Comic Review: Above Snakes #1

Publisher: Image Comics

Writer: Sean Lewis

Artist: Hayden Sherman

Letterer: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

Western stories are something that I will admit I didn’t get into until much later than I should have. Since the pandemic I’ve taken in much more of the genre, and while I have my issues with some of the tropes, especially in regards to the way that women are treated, it’s pretty fun overall. Comic books in particular have been pretty great with the genre, especially those that add something that’s out of this world.

Above Snakes #1 follows the journey of Dirt, a man who returns from war to find that his wife has been murdered. A talking vulture tells him who killed her, and he finds himself following nothing but the vulture’s word and his rage. The “Man had his wife murdered so he goes on a killing spree” premise is a little tired, but there is still good reason to check this one out.

Sean Lewis writes the script in a way that makes the Western almost feel like a myth. The talking animal certainly helps. Despite all of the tropes, it feels like there is a certain magic guiding Dirt along. There are clear good guys and bad guys, and the story beats are consistently surprising. It’s a little silly and its hard to believe that Dirt would actually survive his encounters, but the lack of realism makes this easy to embrace.

One of the main settings in this issue is a brothel, which admittedly had me on my guard since its easy for Westerns to go down the wrong path. Sean Lewis and Hayden Sherman mostly put my concerns to rest. The tale is dark and involves underage girls being forced into working a brothel. It’s an element that most people don’t want to see today. At the same time, the creative team handles this scenario well. There are no jokes in bad taste, and Sherman avoids drawing anything problematic. Sure, it would be nice to avoid this aspect of the story completely, but this was handled about as well as one could ask for.

Speaking of Sherman’s drawings, Above Snakes #1 looks spectacular. The action moves through the panels incredibly well. Space and perspective are perfectly used here, especially during the climactic shootout. Despite the gritty subject matter, Above Snakes is full of color. It turns the genre upside down in a way similar to how Seeley and Terry did in West of Sundown. The action is splashy, and the characters are full of expression.

Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou’s letters are creative and the flair that you would expect from a mythological Western. The letters and their boxes all give the characters distinct voices. It looks fantastic while making the issue easy to read, allowing for Above Snakes #1 to have near perfect pacing.

It’s not without its flaws, but the creative team set out to tell a Western story that feels different, and they surely did here. This is a no brainer for fans of the genre, and will likely be appealing for those who don’t usually dip their toes into Westerns as well.