Comic Book Review - Snake Volume #1

Rob reviews Snake Volume #1...




Snake is a tale of Outlaws and reputation that's set within the old west of the American Frontier. Written by, Chuck Amadori, with art and colours by, Alexandre Reis & Nimesh Morarji, Snake focuses its narrative on Eliza - a kick-ass Outlaw with one big reputation. 

The story to Snake is fairly interesting although it borrows a lot from other Wild West stories. Eliza (aka Snake) is a famed Outlaw whose reputation proceeds her. Fed up with her old life, she's broken away from her gang and is forging her path in the Frontier. To right her many wrongs she's returned home, and not only sets about cleaning up the town - but she might also lay some old ghosts to rest too. 


Amadori does a good job in balancing things between setting up Eliza's character, and plenty of world-building. The majority of the opening issue is spent on introducing us to the citizens of Cambra and the town's resident bad guy; Zeke. It certainly gets you invested within the current situation, and within a few short pages I was counting down until Zeke got his comeuppance. 

While we don't get a lot of explicit exposition, Amadori does it through character dialogue. Throughout Eliza hints upon the things that she's done in the past, as well as what drove her to become an Outlaw. This is then mirrored by the townsfolk fleeing in fear every time she enters the room. The action also comes in quick supply. We get a couple of brutal moments that set up Zeke's character, and then a drawn-out firefight involving Eliza. It's a well-choreographed fight as Reiz get to show us what this Gunslinger is capable of, whilst Nimesh Morarji bathes everything within a cool moonlight glow. 


As characters go, Eliza is a bit of a mixed bag. Whilst she's portrayed as a strong-willed woman who takes zero shit, she's also suffering from a bad choice of costume. While the rest of the cast wear period-appropriate attire, Eliza is decked in hot pants and a very revealing top. It's a bit of a weird decision as it takes away a lot of the character work that's been set up. 

Away from this and the rest of Alexandre Reis' artwork is pretty good. Locations all have a western feel to them, with dusty streets, dank mines, and bustling saloons. The cast also has a wide range of emotions which again - Reis portrays incredibly well. It's just all dampened by one choice of clothing, and a couple of questionable poses.

Come issues #2 conclusion and Amadori has set things up nicely for Snake's future. Just what direction it's going in is unclear. However, if we continue to see this depth of world-building, with clever use of character-driven exposition then I'm invested in seeing what Eliza (and her new gang) get into next. But please give her a new outfit!

Rating: 7/10 

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