Moonshine #2 Review — Werewolf? There wolf.
I’ve often thought the prohibition period was missing more werewolves. Can you imagine, in that infamous interrogation scene in The Untouchables, if Sean Connery had turned into a werewolf and mauled that guy? Good times. In seriousness, though, Moonshine #2 has finally given us a glimpse of the lycanthrope haunting the booze-filled hills, and it is appropriately mysterious.
Despite assuring Masseria that he has a plan to turn this thing around, it’s clear that Pirlo is in over his head. He does not, in fact, have a clear idea of how to get the aggressive Holt patriarch to agree to a deal, and Pirlo doesn’t have any authorization to sweeten said deal. He’s in the unenviable position of being a stranger in a strange land, stuck between two violent men who don’t ken to Pirlo’s incompetence.
Which is why it’s both welcome and surprising when members of the Holt family try to make a deal under the table. Naturally, the lovely Tempest is part of the scheme, as is a son-in-law. From their early conversation it’s clearly the blind leading the blind, and an ill-fated venture. It’s not terribly surprising when things go ploin-shaped in a violent, bloody manner.
It’s clear that the werewolf is protecting Holt family interests. In Moonshine #1, it was possible (however unlikely) that the FBI agents hunting the Holt distilleries were merely in the wrong place at the wrong time. But as Lou’s guide and the leader of this harebrained scheme begs for his life, it’s clear this werewolf is not only known to all involved, but that it is the hired muscle of the Holt family.
In the previous issue, Tempest is seen consoling a naked, confused, scared brother. It’s probably safe to assume this brother is the werewolf hunting those who would harm the alcohol empire. The real question is whether or not Tempest is his handler. She joins the scheme at the last minute and seems a little too eager and too well-organized. The entire thing could have been a ruse, and another way of telling Pirlo he is entirely unwelcome in their land.
I’m still not sure where Moonshine is ultimately taking us. A prohibition tale is fun, as is a werewolf tale. It’s safe to assume when combined, the two could provide a violent, intriguing story. However, I worry that one may end up taking a backseat to the other. Or, that Pirlo may soon suffer the same fate as all visitors to werewolf-infested lands. Which would have made an even cooler scene in The Untouchables. Elliot Ness strides into the hotel where Capone lives to threaten and yell at him, but instead of goons grabbing Ness, a werewolf appears just over Capone’s shoulder. Wait, what are we talking about, again?
Author: Brian Azzarello
Artist: Eduardo Risso
Publisher: Image Comics
Publish date: 11/16/2016
Acquired via Purchase
