This might be old news to people who follow me on Twitter, but it bears repeating on a less ephemeral platform: Who Needs the Moon? is an ongoing graphic novel by Todd McCullough, and it’s fucking awesome. It’s got gorgeous art, a gripping story, and a protagonist who’s a terrible puzzle. As Todd describes it in a recent Comic Related interview:
The story is sort of a first person narrative, that revolves around the werewolf and so we [early] on get a glimpse into him and his thinking. The miniseries will follow him through what I hope will be an eventual downfall. There is a large cast of supporting characters, like his dead family, the ghosts of the people he’s killed, Ted the bartender… and of course the members of the vampire coven who we will learn more of later on.
The atmosphere in this book is dense and cold, but it’s alive. The main character, Ethan, is endearing, haunted and terrifying all at the same time. He’s likeable, but it’s also clear that he’s capable of monstrous things. Kingford, the small town setting, feels like a brooding Everytown, and also like a half-dead incarnation of places I have called home. This mournful malevolence is achieved through a combination of effective writing and phenomenal colours on the page. And, at the risk of losing some of my anti-vampire credibility, I have to say that I really enjoy how vampires are portrayed. They’re scuzzy, arrogantly complacent, sunken-eyed rats, but they exude a palpable sense of menace – even the one with the stupid moustache.
The first volume of Who Needs The Moon? is available for $0.99 on ComiXology and DriveThruComics. But the best option is Gumroad, where you can get volumes 1 and 2 in CBZ or PDF format for $1, and the rest of the series as Todd completes it for free. If you just want a taste and you’re quick, you can even get the Gumroad versions for free by entering $0 as the amount you want to pay, but the free downloads are limited in quantity. As Todd puts it,
If you buy my comic, you have my deepest thanks and I hope you enjoy it. You should know that you only need to buy the one copy. Over time I will update the PDF and CBZ with the other issues and then you get an email letting you know that you can update your local version.
So go pay for it, because as the ancient wisdom tells us, people who make cool shit will make MORE cool shit if you PAY THEM.
For more on Todd and Who Needs The Moon?, check out the Comic Related interview, and follow him on Tumblr, deviantART and Twitter.