Moon Dogs #1 Review

 

Writer: Tananarive Due

Artist: Kelsey Ramsay

Colorist: José Villarrubia

Letterer & Designer: Jeff Powell

Editor: Will Dennis

Cover Artists: Kelsey Ramsay & José Villarrubia; Tula Lotay

Publisher: Image Comics

Price: $3.99

Release Date: November 20, 2024

 

Carlos is ready to commit. But Nala isn’t sure. Her heritage complicates any relationship. And once you’ve told people your secrets, they can use them against you. Carlos knows she is a Moon Dog. But is he ready to join Nala’s family? Let's brew some tea, leap into Moon Dogs #1, and see!

 

Story

Nala and Carlos are reporters in Miami, Florida. While riding toward her parents’ house, a tip diverts them to Little Havana. Despite her upbringing and heritage, Nala is appalled by the dismembered body in front of the Carniceria. But they don’t have time to linger. The police are coming. Nala wipes away a paw print and removes a familiar necklace before Luis arrives.

 

In Moon Dogs #1, Nala is like anyone else. When she grows close to someone, she shares her secrets. While attending the University of Miami, she shared her family heritage with Luis. But their relationship didn't lead to marriage, and now Luis works for the police. Despite his faith in Nala, he knows one of "her people" brutally killed someone. Maybe he can work with a reporter to find the killer, but not Nala.

 

While the slaying severs Nala professionally from the police, it also drives a wedge between herself and her brother. Kai is growing up. He seeks empowerment and belonging. A group of young and successful people promises him both. So, Kai shares some of his mother's tea with them. Her ancestral blend helps were-hyenas control their urges and shapeshifting abilities. But in the wrong hands, that tea can empower people and propel them to savagery.

 

Tananarive Due’s story introduces readers to a diverse lycanthrope community. Nala's family successfully blended their werewolf and were-hyena ancestry in Moon Dogs #1. Nala wonders if she and Carlos can overcome the hurdles facing a Human/Lycanthrope marriage. But before considering that, Nala must steer Kai away from people who would unleash chaos in the name of social change. Why? Because the necklace Nala found at the crime scene belonged to her younger brother. And because, like all too many people today, Kai argues that it’s okay for “good” leaders to say or do bad things for “the right reasons.”

 

 

 

Art

Kelsey Ramsay shows a man’s scattered body parts on the sidewalk next to a trash bag awaiting pickup. A selection of prime cuts separates Carlos and Nala as they recognize the necklace in her hand. She raises it to show him the pendant matches the one around her neck. As Luis raises a hand to ward them off, three patrol cars in the street flash their roof lights. After the shocking street scene, Nala and Carlos dine with her parents and Kai. The crossed wooden canes of her ancestors hang on the wall and adorn table linen like a religious symbol.

 

José Villarrubia lavishes bright colors on the vibrant city of Miami in Moon Dogs #1. Houseplants in her parent's dining room echo the palm trees and tropical plants outside. While Nala wears a green shirt, she rides a red motorcycle, matching the red meat and the crime scene. The blue on Carlos’ shirt matches her father’s, the seat cushions, and the dark blue moonlit night. While Kai wears pink like his mother, he recalls a brown and red-colored meeting with the alpha males. And when the full moon rises, Carlos is not invited to dinner when the family wears white.

 

Jeff Powell slashes black uppercase letters into white dialogue balloons and white letters into black narrative boxes. The font emboldens for inflection and rarely shrinks. Nala pours out her heart and hesitation on a yellow legal pad, and drawings accompany an essay on the Were-Hyenas of East Africa. Elegant blue letters adorn a boat hull, while red music notes dance above Nala’s head. Sound effects enliven this story about power and responsibility with gunfire and a ferocious feast. Thanks to Image Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

While Moon Dogs #1 ponders what we owe to the past and future, this story of heritage and lycanthropy also addresses those who feel marginalized within an oppressed community.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.