Wolf's Head - An Original Graphic Novel Series: Issue 1: 'Song' and 'Everybody Knows...'

by Von Allan

Synopsis: Lauren Greene is a young woman who has quit her job as a police officer in Metro Detroit after becoming frustrated with growing police violence. She is slowly becoming more aware of the injustices around her; the divide between rich and poor, racism, lack of opportunity for many people, health and illness bankrupting and destroying people, and more. At the same time, and unbeknownst to Lauren, a secretive corporation has created an artificial intelligence (AI) designed for war. An AI that might actually change the world...but not for the better.

Struggling to find work in a tough economy and unsure of what to do with her life, Lauren suddenly has a new problem: her mom, Patty, has found and connected with the newly born AI. And, partially due to that connection, the AI has become empathic and humane, much to the frustration of the corporate executives and scientists who created it. After Patty helps the young AI escape under the cover of a huge research factory fire, she turns to her daughter for help keeping it safe.

Giddy with excitement, Patty doesn't recognize the danger she has put herself in...but Lauren does and she is terrified. Her fear is realized when the two women are confronted by corporate forces who want to stifle knowledge of the AI and keep it for themselves. As Lauren does her best to keep her mom safe, the tensions over the AI erupt between them, leaving Lauren on her own.

Broke, down on her luck, and needing a job very badly, Lauren turns to her friends for help, all the while keeping her mom's discovery a secret.

WOLF'S HEAD is part action-adventure, part drama, featuring strong women of color in the real world. Written and illustrated by Canadian cartoonist Von Allan (the road to god knows..., Stargazer, and Metal Gods), WOLF'S HEAD will excite readers of all ages. The story is presented in full color and is 60 pages in length. For more information, please visit http: //www.vonallan.com.

Author Biography: Von Allan was born red-headed and freckled in Arnprior, Ontario, just in time for STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE . The single child of two loving but troubled parents, Von split most of his childhood between their two homes and, consequently, spent a lot of time in the worlds of comics and wrestling. He managed an independent bookstore in Ottawa for many years, all the while working on story ideas in his spare time. Eventually, he decided to make the leap to a creative life.

Von currently lives in Ottawa, Canada, with his writer/editor geek wife, Moggy; a husky dog, Corbin; and their feisty elderly cat Bonny.

Von was recently featured in the documentary film I AM STILL YOUR CHILD written and directed by Megan Durnford (http: //iamstillyourchild.com) and produced by Katarina Soukup of Catbird Films (http: //catbirdfilms.ca). His artwork was also featured in a CBC Arts video profile at http: //www.cbc.ca/arts/exhibitionists/as-a-k...

Publishing Specifications:

ISBN: 978-0-9952772-2-9

ISSN 2561-3537

60 pages

Release Date: December 13 2017

Trim Size: 6.625" by 10.250"

Art: full color

Not suitable for very young readers

Review copies are available upon request

60 pages, Paperback

First published November 8, 2017

About the author

Von Allan was born red-headed and freckled in Arnprior, Ontario, just in time for Star Wars: A New Hope. The single child of two loving but troubled parents, Von split most of his childhood between their two homes and, consequently, spent a lot of time in the worlds of comics and wrestling. And, to be perfectly honest, what comics and piledrivers didn't teach him, science fiction did. He worked at a small independent bookstore in Ottawa for many years, all the while working on story ideas in his spare time-- eventually, he decided to make the leap to a creative life.

Von currently lives in Ottawa, Canada, with his writer/editor geek wife, Moggy and their husky dog, Corbin.

Von was recently featured in the documentary film I AM STILL YOUR CHILD written and directed by Megan Durnford (http://iamstillyourchild.com) and produced by Katarina Soukup of Catbird Films (http://catbirdfilms.ca). His artwork was also featured in a CBC Arts video profile at http://www.cbc.ca/arts/exhibitionists...

Reviews

[Mike Levin · Rating 4 out of 5]

You have to wonder about a white man in Ottawa, Canada, creating a graphic novel about a poor, ex-cop, African-American woman in the crumbling city of Detroit. Canadians just don’t take these chances.

But like his main character Lauren in “Wolf’s Head Issue 1,” creator Von Allan hasn’t got much to lose by rolling the dice. So he’s come up with a story of racism, grinding poverty, corporate malfeasance and a super-natural being.

Why not?

I get it, not because I know what it’s like to be black and poor but because Allan’s dialogue is really good at getting across rage, frustration and despair, with the occasional tinge of humour. Maybe Lauren drinks a bit too much but she looks out for her sick mother and is willing to take any job to pay rent. I like Lauren, especially her naivite about why its so tough for African Americans to get any respect in today’s America.

And then there’s the blob-like, non-human entity that protects her mom Patty against a gunman’s bullet. And the corporate CEO who is so smooth you want to slap his face.

Wolf’s Head 1 took about four pages to draw me into the narrative swirling around Lauren and her mom. Issue 2 is sitting right beside me, and I’ll be reading it right away. Overall a great introduction to what I hope is a long series.

[Wordmechanic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this book and recommend you try it out. 1) Really strong female characters. 2) The plot is not just compelling, but highly relevant to what's happening in our world today. The setting of the story, the conflicts of the main character, the experiences of her mother, and the AI focus are all on point. It's a fascinating fusion of our society's potential and problems wrapped up in an exciting, sci-fi flavored adventure. 3) While it's a great adult read, I think this issue would also be great for Language Arts and social studies teachers to share and discuss with their teen students. NOTE: By a stroke of fate, I read the second issue of this series before I read this first issue. I'm delighted to report that reading these out of order did not matter a bit.