Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Shaolin Cowboy #1 and #2



Shaolin Cowboy #1 is an action-packed, zombie-slicing adventure story.  The story starts out with a bloody and bruised Shaolin Cowboy punching his way out of hell to find himself in a remote desert.  He appears to be relieved to be finished with his previous adventures, but the relief doesn't last long and his adventure is far from over. 

The rest of this book is filled with the Shaolin Cowboy taking on the hoard of undead that has followed him from hell.  The best part of this zombie slasher is the Shaolin Cowboy’s weapon of choice.  We've all seen a zombie slashed with a chainsaw but a chainsaw looks like a child’s play toy compared to the double-ended chainsaw staff that the Shaolin Cowboy wields.  This is the weapon I want when thousands of undead are chasing me through the desert.

The art and the story are fantastic.  The meticulous coloring of the desert and zombies next to the Shaolin Cowboys red shirt and yellow handkerchief is absolutely gorgeous.  The story is fantastic and leaves you wondering what will happen next as the Shaolin Cowboy jumps into a crowd of zombies that fill the last two pages of this issue.


Two out of Two Chainsaws


Shaolin Cowboy #2 picks up right as the Shaolin Cowboy is jumping into the crowd of zombies from the last pages of the first issue.  And what does the Shaolin Cowboy do as soon as he lands? He starts to cut through the hoard of zombies with his double ended chainsaw staff.  There are so many ways to destroy zombies with a double chainsaw staff and writer/artist Geof Darrow wants to show his audience each way in full beautifully gory detail. 

Intense undead destruction is featured on every double page of this issue.  No words are needed as the Shaolin Cowboy cuts zombies heads off, cuts zombies in half, and cuts zombies from top to bottom with the grace and patience of a Shaolin monk.  His motions are fluid and precise and he is calm and collected through out each slaughter-filled scene.

The detail in each scene is incredible.  This issue seems to be simple, scene after scene of the Shaolin cowboy destroying zombies, but it is so much more than that.  So much attention is given to each individual zombie and their gruesome demise.  My favorite scene is when the Shaolin Cowboy slashes ten zombies with his double ended chainsaw staff as he’s open palm striking a zombie’s heart with his free hand.  This issue is epic and should be read over and over again in order to pick up on all the gory details.

4 zombie heads out of 5

You can find Shaolin Cowboy # 1 here
And here is Shaolin Cowboy # 2

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