The Pound is about two out-of-work animal control technicians who decide to start their own animal control company, and what do these two unemployed technicians end up running into? Werewolves.
The Good
I know comedy, at least I think I do because I'm a F-List Chicago comedian, and while this book isn't laugh out loud hilarious, it is a fun and entertaining book. It funny without going too over-the-top. The book is pretty rooted in "reality." There so many books that claim to be comedic out there, and unlike most of them, this book is light-hearted and a fun read. It's not something you'll get bored by.It's incredibly nice to see a book where the dialogue and relationships between characters feels real, especially the husband/wife dynamic between Scott (the blonde with the killer mustache) and his wife, whose name I didn't catch. It feels like a real relationship and not forced, like so many other comics books I've read in the past.
When I first saw that werewolves were in this book, I rolled my eyes. I feel like I've seen everything when it comes to werewolves in films, television, books, and comics; however, this comic really has a fresh take on werewolves. It's just two guys who stumble into that world. As much as I didn't like the idea that this is a werewolf book, I fell in love with the overall concept by the last page, and I'm excited to see where The Pound goes from here.
The Bad
Like I said earlier, I'm a bit skeptical when I see werewolves in a book, and I fear the book might take a turn towards these guys finding a secret werewolf society and having to take it down. I'm hoping the book pushes the envelope a bit more to separate it from the other horror/comedy books on the shelf.For me, the art is the weakest aspect of this book. In no way is it bad, I actually liked it, but it's pretty typical artwork for an independent book. To be honest, the "good" about the art far out-ways the "bad," but if I was just rating the book for art, it would get a 3.5 out of 5.
One last very minor thing. Some people just aren't into reading books digitally, and while I've been told that the book will eventually come out in physical trade, it may turn off a few people to getting it. I'm not sure how much the book will cost at this point as well. I'm assuming it will be no more than $2, but we'll see.
The Verdict 4/5 - Recommended
It's a fresh take on an old favorite, werewolves. And while the idea of a digital comic may turn a few readers off, I can say without a doubt, it's a hard medium to adjust to, but digital comics are well worth it. It's a fun read, and frankly, it's a nice change from the hundreds of super-hero books swarming the shelves and your pull list. Again, the book will be released on iPhone, iPad, and the Sony PSP store around March 30th.Thanks to Charles Pritchett at Frozen Beach Studios for the early review!
