THE MONSTER’S CLEANUP GUY #1, from Blood Moon Comics on 6/14/23, pulls back the world of monsters living all around us and the man tasked with keeping everyone in line.
The Details
- Written by: Drew D. Lenhart
- Art by: Rowel Roque
- Letters by: Drew D. Lenhart
- Cover art by: Rowel Roque
- Comic Rating: Mature
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: June 14, 2023
Is It Good?
Okay, THE MONSTER’S CLEANUP GUY #1 is not bad. Not bad at all. Set in a world where tribes of monsters (werewolves, vampires, etc.) secretly live among humans, Drew D. Lenhart’s story is an entertaining mix of gory horror, drama, and the supernatural.
Lenhart’s script centers on Terry, a human (or is he?) who serves Damien, a power-hungry werewolf who wants to consolidate the leadership of all monster tribes under himself. Terry’s job is to keep human deaths away from curious investigators so that monsters won’t be discovered.
On its face, the premise doesn’t sound like anything we’ve ever read before, so Lenhart immediately earns bonus points for originality. The story is set up cleanly, the plot makes sense (mostly), and the issue ends on a strong cliffhanger.
The minor down point in the writing relates to a twist related to Terry, revealed early in the issue. The twist almost makes sense but not quite. There are multiple ways to interpret the twist, but the lack of clarity plants a seed of confusion that lingers for the rest of the issue. Yes, we’re tap dancing around the details of the twist because it’s a major plot point, but you’ll know it when you see it.
The art is fine. Rowel Roque’s B&W art style gets the job done with excellent creature designs and layouts, but the B&W art lacks the shading to give each scene light sources and texture.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with a murder scene in a suburban backyard. Officer Jones calls in Terry to check the body to confirm whether or not it was a monster attack. It is, and Terry’s private agreement with Officer Jones means the body needs to “disappear.” Terry is the Cleanup Guy for the tribes of monsters that live in secret all over the world, and he reports to the lycan called Damien. Officer Jones knows this, and he knows if he allows the monsters’ secret to get out, he’ll pay a heavy price.
From a nearby tree, Terry here’s a whispering voice calling him. Hansen is the werewolf who killed the victim, and he needs Terry’s help to avoid capture. Suddenly, Officer Jones sneaks up behind Hansen and splits his skull in half with an axe. Damien arrives and kills Officer Jones. That’s just the beginning of Terry’s problems.
We conclude the issue with a one-on-one chat, a summons, and a power play.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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THE MONSTER’S CLEANUP GUY #1 offers up an original horror story about the poor soul responsible for keeping tribes of monsters and their human prey out of the public eye. The concept feels wholly original, and a twist reveal bumps up the creativity several notches with a strong cliffhanger.
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