Henri Tremblay has been tasked with a clandestine courier assignment out in the mountainous land of Colorado. But deep in the winter alpine lies a dangerous secret, waiting to be uncovered.
Clayton Rozman, a good comics creator friend of mine and a Colorado-raised native, has taken to the comics medium to release his long-awaited Western horror, Yellow Moon – a mind-boggling marriage between Alien and The Revenant. Our protagonist is Henri Tremblay, a rather curt Québécois trapper and outdoorsman who has settled into a peaceful life in the woods with his dog Spango. That is, until his previous employer, Carpenter & Sons Mining Company, comes knocking at his front door. The ambassador reminds Henri of his contractual obligation to the company (which Henri broke unceremoniously) and is offered a one-time ultimatum in exchange for his freedom: travel to Carpenter Falls in search of the reason for the town’s lack of correspondence with the company.
From the very beginning, Rozman’s writing prowess is unmistakable, with an incredibly powerful sense of style and mastery over the craft present all throughout the entirety of the issue. And for a story that takes place in the 1850s, there’s an extra layer of depth added to the comic, factoring in timely colloquialisms and diction choices that elevate Yellow Moon with Rozman’s careful attention to detail. The pacing itself moves along at a steady rate that graduates to downright nerve-wracking as the story progresses and settles into its more macabre elements, showing its mark as a mainstay horror comic fairly quickly.
And that’s only to speak of the quality of writing already on display. Factoring in the rest of the star-studded creative team, such as Bruno Letizia and Ferran Delgado, there is a cosmic coalescence of talent here on the page. The artwork is both gritty and vibrant, depicting the beautiful landscapes of Colorado with the reverence it deserves, as well as the unmitigated horrors that dwell around each of its knolls. And on that note, I am very appreciative of the fact that we’re seeing a different side of the States within this comic; it is far too common to run the gauntlet of bustling metropolitan areas (namely New York City) in the world of comics, so this change of scenery is not only an admirable decision, but a necessary one in my opinion that helps the story stand out amongst its indie peers. The coloring is also superb, with distinctive color palettes within each scene punctuating the ambiance and augmenting the already hair-raising stakes.
Yellow Moon #1 is a bone-chilling entry into the frigid hamlet of Carpenter Falls and its mysteries, where preternatural horrors lurk in the shadows, waiting to encounter our heroes, Henri and Spango.
Creative Team: Clayton Rozman (writer/creator), Bruno Letizia (artist), Ferran Delgado (letterer), Chris Stevens (editor), Nic Alessandrini (book design)
Publisher: October Press
Click here to purchase.
