There will be blood. Lots and lots of blood, it turns out.

It’s a good week for Robert Kirkman fans with Walking Dead #50 and the first installment of The Astounding Wolf-Man as a monthly book. Just as Kirkman promised last month’s “Fang-Mail,” issue seven represents a major tectonic shift in the direction of the tale of the Gary Hampton, shape-shifting super-hero.

Many of the issues that have been hanging over Gary Hampton’s lupine head since the beginning of the series are resolved in this issue…though generally not to his taste. The financial disaster faced by the Hampton family forced them to abandon the mansion and essentially take up residence in the Wolf-Lair with all their funds frozen (straining an already difficult family situation). This quandary had a somewhat disappointing resolution as it occurred in one panel and seemed to be fixed by one call from a lawyer. Kirkman does, however, use this sudden change to set-up an even more dramatic shift in the marital woes department, one that has been coming since the beginning of the series.

Gary’s relationship with the vampire Zechariah also changes forever. This issue opens with Sergeant Superior returning, sans his soul, and Zechariah admitting to having turned him at the moment of his death. There is a powerful exchange between Zechariah and his lycanthrope apprentice that seems to end their relationship…until it takes an even darker turn at the end of this issue.

I won’t ruin the shocks waiting for you on the last seven or eight pages of the book. This first arc has rivaled the opening arc for Walking Dead in its ability to draw readers into the lives of the characters and, if you care about them, this issue hurts. Pick up back issues or the TPB if you are not reading this book and you like Kirkman’s other work. He himself calls it a blend of Walking Dead’s darkness and Invincibles cock-eyed super-heroics.

I have to rave (again) about Jason Howard’s art, especially since he sometimes gets picked on for being too “cartoony”. In my review of this title’s previous issue, I noted the real craftsmanship that Howard brings to the book. This is especially in evidence with his inks (done by his own hand rather than digitally). I remain impressed even though his particular style is not exactly my cup of tea. His colors for issue #7 are especially vibrant, with some pitch-perfect decisions made about how to use them to strengthen the narrative. The last few pages, without giving away too much, are full of carnage. Howard managed to convey the feeling of this by splashing the pages with red, making the reader feel like the book is literally dripping with blood. Combined with Kirkman’s writing, it makes for some unbelievable emotional intensity.

There is some extra art goodness at the end of this issue. Kirkman has included a couple of concept pin-ups of Wolfie drawn by some guys from the Texas art group SPACE GUN. They look great.

Pick this one up. There was blood, lots and lots of blood.

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