‘Canary’ TPB (review)

Written by by Scott Snyder
Art by Dan Panosian
Published by ComiXology/
Dark Horse Comics

Going into today’s book, all I knew were the names of its creators, Scott Snyder and Dan Panosian. Couldn’t tell you anything either man had worked on. My memory told me I had once transcribed an interview someone had done with Snyder. Checked my records and that was correct—nine years ago.

So yeah, for all intents and purposes, I was going in cold, discovering new-to-me comics pros who were already veterans. And they’re good!

The book we’re talking about is Canary, a Dark Horse collection of a previously published three-part mini-series. It’s a turn-of-the-century western that turns into a horror story more and more as it moves along.

Snyder’s story feels original, his dialogue on-target, his characters fleshed out well. I’m just a tad disappointed in the book’s ending but the ride toward that particular spot was so entertaining that I’m willing to overlook that as a flaw.

It’s Panosian who steals the show for me, though.

His art is done in what at least looks to be old-fashioned line work—with lots and lots of lines, in fact! Dan is also credited with the color which, as I’ve written in earlier reviews, can make or break a graphic novel. In this case, the mostly muted color is perfect. It seems to have been accomplished with multiple techniques but clearly some computer work.

Panosian’s art style here reminds me strongly of late 20th century European comics of America’s Old West, particularly the art style used by the legendary Jean Giraud on his long running Blueberry series.

Our hero herein is a federal marshal named Azrael William Holt.

He’s actually quite famous in-universe as the rootin’-tootin’ almost superhuman protagonist of a successful series of dime novels exploiting his reputation. As in the books, he wears a black and white casket scarf over his face to dramatically intimidate anyone he faces off against.

In reality, though, he’s a violent, cynical man edging toward retirement and beset by multiple tragedies in his past.

He’s thrown into a situation loosely tied to one of his most famous cases when he’s ordered to investigate the cause of a growing series of random murders. The investigation takes him to a burnt-out mining town where he teams with a black geologist and a lady saloon keeper to use scientific methods to examine the old mine.

I have to mention the wonderfully designed cover of the book, which incorporates various images from its story, as well as a clever skull motif, all within and around a frame made up of large golden six-guns.

Speaking of covers, while Canary contains no introductory or back-matter editorial material, we do get a full eight pages of the original covers and variants from the actual series itself. Two of these are by Panosian while the others come from familiar names like Cliff Chiang, Jill Thompson (in an almost Bat Lash style), Dave Johnson, my favorite Francesco Francavilla, and finally one credited to Emma Ríos with Miquel Muerto, both unfamiliar to me.

Despite a few loose ends, Canary is a well-written, self-contained story with a beginning, a middle, and an end. It doesn’t really need a sequel.

That said, Marshal Will Holt is such an interesting character, and portrayed as having a past that seems even more interesting than his Lone Ranger-like reputation from the dome novels that I wouldn’t mind seeing some prequels. Even without the vaguely Lovecraftian horror aspects of Canary, that might be interesting.

If not that, after Canary I’d be first in line for anything new Scott Snyder and Dan Panosian want to give the world, on any subject.

Booksteve recommends.