HOUR OF THE WOLF

In London’s graphic novel, a man’s obsession with a haunted painting leads to unimaginable horror.

Phil has long been obsessed with a supposedly haunted painting called The Transactions. After Phil finally obtains the canvas, it somehow pulls him into its reality one late night during the “Hour of the Wolf,” the period between 3:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. when “the veil between worlds is thinnest.” A mysterious figure in the painting offers Phil his life back (the alternative is imprisonment in some kind of torture-box) in exchange for his wife, Jan, and young daughter, Ellen. After Phil is killed by police during his attempt to seal the deal, Jan determines to destroy the object that ruined their lives—but she and Ellen become trapped in the painting as well. An organization called the House of Wolvenheart works to fight evil. Owen Blackwood, a member since 1888, is called from across time to investigate the painting and to save Jan and Ellen. He, too, enters the painting, to rescue his charges and confront the artist, who painted a curse into the artwork and is also present in its world. The man in the painting makes for an excellent antagonist—as he has no visible facial features, when he wants to speak, he uses a razor to cut a mouth into his flesh, to terrifying effect. Beyruth’s art and Marques’ colors make the story even creepier; the hues are particularly vibrant, making the blood and gore really stand out against the dark backgrounds. The narrative moves quickly, as nearly the entire story takes place during the titular hour of the wolf. One downside of this quick pace is that the characters feel relatively flat. They are all superficially intriguing, but without much space given to their development, there is not a lot there for readers to become attached to. Still, the art and story effectively convey a fun and frightening tale.

A gripping horror story with excellently creepy art.