5 out of 5

Yes, my Amigo bias is probably affecting the rating again, but this was truly an impressive series.  The execution – at a compressed 4 issues – is awesome, and Torres really manages to conjure up an epic vibe completely wholesale.

The Ghost Wolf is a folk hero; an avenger-of-the-people borne many years ago after a pact made between a mighty warrior and a mighty wolf.  The mini-series seamlessly lays out generation after generation of different iterations of the Wolf, whose spirit will possess a chosen protector, breaking the four issues into two smaller arcs but all of it – tale within a tale within a tale – fitting together without missing a beat.  Issues 1 and 2 – with breathlessly limber art by Siku – shows us the devilish ‘soul eater’ Kerunnos, leader of the cannibals of the North, persecuting the people of the South, until one such prisoner – Demne – recalls his Grandfather’s sacrifice to the Wolf and decides to follow in his steps, leading to an insane, mad, bloody, limb-chopping battle in the last half of issue 2.  While Siku’s art is, perhaps, over-stylized at points to the extent that it can be hard to determine who’s who and what’s what, the expressive zig-zag of his (?) line-work makes it worth the time to just stare at the panels and layouts for however long.  Torres avoids turning the series into just a glorified battle by couching the whole thing as a story handed down; it really down feel like this is something being recounted to us as it’s shown.  There’s even the slight moral tinge of a good folk tale when, toward the conclusion, Kerunnos attempts to turn the tables on Demne and draw a comparison of both of their acts of extreme violence.

Issue 3 kicks off another story of the Wolf, which again is framed by the same tale being told to another character, and thus to us.  This time, a mother goes over the origin we were shown in book 1 to her children, who slightly misinterpret the protector’s role as one of taking vengeance.  Uncle Harald stops by, bringing bad news: the king is dead, and a bad man – being led down a wayward path by a witch – has decided to take his place.  And wouldn’t ya know it, ends up unleashing an ancient evil.  Mara, the mother, decides to take up the mantle of the Wolf to throw a scare into the aggressors, thereby fulfilling the role of Ghost Wolf as a fighter for the people.  Her path through the hordes – again, a huge and bloody battle in the tale’s latter half, this time illustrated by Ángel Hernández – helps to finish the story she was telling to her children, and to help them understand the line between vengeance and survival.

Even though all of this take place in an unspecified setting, there is absolutely the sense of moving slowly forward in time, and with our folk tale being “handed down,” even though the leads in both arcs are unrelated (as far as we know).  This sense of progression – and narrative openness – makes it seem like Torres could continue to hand us tale of the Wolf, without stepping on anything he’s already established.  Ghost Wolf is just a concept, and Demne and Mara apply it in their own ways.  While ‘Ghost Wolf’ might not directly offer something jaw-dropping in its story, to create such a sense of history and longevity in a few issues – good, exciting, balanced issues – is truly a rare feat.  Combined with Torres’ ear for easy characterization via sturdy dialogue and a truly wise selection of exciting artists, we find another ‘Amigo’ book that accomplishes something really impressive without having to shout to draw attention to itself.