Hounds of God #1 (Digital)

Hounds of God #1 (Digital)

Thoughts… I will say the cover grabbed me first, a werewolf, some viking looking dude and the reflection of some grim thing in the sword, was like I have to read this. It didn’t take long to realise I was in from a great read. The art work and open chapter of the story were enough for me to be hooked. The imagery and events of those first few pages really pulled you in and did not let go until the end of the book. It had a feel like it was primed for a TV series, it had the big spectacle at the start to set the scene and then after the big reveal it cuts to the main character. Here we see Kaine and get a feel for his motivations and outlook on the world the story is set in.

The story unfolds at a great pace, with the big open showing us the underbelly of the setting and giving us a glimpse at the evil we are dealing with. There is a brief slow down in pace when we are first introduced to Kaine but that is short-lived as we are soon back into sword swinging action. There is no let up at all throughout the issue, as there is little chance for Kaine to rest before his whole world is turned upside down. There is a great deal of mythos introduced in this first issue, we get an order of werewolves, a coven of witches and the inquisition all wrapped up in what looks like an ongoing war. We get enough information about the factions to be able to know what is going on but it leaves you wanting more. By the end of the issue the direction of the story is set but I have a feeling there will be plenty of twists and turns along the way to keep us on our toes.

There has definitely been a lot of thought put into this project, especially with the district look of the characters. The illustration of the witches does a great job of showing their grim nature warped visages. They seem to be tied to the forest and because of this their appearance seem to be almost like human roots, with bark like skin and vines wrapping around their bodies. The werewolves are hulking primal beasts covered in runes and built of pure muscle and claws, they appear to be extremely imposing. The colours used throughout are darkly vibrant, dark greens and crimsons. There are numerous bloody encounters, and the blood lingers on the page showing us how brutal this world is.

I really enjoyed this first issue, it perfectly sets up the story and setting. It really felt like a pilot of a TV show putting everything in place so that it can really let go in the next issues. I shouldn’t say but I was really surprised how good this was. For me it was definitely my cup of tea, the great setting and the mythology behind seem to have been fleshed out nicely and I hope that we get to see more of this. The art style really elevated the story as well, adding another level to it all. It felt like a bumper issue, so much happens in these pages, and from the ending you can just tell we are in for a real treat as the series continues.