Canary by scott snyder

Illustrated by Dan Panosian, lettered by Richard Starkings

Set in Wild West of Utah, Sheriff Azrael William Holt is a legendary figure thanks to exploits that have been popularized in Dime novels, but the fictionalized accounts and horror stories may be closer to reality than the public may believe. In his latest case, Holt is assigned to protect Dr. Ed, a geologist, as he investigates a collapsed copper mine outside the town of Canary. Holt and Dr. Ed get some assistance from Mabel, the town’s saloon maiden and daughter of Canary’s founder. The town and mine have had a string of supernatural occurrences surrounding it, and Dr. Ed theorizes it may have something to do with Canary's water.

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I honestly didn’t realize this was going to be a horror story when I started, so I was a little disappointed when it turned out to be one. I enjoyed the first half focusing on Holt, Ed, and Mabel, and appreciated Panosian’s illustrations. As it turned more into horror, everything rushed into the conclusion and tried to bring a lot of elements into a short amount of time. Overall, the story was still fairly solid, but I think this could have been better if it stayed as a western murder-mystery.

Panosian’s illustrations are gritty and the people are often rough, but his landscapes are unique and fascinating. I appreciated the coloring and the different palettes employed — there were a lot of dusty, Western colors, but there were significant changes at times that provided necessary contrasts and reprieve from the constant brown and rusts.

There is a lot of swearing, alcohol consumption, and violence, but the overall feel of the book also makes this one best suited for the adult shelves.

Sara's Rating: 7/10
Suitability Level: Adult

Publisher: Dark Horse
Publication Date: June 25, 2024
ISBN: 9781506728315 (Paperback)

​Tags: Rating: 7/10, Suitability: Adult, Comicbooks, Western, Horror, Supernatural, ​Dark Horse