Suffering from Post-Halloween Blues? Try Reading Wolvenheart

Post-Halloween Blues or Post-Halloween Depression is real. The buildup to Halloween consists of re-watching horror movies, carving pumpkins, and thrifting a Halloween costume for $10 or less. After Halloween, there’s the sad recognition that the holidays are right around the corner. To keep the Halloween spirit alive in November, I recommend reading the first issue of Wolvenheart, published by Mad Cave Studios. In the description of Wolvenheart on Mad Cave’s website, they say this is a comic that’s perfect for any fans of Castlevania, Penny Dreadful, and League of Extraordinary Gentleman. 

The first issue of Wolvenheart was available for purchase on October 30. Somehow Mad Cave knew there were people like me who would be craving horror in the days after Halloween. Wolvenheart stars our time-traveling hero, Sterling Cross, as he travels throughout time and space to defeat any horror interfering with the timeline. He’s led by none other than the fabled Professor Van Helsing himself through the ancient group titled Wolvenheart. After Sterling publicly defeats a werewolf, the wolf warns Sterling of a “woman in black” who will bring misery and death to the Wolvenheart agency. This alarms Sterling, which leads him to start investigating what kind of ties this “woman in black” has to his organization.

My first impression from reading issue #1 is how much I adore the cover. I’m sure the main reason why this catches my eye is that it’s designed by Alejandro Giraldo, who did the artwork for Midnight Task Force. Midnight Task Force was the first comic series I read by Mad Cave, and it made me become a fan of the studio. The cover shows Sterling holding his majestic silver sword while several red, bloodied hands reach and grab for it. I approve of Sterling’s character design. He has elements of steampunk in his outfit, but his belt buckle is a demon’s head; he reminds me of a time lord who happens to be a werewolf hunter. Complementing Giraldo’s art, Mark London is the writer behind the series. London was influenced by classic movie monsters and brought this inspiration to the series.

If there’s one thing that’s missing in Wolvenheart, it’s female protagonists. It seems this “woman in black” will be an antagonist for Sterling to defeat, but I wish there were more female protagonists in the first issue. The Wolvenheart organization is made up entirely of men. It surprises me that this organization, which supposedly exists beyond the galaxy, isn’t more progressive. This is only Wolvenheart‘s first issue, so there is a potential for more female characters to be introduced in later issues. We have a female Doctor in Doctor Who, so let’s create a female time lord werewolf hunter in a comic series.

Wolvenheart issue #1 was a satisfying read with a compelling cliffhanger regarding the impending doom of the Wolvenheart organization. Issue #1 is out now and Issue #2 of Wolvenheart will be released this month. Wolvenheart can be purchased on comiXology or through a local comic book store, and Mad Cave Studios can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.