The series draws to a close while keeping it open enough for more.
Creative Staff:
Story: Tim Seeley, Aaron Campbell
Art: Jim Terry
Colors: Marissa Louise
Letterer: Crank!
What They Say:
Griffin gets used. So does Dr. Moreau. And all kinds of hell break out on the train to nowhere, as the heroes and monsters of Sangre De Moro converge.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
I really enjoyed the original storyline in the series and was surprised that it did well enough to get more since it feels like it’s, well, not a niche book but close to that. Tim Seeley’s a name I definitely trust but I’m always wary because I know I’m going to get something good here yet I’m also going to get something that will be disturbing. With this property, he’s partnered with Aaron Campbell for the story here and they got things underway with a familiar story but one with enough hooks and teases as to how it’ll separate itself from the pack as it moves on. The artwork from Jim Terry continues to do great stuff in creating a particular mood and capturing the period well to make it feel like it’s of the time. It has a kind of earthiness that adds to that realism, especially with Marissa Louise’s color design. The character designs are great and the overall look and style of the book make it worth digging into for just that alone.
This issue basically serves as a finale with a question mark at the end and that works fine. It’s something that actually delivers a pivot point that could be pretty interesting because with Moreau surviving, he ends up back in England in the epilogue and we see how he’s getting some potential investment for a remote island where he could do his real work. Instead of trying to help people he’s now more interested in creating his own race, so you know where that’s going to go. Adding the bit at the end about it being something that Renfield is fronting for a certain count just adds a little something extra special that could make for some fun if they do pursue it. Moreau’s story in the rest of this doesn’t get too much attention overall but it does play out with how things unfolded with Griffin and giving Rosa a chance to bring it all to a close, having realized that she made the wrong choice to welcome these people here.
And that’s kind of the gist of it. Once she understood that and started to take responsibility for it, things get cleaned up quickly. We see Dooley and the other two trying to do the right thing but also unable to do so because it would hurt people who are innocent in all of this. That’s something that Rosa can deal with in a creative way and brings a different kind of peace between all of them. The sheriff and the brothel worker round out their stories with decent little moments but like Griffin, it’s all been so convoluted that it while it makes sense I lost a bit of my involvement in it along the way because we had so many stories and characters moving about. It’s effective in building the larger narrative and edges into the epilogue piece where we see how things are back to normal in a sense works.
In Summary:
I’m certainly not adverse to more of West of Sundown and of Rosa and Dooley in particular, but it felt like things just went a bit too big here for a second story and convoluted as well. I enjoyed it and I liked the characters and what they do, but it felt like we had less of Rosa and not enough time to really establish the town more now that she had taken over. I’d love to see more of it and the kind of weirdness that can come but I’m also strangely curious about what the whole Moreau thing could turn into. This is a solid ending that brings things together and I suspect it may even read better when you go through it in trade form instead of monthly.
Grade: B
Age Rating: 15+
Released By: Vault Comics
Release Date: April 12th, 2023
MSRP: $3.99
