[Review] — The Wild West Meets Hammer Horror in "West of Sundown, Vol. 1"

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I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the West of Sundown, Vol. 1 by Tim Seeley & Aaron Campbell, and Jim Terry for the Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

About West Of Sundown, Vol. 1 

La Sangre es la Vida 

A beautiful vampire must flee monster slayers in New York City and reclaim the ancestral soil that restores her undead flesh. But the world has changed since she was reborn in the New Mexico desert, and now, Constance Der Abend and her loyal assistant Dooley must adapt to life in the rough frontier town of Sangre De Moro, where all sorts of monsters have settled.

West of Sundown – where Hammer Horror and literary monsters stake their claim in old New Mexico.

A Western tale of survival starring a cast of literary horrors from the diabolical minds of Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash, Vampire: The Masquerade, Money Shot), Aaron Campbell (Hellblazer, Infidel), and Jim Terry (Vampirella, Come Home, Indio)!

For fans of From Dusk Till Dawn, Westworld, Red Dead Redemption, American Vampire, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Hammer Horror films, Universal monsters, and Preacher!

Collects the entire 5-issue first arc of the smash-hit series!

Praise for West of Sundown

"If you like your horse operas bloody, if you thought The Searchers was fine, except for all the missing vampires and werewolves and monsters, then … Tim Seeley, Aaron Campbell, and Jim Terry have a book here for you. Come walk with them through the Old West, and don’t trust them when they tell you it’s all going to be fine. It’s not. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.” -- Stephen Graham Jones (New York Times bestselling author of The Only Good Indians, My Heart is a Chainsaw) 

 “…a tawdry monster mash that’s bloody entertaining” – Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

 "Vigorous, bloody pulp fiction boned with fierce intelligence and blooded with delicate observation. This just might be the start of the best monster universe since Universal's." -- Daniel Kraus (New York Times bestselling author of The Shape of Water, Trollhunters, and The Autumnal) 

 “Western gets weird in this gore-strewn, rollicking adventure set in the 1870s …with a wink toward gothic Victorian horror.” – Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

My Review

I loved reading West of Sundown, Vol. 1. It's an omnibus of the first five issues, told in five chapters. The series' main character is Constance Der Abend, a female vampire. She is awakened from her coffin-bound slumber by Dooley O'Shaughnessy, an Irishman serving as a Union soldier during the Civil War. Dooley is mesmerized by Constance's beauty and becomes her devoted human companion. He will stop at nothing to keep her safe.

I'm a great lover of Hammer horror films, and there are several references to them in West of Sundown. Constance (also known as Ruby) has a complex, sinister origin narrative revelation throughout volume one, making her more than just your standard countess. There is a Dr. Frankenstein-like figure who I rather enjoyed, as well as a stitched-up monster that is a smart nod to Hammer. Together with the evil villains, there is a reverend cult leader. 

 

Overall, West of Sundown, Vol. 1 is a comic book that is skillfully written and beautifully designed. (Or ought I to refer to it as a graphic novel?) Every horror enthusiast should check it out. ╌★★★★★

Giveaway Details

2 winners will receive a finished copy of West of Sundown, Vol. 1, US Only. Ends April 7th, midnight EST.

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About Tim Seeley

TIM SEELEY is one of those “slash” people…a writer-slash artist. He has drawn a number of different comic book series including G.I JOE, HALLOWEEN, WILDCATS, and ANT-MAN & WASP. His writing work includes NIGHTWING, MONEY SHOT, INJUSTICE v. MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, the critically acclaimed REVIVAL, and the NY TIMES bestselling HACK/SLASH. He resides in Chicago, Illinois with his wife, daughter, and 80s action figure collection.

Hometown:  Chicago, IL 

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About Aaron Campbell

AARON CAMPBELL has been working as a comics artist for a decade and is now the co-writer of Vault Comics horror title, West of Sundown. During his time in comics, he’s illustrated the adventures of some of the world’s most iconic characters, including Hellblazer, Batman, Harley Quinn, The Shadow, Green Hornet, Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, and Infidel, working with such revered writers as Garth Ennis, Matt Wagner, James Robinson, and Andy Diggle. 

 

Hometown: Albuquerque, NM 

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About Jim Terry

JIM TERRY is a Native American comic book artist whose memoir Come Home, Indio was a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize and the Ignatz, as well as the artist on such titles as THE CROW, HACK/SLASH, HEAVY METAL, and more. He is currently working on WEST OF SUNDOWN from Vault Comics. He lives in Chicago with his 4 cats. 

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