Thirteen Steps Volume 1

by Phil Hester, Chuck Satterlee, Kevin Mellon (Illustrator)

AA for monsters! Semi-pro baseball player Justin Ullrich has a problem... he's a werewolf and he wants to talk, but nobody's listening. Not his Mother, Priest, stoner pal, or his ex... the succubus. So where does a monster with bloodlust issues go? He enters a twelve-step, self-help program, of course! But instead of finding answers he finds himself swept up in the identity politics of the monster set. Thirteen Steps... . because when it's supernatural you need that extra step!

Genres: Graphic Novels

136 pages, Paperback

First published August 6, 2008

About the author

This Eisner Award-nominated artist was born in eastern Iowa, where he went on to study at the University of Iowa. His pencilling credits include Swamp Thing, Brave New World, Flinch, Ultimate Marvel Team-Up, Clerks: The Lost Scene, The Crow: Waking Nightmares, The Wretch (nominated for the 1997 Eisner Award for Best New Series), Aliens: Purge, and Green Arrow.

Since graduating from the University of Iowa, he has been in the comics industry for over 15 years.

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a horror-comedy black & white comic about a werewolf who joins a program to try to get his darker appetite under control. Some of the scene transitions are a bit confusing, but character range is nicely presented, with the inclusion of a succubus, a vampire, and assorted human criminals. It's written with some amusing bits juxtaposed with dramatic angst, and decent art that's nicely shaded.

[Centauri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got a free copy of issue 1 in a garage sale. The concept alone intrigued me, but after reading that glimpse I needed more. And it did not fail to keep me entertained. I wavered between 3 and 4 stars because the last 2 issues of the volume seemed rushed; felt like there were moments missing from the pages, the way the story progressed to its cliffhanger finish.
A werewolf that doesn't really like killing people and needs a support group to stop doing so is a nice spin on cliche horror concepts. The glimpses into the supporting cast is what really kept me glued to this universe. I wanted to know more about the Succubus and Vampyr and Damsel-in-Distress. There were some parts that had me thinking the pastor knew more about the werewolf than he was supposed to, and I wanted to see more interaction with the mom and friend, who were important people in protagonist's life. Not sure why this one-shot graphic novel was not more story and more pages and more backstory.

[Angel Zapata · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has got to be one of my favorite horror/comedy comics ever. It only lasted five issues, and this graphic novel collects them all. It's got a bevy of beasts and monsters. And the concept of a werewolf joining a thirteen step program to stop killing and eating people is brilliant. Don't let this work get away. Both script and art shine and will stay with you.

[El Neo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this a lot! Very clever!