Advance Review: Wire Fence
Coming Soon From CEX
Coming this October from CEX is a western one-shot by Jake Palermo and Raquel Kusiak.
In the late 1800s, the American bison were being hunted by the millions. In this tale of the old west, BBQ, a wire-slinging bison herder is determined to help one heard escape the “Black Hills Gold Rush” that massacred the bison population. An intense tale of the old west through a fantasy lens!
I have a little bit of a soft spot for the Western genre. It may be the classic ‘spaghetti westerns’ of The Good, The Bad and the Ugly or movies like Unforgiven or Dances With Wolves. I always find I can sit down and watch them. I have even ordered the current story, The Enfield Gang Massacre (which I await as I write this!) So I was happy to see this new one-shot from CEX drop into my email, and I wasn’t disappointed.
Wire Fence is a different type of western - no shoot-outs and less of what we would expect. Nevertheless, it is a good western with some excellent character moments throughout - which, as a one-shot story, is quite a feat. It is the type of story that makes you sit and think for a while once you have read it, and I feel that the story it brings you does linger on with you once you have finished.
That’s not to say there isn’t any action. It actually kicks off with an interesting start. A rotten sheriff and a stranger comes to town to take him and his gang down. Even this is cleverly played out. The action isn't the crux of these scenes. However, we do get some in some well-plotted and played-out scenes. There is some excellent credit to the artist here, as we get a different viewpoint of what is happening, and while we do get to see some action, it is what you don’t see which makes it interesting.
This encounter leads us to the main point of the story, and there are some clever jumps in time as we learn more about the mysterious stranger and their way of life. It captures some different aspects of the Western genre really well and brings us not only a new mythos combined with the old but a new way of looking at some of the Western stories that have come before.
Art-wise, there are some excellent choices made in terms of the action and character moments; the scene at the beginning was an excellent start and made use of the location in some unique ways. The barbed wire aspect was especially explosive. I like the use of colour in this story, too - with white being an interesting choice, but working out extremely well. The jumps in time and that location make an excellent change to the style of the rest of the story.
Overall, Wire Fence is a good example of a modern take on the Western genre, blending traditional elements with fresh perspectives and innovative storytelling techniques. It's not your typical Western, but that's precisely what makes it stand out. It's a testament to the fact that the Western genre is far from being exhausted and can still deliver engaging and thought-provoking stories. If you're like me and have a soft spot for Westerns, I highly recommend checking out Wire Fence. It's a one-shot that packs a punch and offers a refreshing new take on a classic genre. So, saddle up and take this journey through the wild west. The ride is worth every moment.
Remember to support your local comic book store and encourage creators who are pushing boundaries and delivering something unique. Who knows, you might discover your new favourite Western!
