Review - Who Needs the Moon #2

"Just tickity boo as always."

How do you deal with three vampires in a car? Simple: become a werewolf. Ok, maybe it's not that simple, but there is a bitter rivalry between vampires and werewolves that--as a werewolf--you could tap into in your quest to rule the night. Ethan Ronald has quite a few werewolf tricks up his sleeve in Who Needs the Moon #2, written and illustrated by Todd McCullough.

Things aren't getting any calmer for Ethan and his quest to depict Kingford. He's settling in quite well with his everyday routine, including conversations with the hotel manager about not being disturbed, polite encounters with beautiful joggers and hearing bartenders rant about vampires. Of course, Ethan doesn't "believe" in vampires in public, because that would reveal him as being something more than he's letting on as well. His hidden belief doesn't exactly stop said vampires from going after him, giving him a chance to learn even more about the town he's currently living in.

As far as plot goes, McCullough continues to play in the world of vampires and werewolves somewhat non-traditionally, Yes, the rivalry is still there, as that seems to be a staple of any story involving the two beings. Ethan isn't exactly your typical werewolf though, as he seems to rather enjoy the seemingly mundane life he's inhabiting in Kingsford. He's got to do a lot to keep his more feral instincts in check; a point that McCullough does a great job of conveying to the reader through everyday incidents that are magnified due to his senses. The tone in the second issue is slightly more angrier on Ethan's part than the first, but that's ok; Ethan clearly doesn't like vampires and does more than enough to make that point abundantly clear.

McCullough's art is largely unchanged from the first issue, which is definitely a good thing. The cartoonish, caricature style feels a bit more comfortable in the second issue, despite the fact that there's a lot of violence and blood in the issue. The blood aspect is actually illustrated quite well, as McCullough shows Ethan's werewolf instincts manifesting in wafting blood trails from passersby. The pages are filled with smaller box panels, each of which showcases a different step of action in the grander scene. There's also a lot in the way of action words lettered on page as well, which is pretty refreshing and helps the reader keep tabs on the rhythm of the action.

Who Needs the Moon #2 is a solid follow-up to a strong first issue. Ethan's overarching goal is still what it was before, but his disdain for vampires is amped up significantly through his actions. Being a werewolf is proving to be a little more difficult for Ethan as well, considering there are still animalistic and primal urges he must force to contain. Still though, he's quite content to remain in Kingsford and finish whatever business it is he's trying to finish. The townspeople seem more scared of vampires than werewolves, which obviously works to Ethan's favor.

Who Needs the Moon #2 is available now via DriveThru Comics and here (and soon to hit Comixology).