Originally published by DC’s Zuda Comics imprint in 2007 and the Winner of the Harvey Award for Best Online Series, HIGH MOON is a unique western and horror genre mash-up about the investigations of a mysterious bounty hunter, one whose own dark secret emerges every full moon. Or, as Molly Crabapple said, “With werewolves, gunslingers, and the sumptuous artwork of Steve Ellis, HIGH MOON will change everything you thought you knew about the Old West.”
Super Genius will publish HIGH MOON: BULLET HOLES AND BITE MARKS this October, followed by volume 2 in May of 2018 and volume 3 in Fall of 2018. For their release of HIGH MOON, Super Genius will remaster the existing art for Volumes One and Two, before concluding the story with all new material in Volume Three. All three graphic novels will feature new covers by artist and co-creator Steve Ellis, the storyboard artist and illustrator on AMC’s Breaking Bad (The Cost of Doing Business) and The Walking Dead (Dead Reckoning) games, and the co-creator of THE ONLY LIVING BOY graphic novel series, also written and co-created by Gallaher and published by Papercutz.
Ellis and Gallaher’s other collaborations include working on the first digital comics in the late 90s, developing the first comic made exclusively for the iPhone with BOX 13 and developing content for Marvel Unlimited. In addition to his work as Chief Creative Officer of Bottled Lightning, Inc., David Gallaher has written for Marvel Comics and served as a consultant for Random House, The New York Police Department, and McGraw-Hill & DC Comics CONVERGENCE: GREEN LANTERN CORPS by Gallaher, Ellis and Ande Parks.
In HIGH MOON, former Pinkerton agent and current bounty-hunter Matthew Macgregor investigates a series of strange happenings in a small Texas town. Drought has brought famine and hardship to Blest. The summer heat pushes the temperature to unbearable heights during the day. The nights are even worse– for the streets are haunted by strange, unnatural creatures. And even as Macgregor works to uncover the truth about the creatures, he struggles to keep his own supernatural nature a secret.
We travel from village to village, from the western Texas town of Blest to the snow-capped mountains of an Indian village that is threatened by soldiers. There’s never a dull moment for the people of High Moon, nor is there one for the reader. I love how each arc wraps around to the others, and incorporates helpful bits of background information in each to give the reader some exposition on the Macgregor’s. Awesome action sequences abound as well. Ellis’ drawings are complex enough to allow the combat to appear both smooth and intricate Its story is a great mix of western and horror that blends seamlessly to create a fantastic romp through the village of Blest and onward. Werewolves and other creatures of darkness have been tormenting villagers, and it is up to the heroes, who are all mysteriously named Macgregor, to battle these forces of evil, while also having some secrets up their sleeves as well. These heroes are all moody, battle-hardened cowboy types, looking for vengeance and spreading a little violence as well.
The Super Genius editions will be larger than the previous Zuda Comics print edition and will present the landscape formatted series in a removable slipcase that allows it to be racked vertically, maximizing its visibility for retailers and consumers. All three volumes of HIGH MOON will be published in hardcover at $24.99 and simultaneously in paperback at $14.99. HIGH MOON: BULLET HOLES AND BITE MARKS will be available in bookstores and comic book stores across the United States and Canada on October 17th, 2017.
Get ready to howl at the high moon!
Art credit – Steve Ellis