Shepperton’s Waltz Review: A Waste

The Wild West is a great setting for plenty of stories. Too bad many comics use it for a post-apocalyptic story or make it into a sci-fi. “Hepperton’s Waltz” by Patrick Killik is no exception- it’s one of the worst to come out in recent years.

In a Wild West town called Hillsborough, the locals let loose giant insect creatures in a mine that killed everyone in town. Everyone except an alcoholic named Angus Shepperton who is now their only hope for survival.

The story has an interesting premise. On top of that the setting is practically perfect for this type of story. The problem is the majority of the story is exposition. This overabundance causes important story elements like characterization and character development to suffer greatly.

That is exactly what happens here. Shepperton is nothing more than the typical reluctant messiah who so happens to be drunk and has a tragic backstory. That’s all he comes across as. He even spends the entire comic drinking and spouting exposition.

One large problem with the comic is these giant bugs. Shepperton reveals that alcohol “…burns em to touch it.” This is right up there on the stupid scale along with milk being able to kill a troll from “Ernest Scared Stupid.” At least that was a comedy. This is a serious story so this makes it worse. Also, this is the Wild West. There are saloons stocked to the brim with alcohol and people even carried flasks.

Let’s not even get started with the ending. The big reveal is cliché, random and ridiculous to the point where you think Killik wanted to write a satire but decided to goes the more serious route. Not to mention how the resolution is handled is exactly what the reader will be screaming at Shepperton throughout the entire final battle.

The art is about as interesting as the story. It does have the Wild West feel to it but overall it doesn’t stand out. It looks like any other recent comic book artists art. The art can’t even say it’s the comic’s saving grace.

“Shepperton’s Waltz” is 75% infodump 25% poor writing. The unremarkable art doesn’t help things at all. Add in an enemy’s weakness that destroys all credibility and you have a comic that’s in need of a hanging at the new courthouse.