After he fends off an alien invasion, Thomas Bruin goes from a nobody security guard to Earth’s greatest hero! He’s got a supercharged launchpad and no ceiling. Bruin rises from celebrity to congress, then to the head of the planet’s first orbital security force. He’s married into one of the country’s most powerful political families, he’s surfing a wave of endorsements, and he’s the very symbol of human resilience. So why is Bruin nervous? Because only he knows his great victory is a lie. When the aliens return to Earth, stronger than ever, Bruin has no choice but to be the hero he’s fooled the whole world into thinking he is…or die trying. War Wolf #1 delivers an entertaining start that mixes action and comedy with a dash of sci-fi.
Written by Steve Orlando, I couldn’t tell you why it’s called War Wolf, but, let’s roll with it. Orlando kicks off the series with a debut that lays it out there as to what to expect in its main character Thomas Bruin. He’s someone that generally stands up and does what’s right, but also gets the crap beat out of him for doing it. Thomas is the type of person that gets put on a group project and does all the work and others take the credit, and he gets none. War Wolf #1 delivers some wish fulfillment for those individuals, as Thomas gets to kick a little ass and kill some aliens while doing it.
Orlando does a great job in War Wolf #1 if setting up who the main character is but delivering a lot of humor along the way, then eventually wrapping it up with action. There’s a “fuck up” mentality to Thomas, an individual who just hasn’t had luck for whatever reasons, not finding his way. It’s not all bad, Orlando mixes in some wins in a way, but overall you get a sense that this is a character who can’t quite get ahead other than by accident. And that’s what’s delivered in War Wolf #1. Thomas does step up and fights some aliens, but it’s more he’s forced to, and of course his coworkers are right there to help take credit for it all. It’s a feeling so many of us have had.
The art by Marco Perugini delivers it all in a way where you can get a sense of all of that. It’s a comic whose opening is very much a “show,” to give readers a sense of what the main character is like. Perugini is joined by Pascal Tora on color and lettering by Lucas Gattoni and the trio deliver a comic whose look matches the comedic undertones Orlando is going for. The art plays a key role in setting up the feel of the comic and also informing readers what they can expect from Thomas going forward.
War Wolf #1 is a fun debut that sets things up well with a story that feels a little Mars Attacks. It’ll be interesting to see where it all goes from here and what Orlando focuses on as far as the narrative goes. But, it’s solid sci-fi comedy that shows a lot of promise and well worth checking out.
Story: Steve Orlando Art: Marco Perugini
Color: Pascal Tora Letterer: Lucas Gattoni
Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25 Recommendation: Buy
Mad Cave Studios provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle
