I was only mildly interested in the first trade of this series, but it seems absence made my heart grow fonder, because I really enjoyed this collection.
Cullen Bunn seems to be a real up-and-comer, I know I’m picking up his Captain America & Hawkeye run that starts next month. Before he made his way to Marvel, he told the story of the Old West, complete with haunted guns. This is a strong little story, with nice ties to the first plotline, but the whole thing feels a lot… roomier. The first story jumped right into apocalyptic possibilities and the big bad, and I don’t blame anyone. Bunn didn’t know how long he’d have to tell his story. Now that the initial threats have been… put off, I love the chance to see more of the main characters.
Drake is a pretty strong lead; he’s a good gunfighter, but his craftiness and quick-thinking are probably more important. The other lead, Rebecca, gets a bit of mistreatment this time as she falls for a man of questionable character, but I love her reaction. She’s ticked off and right back in the thick of things at the close of the book. One of the problems with the first trade was the lack of supporting characters. Bunn addresses that here, the book is full of interesting friends and enemies with long-term potential. (The evil monsters are pretty sweet too.)
Brian Hurtt’s art is deceptively simple. It’s definitely cartoony, and that keeps a lot of the violence from being too upsetting. He can also handle the mood, though. I love the scene with Drake paddling across a swamp, and he feels the “bump” as the first of some mega-gators show up to make things difficult.
This book is a great example of a writer and artist getting better with experience.
Good
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