UNIVERSAL MONSTERS BLOOD OF THE WOLF MAN #1-Advanced Review
- Blake Donaldson
- Jun 24
- 3 min read
Publisher:
Image
Release Date:
June 24, 2026
Creative Team:
JoshuaWilliamson
Pip Martin
Leomacs
DC Hopkins
Where to Buy:
Your LCS or Image Comics Directly
Price $4.99
Solicit:
THE WOLF MAN REBORN FOR A NEW GENERATION
Adam Jaeger thought he could become someone new at college... but not like this. One moment he was partying, the next he’s recovering from a massacre that left almost no survivors. The worst part? He might be responsible...
As the monster within tries to claw loose, Adam will do anything he can to stop from becoming...THE WOLF MAN.
The superstar team of JOSHUA WILLIAMSON (G.I. JOE, Superman) and LEOMACS (Basketful of Heads, Rogues) presents the next hit horror series of 2026!
REVIEW:
Ever since Skybound announced the Universal Monsters line of comics back in 2023 I’ve been patiently waiting for a Wolf Man book to be announced. Three years and six other mini-series later, the time has finally come! I was lucky enough to check out an advanced copy of Blood of the Wolf Man and I’m grateful to report it was well worth the wait.
Like a pair of hungry eyes shining with reflected moonlight among the shadows of a nearby treeline, a sense of dread permeates throughout this issue from the first page. As a pack of wolves viciously rip apart their prey from atop a ridge overlooking a brightly lit home, the scene shifts to a college party taking place within, an overall cheerful setting that belies the foreboding nature of the rest of the issue, to introduce the reader to the book’s artistic, soft-spoken protagonist, Adam. We find Adam in the midst of navigating his social anxiety in an attempt to break out of his established designation as “the new kid,” an effort that may have proved fruitful if it was any other night. Unfortunately for the party-goers, the festivities will be cut violently short as tragedy strikes under the light of the full moon.
Like a pair of hungry eyes shining with reflected moonlight among the shadows of a nearby treeline, a sense of dread permeates throughout this issue from the first page. As a pack of wolves viciously rip apart their prey from atop a ridge overlooking a brightly lit home, the scene shifts to a college party taking place within, an overall cheerful setting that belies the foreboding nature of the rest of the issue, to introduce the reader to the book’s artistic, soft-spoken protagonist, Adam.
Blood of the Wolf Man is set some time in the 1970s, a few decades after the events of the 1941 Wolf Man film starring Lon Chaney Jr, though it’s unclear in this first issue if this story is intended as a new chapter set in that same universe or more as a full reimagining of the original. Either way, writer Joshua Williamson already seems to be building a tense, poignant piece of lycanthropic lore more than capable of standing on its own. Whether it’s during a touching reunion in a hospital emergency room or in the midst of a turbulent bloodbath, Leomacs’ linework eloquently exemplifies every emotion the characters are experiencing. Similarly, Pip Martin’s use of juxtaposed warm and cool color palettes is very effective at establishing the atmosphere of a scene and especially when conveying sudden shifts in tone. When things turn decidedly violent, the muted nostalgic colors of the ‘70s setting are overtaken by waves of red, becoming a blood-soaked backdrop for DC Hopkins’ frenzied lettering to create a visual cacophony of chaos.
In my experience, it’s much harder to pull off horror in literature, even in graphic literature like comic books, than it is in visual media like tv or movies. As exciting as it is to flip a page and see a shocking reveal, can that sense of surprise match the jolt of a jump scare? Is the visual tension of Martin’s coloring able to compare to the swelling dread of a cinematic crescendo as a monstrous beast closes in on its frantic prey moments away from reaching safety? The answers may vary depending on the reader, but for me, few other horror comics have come this close. Blood of the Wolf Man #1 kicks off a story as potentially indelible as the talent of its creators, a fantastic first issue that will have your anticipation waxing toward issue two and howling for more.
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