I have never heard of Wolvenheart before, but on a whim I decided to try it out… and can I say, I am SOOO glad I did!! After reading the first issue, I immediately binged the rest of them… sorry sleep, you’ll have to wait!
Wolvenheart, from Madcave Studios, combines two of my favorite things in the world together: supernatural beings, like vampires and werewolves, and time travel!!! How wild is that?!? We see so many supernatural stories and so many time travel stories, yet hardly any where the two collide!
Created and Written by MARK LONDON
Art by ALEJANDRO GIRALDO
Coloring by WARNIA SAHADEWA
Edited by CHRIS FERNANDEZ
This brilliant series focuses on an organization called Wolvenheart, founded by Van Helsing himself to protect the timeline(s) from supernatural beings who would dare attempt to drag all timelines into chaos. Think Marvel’s TV Series Loki but… less superheroes and more bitey bitey and grrr argh! Wolvenheart is the equivalent of the Time Variance Authority (TVA), our hero Sterling is the equivalent of Loki, and Helsing is a partial equivalent to Ravonna Renslayer.
Originally, Wolvenheart was only supposed to be 7 issues. Yet, look at that- it’s on issue 10 coming out this January! How did that happen??
For starters, the dialogue of this series is magical. It flows so naturally and allows each character to shine in their own light, no matter how large or small. It’s cool to see characters we know in other texts too: as mentioned earlier, Van Helsing is in this, but so are figures like Nikola Tesla and Dorian Grey! Some are painted in familiar lights while others are painted in more different lights. They really help Wolvenheart feel new and authentic!
Additionally, Wolvenheart builds its world in a similar vein to Something is Killing the Children and House of Slaughter. We get to know Sterling at his current age, along with many other characters, and as the story continues, we get many flashbacks back to Sterling’s youth and more! It’s incredibly delightful and fulfilling to feel like I can get lost in a world rather than simply one story.
And the action? Yes my fellow nerds, the action is there and then some! Quick movements, great action lettering, and perfect panel organization make these sequences flow easily from panel to panel!
Furthermore, this series is spectacularly, thematically climactic! There are moments where the tension builds up and up and up and up on itself, until one final action hits, and the impact of what has just happened makes you freeze in place. The best part? This is all from issue one! No waiting 3 issues to become absorbed in this series! From the beginning, Wolverheart feels like watching a clever, yet endearing, thriller that I have to continue to watch- good bye sleep and hello 2am! I MUST know what happens next!
And the ART!! THE ART! We HAVE to talk about how the illustrations literally shine and shimmer in this book! Warnia Shadewa and Alejandro Girlado do an amazing job capturing the atmosphere of this story.
The deep blues, purples, and reds? Maybe it’s just cause I’m really really bi, but I can’t get enough of these colors, and it perfectly matches this series’ supernatural energy! The dark tones help add those creepy, thriller elements while the amazing textures in each character’s face and body add a fantastical element that makes this story accessible to a broader audience, particularly fans of time traveling shows/films like Doctor Who or Back to the Future. Without the art, Wolvenheart couldn’t capture both audiences’ hearts, but thank god Sahadewa and Giraldo brought their greatness’ to this book!
I am so grateful this series got more than its original 7 issue run because man oh man does issue 7 end on a PERFECT, TIMELY cliffhanger! Just as you think everything is solved and wrapped up in a pretty bow, a jack pops out of the box! Wolvenheart is now set for 14 issues, and honestly, I’m really hoping it gets at least two more arcs.
Wolvenheart Issue 10, releasing January 12, 2021, continues all the greatness I’ve spoken of in this entire article and is an absolute MUST-PICK-UP! If you’ve been sleeping on this series like I previously was, wake up and read this. Fans of Legends of Tomorrow, Loki, and Doctor Who will thrive with the pure nerd fertilizer that is Wolvenheart!
Wolvenheart #10, from Mad Cave Studios, is in local comic shops January 12th! Be sure to pick it up!
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