our
nameless lead is in fact a werewolf (who may have done a lot of stuff he
regrets) and our bad guys are vampires with plans to annihilate the
town of Kingford, and I’m down for whatever’s coming next.
McCullough’s
art works pretty great with the story as well, creating even more
contrast between story and visual. This is one that’s available
digitally, either through Comixology, or directly from McCullough
himself over
at his blog. I’d recommend you buy it there, DRM-free for a whopping $1. It will be the best buck you’ve spent all week."
Robert T Trate - http://www.mania.com
"Who Needs the Moon #1 (by Todd A. McCullough):
With October fast approaching I am always on the lookout for good comic
book horror to compliment all the classic monster movies and morbid
fiction I devour (Truth: I'm always on the lookout for new comic horror,
seasons be damned.) So imagine how jazzed I was to find a book like Who Needs the Moon
that doesn't try to blow it's wad with splatter and cliché in the first
ten pages, but spends the necessary time to build atmosphere and has me
immeasurably hooked for issue #2.
Who Needs the Moon
can feel a bit dark and morose, but it has an undercurrent of
excitement. The book opens with two people being chased through the
woods at night by a wolf we never see, we just feel and hear it. The
book then cuts to a diner, and a man who clearly wears the fur when the
moon is full, lamenting his existence. The specters of those he's
killed are literally all around him, but he puts on a happy face for
the regular world. He is accosted in the parking lot by two men who know
"what he is", and he is not so subtly given the hint to get out of
town. In the book's most slyly clever moment, our protagonist follows
these men to their home, then backtracks, urinating at regular intervals
along the way so he can find his way back when the wolf comes out.
Brilliant. Also, this is a far better use of the idea than Jack Nicholson peeing on James Spader
in the men's room. The book doesn't stop at werewolves, there are
vampires hidden in the shadows and other undead things bubbling to the
surface.
It's not just the pacing and foreboding mood that conjures up the book's fantastic atmosphere, it's Todd McCullough's
refreshing art as well. There's a "cartoon" quality to his style that
isn't an obvious choice for this kind of material, but it works very,
very well. The little details and the character's shape and movement
give me a bit of an R. Crumb or Peter Bagge vibe, and the
choice to have certain things or characters in color and the rest in
black and white put this book visually over the edge into gorgeous
territory."
Decapitated Dan - www.decapitateddan.com
Rating: Dying Breath 5.0 out of 5.0
"Who needs the moon? I sure do! Wow what a find this book is going to be
when you all stop reading this review and go read this book! First of
all, McCullough will grab you right from the start as two people are
running from something, and then... fade to black. That is the only
spoiler you get people. This issue has a great mystery to it, I mean we
know it’s a werewolf, but there is still so much more to learn about.
The story is only half of this book though, so now allow me to tell you
about the how GORE-Geous the artwork is. I can’t barley even sum up into
words how great it is. I love the use of color in certain scenes, but
then keeping things in black and white in others. I think that the
Todd’s style is refreshing, and so needed to make this book all that
much more special. Look I really don’t want to give anything away, but I
really do want you to go out and get this book. You just have to trust
your old pal Decap, this is a must read!"
