The Wild West is a haven for supernatural settings with cowboys. Throw in a famous monster and you’ve got a seller. “Billy the Kid’s Old Timey Oddities and the Orm of Loch Ness #1″ by Eric Powell with art by Kyle Hotz is simply a rootin’ tootin’ good time.
The story is about Billy the Kid and his gang, a bunch of freaks, who set out to Europe to find their friend Callahan, who has gone to Loch Ness. It’s an interesting place, to say the very least. There’s a legend there of a priest who killed a water serpent and, after he died, his followers made daggers out of his fingers, a sword from his femur and a lantern from his skull. His skull is the only thing remaining and it’s now a holy object in Loch Ness.
The setting and plot may have been done before, but of course that all depends on the execution. Naturally, Powell’s execution makes this story something special. It’s well paced, it avoids all the clichés you’d see in these stories and there’s well-written dialogue. Giving Billy’s gang members supernatural features, like one has hands for feat, fits perfectly with the weird setting.
What also fits perfectly is the Hotz’s art work. His art style looks like a modern take on “Tales from the Crypt†so everything is scary and dark. The best parts are, again, from Billy’s gang. They all have their unique look and little quirks to them, like Callahan looks like a serpent creature and another has a face behind his head. It fits the style and feel of the world so perfectly that you don’t need to ask why and just go with it.
“Billy the Kid’s Old Timey Oddities and the Orm of Loch Ness #1†grabs your attention from page one with bizarre art and a well written story and keeps you wanting more till the last page. This is one mini series that’s worth saddling up and robbing trains for.
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