THE WIRE FENCE (ONE-SHOT), by CEX Publishing on 10/25/23, introduces readers to Deven – a young boy who escapes a life of poverty and abuse to follow a mysterious stranger with a unique power.
The Details
- Written by: Jake Palermo
- Art by: Raquel Kusiak
- Colors by: Raquel Kusiak
- Letters by: Sean Reinhart
- Cover art by: Victor Alpi
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover price: $4.99
- Release date: October 25, 2023
Is THE WIRE FENCE (ONE-SHOT) Good?
THE WIRE FENCE (ONE-SHOT) is an alluring character piece from Jake Palermo about an orphan in the Old West who finds kinship with a mysterious stranger who protects cattle and kin with magical control over barbed wire. Palermo’s Old West fantasy mixes poignantly human themes with compelling ideas, but the short page count leaves little room for a complete story.
Palermo’s script centers on Deven, an orphan boy in one era and an adult man twenty-one years later, as he finds the abuse, poverty, and starvation of daily life in a South Dakota town interrupted when a masked stranger arrives. The stranger incapacitates anyone with the ability to manipulate barbed wire as a weapon, and the stranger’s goal is to free a white buffalo captured by the town’s sheriff. Before the stranger leaves town, Deven sets his sights on following the stranger to whatever challenge awaits next.
If it sounds like we’re skipping major parts of the story, you’re right and wrong. At 15 pages, this issue delivers the broad stroke developments without getting into too much detail. Therefore, readers are left to fill in many blanks on their own. Depending on your point of view, that could be seen as a positive.
What’s great about THE WIRE FENCE (ONE-SHOT)? Palermo plants seeds of ideas, concerts, and a world that brims with potential for further exploration. You can see the seeds starting to sprout and blossom.
What’s not so great about THE WIRE FENCE (ONE-SHOT)? Unfortunately, the one-shot stops short before the seeds can fully bloom. In truth, this issue makes for a fantastic setup for a larger story, but it’s not a story. You have a beginning, pieces of a middle, and a “to be continued…” finish, and that’s being generous. The hints of the stranger’s story are there. The bookends to Deven’s journey are there. But this protracted issue amounts to little more than a tease.
How’s the art? Raquel Kusiak’s art has a rustic charm that suits Palermo’s story beautifully. The character designs are grounded but contain just a hint of whimsy to reflect the underlying magic of the story, and the coloring work is fantastic.
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What’s THE WIRE FENCE (ONE-SHOT) About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with a young orphan, Deven, in a South Dakota town in 1879. Deven explains how he receives daily abuse from the corrupt Sheriff, but he’s relieved when a stranger arrives in town to free a white buffalo from the Sheriff’s barn. When the Sheriff and his men try to stop the stranger, barbed wire emerges from the ground like snakes to ensnare the Sheriff and his men.
Deven resolves to leave town with the stranger rather than stay stuck in a rundown town. Later, Deven learns the stranger is a beautiful but scarred woman called B.B.Q. with a sorrowful tale about family and her own abuse. We conclude the issue with toys, tales, and testimony.
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 WIRE FENCE (ONE-SHOT) is an intriguing setup to an Old West fantasy about an orphan boy who forms a bond with a magical stranger. The character- and world-building have high potential, and the art suits the script to a tee, but the short page count prevents a full story from forming.
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